Why Most Photography and Editing Monitors Suck For Macs

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0:00 - Intro
0:28 - Requirements For Monitor Selection
5:30 - Matte vs Gloss Monitors Comparison
7:32 - Brightness and Nits Comparison
9:09 - BenQ 27" 4K Designer Monitor PD2725U
10:14 - BenQ 32” 4K Designer Monitor PD3220U
10:47 - BenQ 32" 4K Designer Monitor PD3225U
11:53 - BenQ 27" 4K Photographer Monitor SW27IC
12:46 - BenQ 27" 4K Photographer Monitor SW272U
13:37 - Samsung 27" ViewFinity S9 5K Monitor
15:54 - LG 27" UHD UltraFine IPS Monitor
16:30 - Dell UltraSharp 27" 4K PremierColor Monitor UP2720Q
17:21 - SAMSUNG 32" M80C UHD
17:43 - LG 24" IPS UHD 4K UltraFine Monitor 24MD4KL-B
20:14 - Summary

[@jeffchastain2977]

My 32" BenQ DesignColor performs like a champ.

[@IkennaVisuals]

This video was an absolute game changer, was planning to go for the Asus ProArt but after this video and doing more research the Apple Studio Display is the way to go. Thank you for making this video!

[@ctrabalful]

Thank you for your videos. What do you think about the LG 27GP95RP-B for the new iPad Pro M4 video editing with DaVinci Resolve? 🤗 anything other suggestions at min 120hz? Thank you very much

[@ed61730]

Eizo have been the ONLY non mac company to make displays which work well on mac. So good.

[@chevonpetgrave4991]

Ben Q?

[@definingslawek4731]

I went for the LG C3, 42 inch 4k 120hz 10 bit (natively) OLED glossy. Ironically the best computer monitor is actually a TV. I was previously using a high refresh rate IPS gaming monitor and this TV has a lower input latency and pixel response time. Studio display is only 8bit meanwhile this TV costs at least 500 dollars less and is 10bit. Very happy with it :)

[@houssamalucad753]

You missed some monitors, the Spectrum one glossy (amazing bright 4K 144hz 27" glossy monitor, basically like the LG IPS but glossy coating, terrible company and warranty, buy at your own risk), and all of the new 4K QD OLEDs (if you want to risk burn in, but most companies that sell them offer 3 year warranties, oh and they are 240hz so great for gaming, 4k 32" and color accurate so great for work, OLED contrast makes them not need a lot of brightness). But yeah if you want the absolute best experience on mac you gotta save up for the Apple studio monitor, horribly overpriced compared to the ones I listed, but specifically for working on Mac it's unrivaled.

[@Garciarage]

This is the video that has come at the perfect time. Thank you very much. I'm using a Benq at the moment and looking to buy a new monitor for my M1 Mac mini. I didn't know anything about what I needed to be looking for. I come from a music editing background so the Benq was perfect for my needs. Awesome video.🤩

[@OkayDip]

Which is the best budget mac monitor ?

[@dogoku]

There is no 4k monitor that can be used for macs without scaling problems. Even at 24 inches, the density will be only 168 PPI, but you need a minimum of 200 PPI to avoid scaling issues. That's why apple makes screens with custom resolutions, in order to reach the pixel density they need, e.g 4480x2520 on a 24inch iMac.

[@TheRealDealEditor]

There are two monitors made by LG that are made to be used with Mac and those are the LG Ultrafine 4K 24” and Ultrafine 5K 27”. These are the only monitors not made by Apple that work flawlessly for Mac. I covered them briefly in the video at 17:43 and own the 24" version. There are no scaling issues with them since Apple partnered with LG to develop each of those monitors. At one point they were even sold in the Apple store.

[@SRF-vm3fy]

​@@TheRealDealEditorcan you please tell me as a photographer what adobe rgb gamut the LG has ?

[@TheRealDealEditor]

@@SRF-vm3fy 98% DCI-P3 color gamut

[@chevonpetgrave4991]

@@TheRealDealEditor thats P3 which is smaller then Adobe RGB. I don’t see them mention any Adobe RGB gamut specs. I’ll have to hunt the web down and get back.

[@ed61730]

The Eizo 4k work perfect on mac do worth a look. Used in ALL creative studios.

[@alexlawcb]

Seems that your point is that only Apple monitors or the one make with Apple is good for Mac users? I highly doubt your assertion.

[@ub59]

Thank you for your honest review. I was leaning toward BenQ until I saw your video. If LG made a 32" monitor with the specs you listed, I'd consider it. Otherwise it's Big Bucks on a 32" Pro Display XDR -- gloss glass screen. The jaw dropping price seems unreasonable until you work out it will last for years, maybe a decade if treated well. My area of interest is in illustrative and 3D architecture and high quality 3D rendering. I currently run Logic Pro X music production, and the full Affinity graphic design suite on my current 2017 iMac with Intel. Though it can handle SketchUp Pro, it will fall short on 3D rendering. The M4 chip is expected to be released this year and will finally handle ray tracing and path tracing for 3D rendering, allowing Apple to finally close the gap with Nvidea. Yes, a new souped up Mac Studio is in the works, so I have to pretend the total expenditure is less than a Porsche and will last well into my old age. 😉

[@michaelkhalsa]

Agree with you on matt screens, however for print, brightness is turned way down, as well as ambiant light, to get an accurate paper match. So 250 nits is plenty when editing for print.

