This afternoon I went to a colour management workshop organised by X-Rite at NEC's offices in west London. Whilst I was there I had the opportunity to compare a NEC Spectraview Reference 271 monitor against a Spectraview 232. The main difference between the two is that while both are intended for work where colour accuracy is critical, the 232 display is limited to the sRGB workspace while the 271 can display 98% Adobe RGB. I looked at both displays along with several other people and no one could detect a discernible difference. I came to the conclusion that a good quality consumer monitor should suffice for most non professional photographic purposes, especially as I am getting a good match between my current monitor and my prints.
The NEC Spectraview Reference 271 retails for around £1,300, but I have saved double that. As my wife pointed out, the cost is equivalent to two Mulberry handbags!
If anyone wants to find out more about colour management, Native Digital has a free book to download as a PDF. You will only have to supply an e-mail address, which the company promises it will not flood with spam. If you want a printed version, it is also available to buy. The book is written by Rob Griffith who took the workshop today.
http://www.nativedigital.com/practical-colour-management-v4-ebook-pdf/
