Difference between CRT and other monitors

[ronbudway]

I have an emac with a CRT screen which I have read is excellent for viewing pictures. I

certainly have no complaints. My question is how much better is an apple CRT

monitor than most normal PC monitors?

 

I ask because I have recieved several comments on pictures of mine where people

said they could not make out certain details that are clearly visable on my monitor. In

the picture I have posted here there are numerous faces of soldiers etched in the

granite in which you can also see my relfection. Someone commented that they

thought it was frost, another person said they could only tell a couple of them were

faces, even after I pointed out what they were. What does it look like to you?

 

We have all macs where I work so I rarely see any other kind of monitor. A friend of

mine has a compaq and I have noticed his montitor seems very washed out compared

to mine.

 

Any comments would be appreciated. Thanks.<div></div>

[smedly64]

Im not sure it is a MAC or PC issue. Yes the Macintosh folks select equipment and prepare it for good images.

In general choosing a good monitor, proper video card, and adjusting to the correct settings in the PC world requires some thought and investigation, where in the Mac world it is kind of done for you by the folks at Apple.

I am always suprised when I set up or repair a computer that many people spend very little time on selecting and adjusting their monitors. If you think what you see is important, take the time to look and ask about how to setup your computer. If you have a choice look for or ask about finding the best view possible.

 

A better question I would like to ask is how well do LCD monitors do in graphics (images) compaired to CRTs (tube type monitors)

I use a 19" Sony (tube type) with a high scan rate and have yet found a LCD that matches it.

[awindsor]

The Korean war memorial is definitely a great photographic subject. The faces are clearly visible .... on my mac.

 

The problem, as I understand it, is the difference in default gamma between PCs and Macs. On a mac the default gamma is 1.8 and on a PC it is 2.2. You can target your monitor to gamma 2.2 using the display calibrator. This is useful if you do web work since it means you don't need any additional steps to publish your photos on the web.

[ronbudway]

Ok, the only gamma I am familiar with is the gamma ray that turned David Banner

into the incredible Hulk, but I'll look into it.

 

If I do change settings so my pictures are 2.2, will it make pictures less clear to mac

users?

 

Thanks.

[awindsor]

The instructions for setting the gamma on your mac goes roughly like this

 

1. Open System Preferences.

 

2. Open Displays.

 

3. Select the Color pane (or Colour if you are in an English speaking country).

 

4. Click on Calibrate. This opens the Display Calibrator Assistant.

 

5. Follow the on screen instructions. I cannot be of much more help at this stage since I am using an LCD not a CRT (though I want to get a nice new 19" CRT for photographic work) and the calibration processes are different.

 

Hope that helps. If you turn green and burst out of your clothes you have done something wrong.

[ronbudway]

Thanks so much Allistair. Now I have something new to obsess about with my

photography :-)

[smedly64]

Ho! Alistair what makes you want to go to a CRT?

I us a 19" Sony CRT(tuned fairly well on my PC) and would like to hear some issues with image creation on an LCD. I like my CRT but have thought about an LCD. My Sony 19" is so crisp and stable I have not been able to find a replacement.

What do you think?