[@chevonpetgrave4991]

Print and SDR color managment/grading for TV broadcast Netflix and cinema all use less low nit values (100 nits and lower for the TV broadcast and netflix color grading) because thats where colors are most accurate/natural. Boosting luminance distorts and washes out colors especially if your gamma doesn’t adjust accordingly. In these applications professionals edit in controlled dim environments for this reason. For office work and productivity thats a different use case because these scenarios are always uncontrollable and generally brighter. So monitors have become increasingly brighter but color accuracy is not important here. Apple knows this and has implemented a middle ground for print and web called the Display P3 standard but that is still at odds with the SDR video world (The notorious gamma shift/Rec709-A dilemma in davinci resolve) HDR is a different story…somewhat. This is the reason why most monitors suck for mac (office users). The nits are more than enough for print and sdr pruposes.

[@ReginaldoKono]

Important hints for beginner content editor. I]ll take these advices on choose my first monitor for my MacBook Pro.

[@ygdrassil7694]

I use a Ben-Q PD2705U. perfect screen for my macbook pro.

[@jeremyparkphotographer]

I have the 24" GL 5k screen and it's sharp and clear, however, it died. Replaced under warranty and so far so good🤞 however, as a professional photographer, it's really not big enough to work with. The 27" might do but is no longer available. Also, the screen is too reflective unless you work in a dark room. I think the best compromise if you can't afford the 'nano texture' 27" Studio Display is the latest BenQ3225U. The only spec that falls short and that makes a real-world difference is the 5k and higher DPI. Nice to have, but at the end of the day nearly everything we create is seen on a randomly calibrated screen through compression and a colour space beyond our control. Adobe RGB... not many of us are printing archive quality prints on paper. Also the brightness /nits is overdone... when I calibrate my LG ultrafine 5k the calibration tool tells me to turn down the brightness by about 50% to be accurate. Making it look 'juicy' on your screen with high contrast and brightness is not the answer. The most we can do is make sure there is detail in the highlights and shadows with a colour balance that is pleasing to the eye. -> In the music world recording studios always have a set of quite average speakers up on the mixing desk so the engineer can hear what their mix will sound like to most listeners... Some engineers even take their mix into a car to hear what it sounds like on crap speakers.

[@darrenrowley5646]

I just purchased the ASUS 279crv and it’s fantastic with my MacBook Pro as a photographer. 400 nits brightness on it is ample and the blacks are fine. I use adobe rgb not sRGB and remember most people won’t view your images on a high end screen as well as print is not in RGB it’s cmyk so it’s how it matches with prints that’s important because you will never match what you have with the amount of screens out there. It’s your personal preference but for £500 it’s an amazing monitor as opposed to a £1500 monitor with minimal difference to most. I think a lot of people get caught up on specs too much.

[@jmrjmr3446]

I don't understand your position on these monitors. You say for about $1000, the non-Apple monitors should provide better specs. But in Canada, a 27", open-box Apple monitor costs $2500, plus 13% tax!! You do know most artists and editors make do with the Benq's because that is what they can afford. For the money that Apple charges, the monitor should make my coffee and be 40 inches. Moreover, I am reasonably certain that Apple monitors are made by the same people who make the other monitors, just to different specs. They are most likely Samsung or LG components. Your comparison is silly. We already know the Apple monitors are very good, but also very pricey! The issue is, can you justify such a cost. or do without. Most people do without. Life goes on...

[@TheRealDealEditor]

First off, used Apple Studio Display’s cost around $1,000 on EBay if you’re patient. There are two non Apple monitors recommended in the video at the 17:43 mark. BenQ’s are not cheap. Most of them are around or over $1,000 and most of them suck in terms of quailty and reliability. The point of the video is to illustrate the difficulty of finding monitors that tick off all the boxes needed for an editing monitor that also works properly for Macs. It’s not to shill for Apple monitors, its to show how its next to impossible to find solid Mac compatible monitors for photography and editing.

[@chevonpetgrave4991]

I dont doubt any of your comments on the ben Q monitors, Im just wondering if you have physically witnessed these monitors personally or just looking at specs. I say this because your assessment of nits seems skewed.

[@AntiGuru498]

@@chevonpetgrave4991 It's one guy's opinion so obviously it's biased and therefore skewed.

