Having an Eizo CG243W-BK, I was looking for a second screen. Currently, I use a 17" Eizo screen, which after almost 10 years needs to be replaced. As I was not having the intention nor the financial resources, to purchase a second CG243 (Click HERE to read my review), I had noticed that Eizo came up with a new 24" that is slightly cheaper than the screens of the CG series. Being a color freak, it was important that the new monitor had a perfect color reproduction.
© Eizo
Product description:
“EIZO ColorEdge CX240” is the latest addition to the lineup of Eizo ColorEdge. Probably the display will be available around mid November 2012. The ColorEdge CX240 belongs to the ColorEdge range, but not to the ColorGraphic series and is therefore a lot cheaper. That implicated that a few concessions had to be done such as: no cover - no ColorNavigator software & no pixel error guarantee (as we know from the CG series), etc.
Connections
The CX240 offers the ability the display to connect the display to DisplayPort, HDMI and DVI-I input. In you have a DisplayPort input, then certainly use it. Beside, there are upstream USB ports and 2 USB downstream ports. All the connections are located at the rear of the screen.
Tip:
The HDMI input also provides direct access to some digital cameras.
Adjustable height
In previous reviews, I have already written several chapters about ergonomics, but each time I still like to underline the importance of this issue: use a good office chair and adjust it so you can work with your back straight. Now look straight ahead and your eyes should look on the top bar of the screen. Are you too high / low, adjust the screen in height. The monitor comes with a versatile base which is adjustable in height, but which can also be rotated and tilted. Do you work with many portraits, turn your screen 90 degrees so you use "portrait mode".
Color Management
Accurate colors are essential for a photographer. The CX240 is a versatile monitor for both photography and graphic arts and this due to the wide range of colors, the uniform brightness (from corner to corner) and the built-in self-correction sensor.
© Eizo
A wide color gamut reproduces 97% of the Adobe RGB color space, so images shot in RAW can be converted to Adobe RGB and displayed correctly. This is especially important in the blue & green hues. Take a landscape photo with blue sky and dramatic clouds or a picture of a forest with many different shades of green, then the question will be whether it can be displayed correctly.
The range for each ColorEdge monitor is individually adjusted in the factory. This is achieved by the measurement of the R, G and B values range from 0 – 255 and the selection in the 16-bit look-up table (LUT) with the 256 most appropriate tones to finally achieve the best desired result.
Warming-up
From the moment that a monitor is turned on, it normally takes 30 minutes (or longer) before the brightness of a monitor, the color quality and the tone are stabilized. EIZO has reduced this warm-up time by more than 75% and is operational in only 7 minutes which enables you to check your work in a studio or on location in only a couple of minutes.
Calibration
Although the monitor from the factory is very well adjusted, it is recommended to calibrate the monitor manually. The monitor has a built-in self-correction sensor, but it just keeps the calibration settings when used with the optional Color Navigator software. The self-correction sensor is located in the upper edge of the monitor. For the calibration, I use an X-Rite i1 pro spectrometer.
10-bit simultaneous display
Using the DisplayPort input, the monitor can use a 16-bit "Lookup Table or LUT", which means that more than one billion colors simultaneously can be shown. This is 64 times as many colors as you can show with an 8-bit display. This results in smoother color gradations and reduced Delta-E between two adjacent colors.
Excellent "Dark Tone Display"
When viewing a screen at an angle in a poorly lighted room, the dark colors give an impression as if they are washed. This phenomenon is usually due to the backlight of the LCD screen. This monitor however has a high contrast ratio which makes it possible that the dark tones retain their depth and therefore this phenomenon is excluded.
Fan
You would probably not expect reading a remark on fan in a review of screens. Unforturnately however in order to cool the “blacklights”, a fan is installed in the screen. No breaking news, but the noise is rather unpleasant and remaining all the time. After a while you will get used ofcourse to this sound, but every time your pc and/or screen stops working, you can hear the fan stops rotating and only then, the silence returns.
Lens hood (optional)
When buying an (expensive) CG monitor and this standard hood or "shading hood" is included. Because this monitor is cheaper, the hood is not automatically included, but is available as an option. What is really good, is the possibility to also use this hood in portrait mode.
Price
The Eizo CX240 costs 1150 Euro (+ VAT) which are quite expensive screens in my opinion. The CX240 is therefore more expensive than screens like the 27 "Apple Cinema display, which is in my opinion already a very expensive screen. Personally, I recommend to invest in a CG245 or CG243 display.
Conclusion
The Eizo ColorEdge CX240 is the latest addition to the lineup of Eizo ColorEdge. The CX240 belongs to the ColorEdge range, but not to the ColorGraphic series and is therefore: cheaper, but without hood, without ColorNavigator software nor pixel error guarantee (as we know from the CG series). Further negative point is that the fan to cool the backlights, makes an annoying buzzing sound. It is however an exceptionally good monitor for any photographer or designer who will be seduced by the constant color reproduction and fast warm-up time. All this, however, at a fairly high price.
Best regards,
Sven Michiels
