C300: monitor recomendation for editing/color corection/ grading?

anatusa

anatusa

Veteran
Hello

I am c300 owner, and slowly learning editing and color correction on my CS6 PP, probably later will learn to work as well in Resolve..... anyway, when it comes to pc monitors what would u recommend? and what should i look at when buying monitor? how many monitors do i need?

my pc specs : I7 950 3.07GHz, Win7 64 bit, 24GB ram, GTX 580 3GB

Regards
 
Flanders Scientific monitors are outstanding particularly for grading. I bought the C170 field pack and use it for editing and field production.
 
but my footage from c300 is 8 bit and video card is also 8bit as far as i understand ..... so do u think its really worth in my case to buy an expansive pro 10bit monitor?

what about the best options out of consumer pc monitors?

Regards
 
I've found I get more accurate results from a monitor that is fluorescent backlit. LED edgelit monitors tend to be more contrasty and punchy, unless you go organic led. 10bit is kind of silly unless you are a full time colorist.
 
anatusa said:
...and slowly learning editing and color correction on my CS6 PP, probably later will learn to work as well in Resolve..... anyway, when it comes to pc monitors what would u recommend? and what should i look at when buying monitor? how many monitors do i need?
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You will almost certainly use two monitors -- one for the computer (controls for your NLE, etc.), and a production monitor (aka broadcast monitor) for seeing the color accurately. What's the point of a production monitor? A calibrated production monitor will show you what the resulting video signal actually looks like. It'll give you the correct black and white points, the correct gamma (contrast index), the correct gamut, and the correct color space (Rec.709). If you drive it with an actual video signal (which may require some conversion hardware). Your computer monitor likely can't do any of this. Some of them might be close, but not close enough for good reliable color correction / grading work.

Color correction / grading are two huge topics that people write (lots of) books about. Perhaps the best place to start to learn more, to answer the questions you don't yet know enough to ask, is Van Hurkman's Color Correction Handbook. Best technical book of any kind that I've read. Highly recommended. And it'll explain (IIRC) in better detail and more persuasively why you have to use a production monitor.
 
You can try and try and try to get an accurate LCD monitor and you will not get there unless you get a production monitor. I fought it my entire career and finally had to give in, and it is a HUGE boost to my productivity as far as editing. Flanders are the best for the price absolutely. I have a LM-2140 and it is fantastic
 
anatusa said:
really cant afford 2500-3000 usd monitor and i dont think i ll be able in the future...
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Said the owner of a C300. Sorry, I'm not convinced that you can't afford a production monitor. I can believe that you think you can get away without one and that you're trying to convince yourself of that.

You aren't the first person to try to convert wishful thinking into reality, not by a long shot. Nobody wants to spend the cash on a production monitor unless they have to. The thing is, to do any reasonable level of color correction / grading, you have to.

You don't have to believe me, or any of the others here who are telling you the same thing I am. It's OK. Learn from the school of hard knocks if you want. Nothing wrong with that.

In the mean time, you absolutely can afford the Van Hurkman book. Buy it, read it, learn from it.
 
Bruce Watson said:
Said the owner of a C300. Sorry, I'm not convinced that you can't afford a production monitor. I can believe that you think you can get away without one and that you're trying to convince yourself of that.
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lol c300 was most of my budget!

Bruce Watson said:
You aren't the first person to try to convert wishful thinking into reality, not by a long shot. Nobody wants to spend the cash on a production monitor unless they have to. The thing is, to do any reasonable level of color correction / grading, you have to.

You don't have to believe me, or any of the others here who are telling you the same thing I am. It's OK. Learn from the school of hard knocks if you want. Nothing wrong with that.
Click to expand...

i really did not realize that i could get some benefits from 10 bit monitor when my c300 footage is just 8 bit and my GPU is also 8 bit.... well i hope i am gonna need just 1 of these expansive monitors just for image .... and can edit and view scopes in less expansive monitors?

Bruce Watson said:
In the mean time, you absolutely can afford the Van Hurkman book. Buy it, read it, learn from it.
Click to expand...

downloaded it already.......
 
Bruce Watson said:
You aren't the first person to try to convert wishful thinking into reality, not by a long shot. Nobody wants to spend the cash on a production monitor unless they have to. The thing is, to do any reasonable level of color correction / grading, you have to.
Click to expand...

Can some body please explain exactly what you gain using a hi end production monitor? All that I can see is that it uses SDI to send the signal from your NLE.
I just cant believe that the difference warrants the huge cost. Especially since every body views content on uncalibrated lcd monitors, projectors and TVs anyway.

I have never heard anyone complain about colour either. So the probably means that my clients arent high end enough or they just seem to care about content instead.

I have never actually seen any one use a production monitor whilst editing. Just LCD monitors and TVs so please excuse my ignorance.
 
If you are just beginning to get into color grading, you may be able to get by without one.

Once you get into Resolve and have a good NLE card like the Blackmagic Extreme, however, having a calibrated sdi display will be the only way to seriously see what your corrections are doing. Otherwise you have no real reference.

Every single shop in my area that actually charges for color grading has an FSI monitor.
 
The Dell 27" and 30" are quite good , have display port and everything. Just get the calibrator to cal the monitor. Unless you are working in 4K

Save the money for more ram and SSD or display card
 
no, no 4k, i own c300 so hd only. So display ports are better then HDMI ot DVI? Calibrators recommendations?
 
Bruce Watson said:
Color correction / grading are two huge topics that people write (lots of) books about. Perhaps the best place to start to learn more, to answer the questions you don't yet know enough to ask, is Van Hurkman's Color Correction Handbook. Best technical book of any kind that I've read. Highly recommended. And it'll explain (IIRC) in better detail and more persuasively why you have to use a production monitor.
Click to expand...

Van Hurkman's color correction handbook, second edition can be preordered now in amazon. Availability Nov 2013.
 
and still 1 more question, am i right or not? do i need 10 bit GPU in order to use 10bit production monitor? as right now my GPU is GTX580 and its 8 bit, does it means that i have to upgrade my GPU as well in order to use production monitor? or its something different and has nothing to do with each other?
 
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