[@ygdrassil7694]

@@chevonpetgrave4991 I found Ben-Q PD2705U to be a perfect fit, not too expensive and great quality. I also have the 27" LG that Apple used to sell, I prefer the ben-q, colours are more precise, image is crystal clear and no reflection in the screen (a bit of a bummer that HDR won't work over usb-C though.. only works on HDMI or displayport). the LG gets very bright (there's no way of adjusting the backlight on the screen itself), and the glass is like a mirror.

[@houssamalucad753]

@@TheRealDealEditor You're comparing a used apple product to a new other product, if you wanna be fair try new for new (1600$ to 500$) or used for used (1000$ for 200-300$) The apple monitor is great for working on mac, but horribly overprice.

[@liamcoburn8842]

This is a great sum up of all monitors for Mac. One question, the 24" & 27" LG ultra fine monitor have now been discontinued. Like you I have the 24" ultra fine but it has been sent back to LG for repair and warranty 2 time in 2 years for issues. Is there anything out there in your opinion that is at least on par with the 24", 27" LG ultra fine display that's not apple. I tried the new studio display and its over prise garbage with an electrical fault that apple refuses to address. kzbin.info/www/bejne/sIuTiICdj8yhr6s

[@definingslawek4731]

You say that apple makes the best displays and that other monitors will suffer from burn in and image retention but you're comparing IPS lcd monitors which don't suffer from burn in. My iphone 13 pro max is 2 years old and has very noticable burn in and also has a green tint compared to my new m3 max macbook pro. I wonder if any oled iphone or android phone would have burnt in like this with my use or if I specifically got a lemon. I do average very high screen on hours daily.

[@anthonymrbs]

I've been thinking about switching from a Dell desktop to an Apple for my next computer, but after watching this I think most are better staying with Windows and not be limited to just one or two monitors.

[@markjannakos503]

this was a big help, thank you!

[@Ivorberry]

Thank you so much for this video. I am a photographer and currently at a point where I need to change my cherished imac 27 retina as the required OS level for current photoshop cannot be installed and although it's workable there a problems which are only going to get worse. So my choice is new IMAC or mac mini plus external monitor and of course with external monitors you can't even see one in a store switched on let alone try them. The studio is out of my price range. The Imac has limits on memory and ports which concern me and of course the mac mini needs a monitor. The flexibility seems to be poor now on the mac range unless you are prepared to spend impossible money (at least for me). Currently seriously considering if I should go 16 inch macbook pro, but not sure if I can live with that for daily photoshop work.

[@TheRealDealEditor]

I came from a similar situation by switching from my 2017 27” 5K iMac to an M2 Mac Studio. Faced the same problems as you. Even considered the new 24” iMacs and MacBook pros for daily use. They had too many cons like you describe, so I had to buy the Mac Studio and use an external display. I ended up going with the 24” LG Ultrafine 4K that I talk about around the 17:45 mark. Fortunately it worked out well and I didn’t need to spend more for the Apple Studio Display. You may want to consider getting the maxed out 2020 27" 5K iMac on EBay. Prices are solid and they are still very powerful machines. Not much for future proofing them, however they do still hold a lot of value for the money. It took me a year of searching and researching monitors. It's not easy finding something that works. Best of luck.

[@iTalktech1985]

I found two brand new 21.5 LG ultra fine 4k 4096x2304 resolution love them. I was able to get them for so low I couldn't pass up.

[@omargattio7476]

Great video, I've purchased just about every matt screen monitors there but ended up switching monitor after monitor. 10 monitors in, I still can't get the colors to be correct with my Mac Pro and Mac m1 Ultra. As a web and graphic designer, the fonts would never be clear or sharp. I found myself tweeking and changing the designs over and over because it would look different every day due to long hours of looking at the screen. Another problem after years of working behind the computer was that I constantly would mees with the darkness and brightness. It came to a point that my eyes couldn't handle looking at white backgrounds. One thing I've noticed every time I went to the apple store, I would look at their monitors, and not only i could see everything, but the white backgrounds on anything wouldn't hurt my eyes. I've wasted so much time these past few years, and after your video, I have decided to just go ahead and purchase the Apple Display Pro 32 inch Glass. Thanks for a great explanation.

[@jeremybeal23]

I love my Apple Studio monitor. It makes editing enjoyable.

[@omargattio7476]

Great video, I've purchased just about every matt screen monitors there but ended up switching monitor after monitor. 10 monitors in, I still can't get the colors to be correct with my Mac Pro and Mac m1 Ultra. As a web and graphic designer, the fonts would never be clear or sharp. I found myself tweeking and changing the designs over and over because it would look different every day due to long hours of looking at the screen. Another problem after years of working behind the computer was that I constantly would mees with the darkness and brightness. It came to a point that my eyes couldn't handle looking at white backgrounds. One thing I've noticed every time I went to the apple store, I would look at their monitors, and not only i could see everything, but the white backgrounds on anything wouldn't hurt my eyes. I've wasted so much time these past few years, and after your video, I have decided to just go ahead and purchase the Apple Display Pro 32 inch Glass. Thanks for a great explanation.