- Powerful: Experience IPS technology, featuring a wide viewing angle with high-quality color representation for a peerless viewing experience.
- Flexible: Pick the view that works best for you with an almost unlimited range of tilt, swivel, pivot and height adjustments.
- Customizable: Change your energy usage settings, text brightness and color temperature with the touch of a button to help conserve energy with this eco-designed arsenic-free and mercury-free panel.
As for all the ""Professional Photographers" that keep complaining about the color spectrum of this monitor, I must ask you why you are looking at an entry level budget IPS panel for you exactly matched color spectrum? You seriously think you are going to have a $300 monitor that will be able to display photos taken with your $3,000 lens. You're just looking in the completely wrong place with this one. You are going to have to do like you did for all that fancy Canon of Nikon gear and just bend over and take it and pay $1,000+ for a truly accurate professional level monitor. Seriously you didn't skimp out on any of your camera gear so don't skip out on your monitor either. I know there are a couple good ones around the $500 or so range but the true pro models that meet all standards are really expensive.
For all of you amateur/semi-pro photogs, this would include anyone that doesn't plan to print or intends to print at the drug store, this also includes anyone sharing your photos on a web site or saving images as jpg, png, or gifs, this means anyone that isn't shooting on a DSLR and with all the high end fancy settings options set or even if you are shooting on a DSLR but really only with your kit lens because it zooms to any focal distance you would ever dream of using, basically this means that 90% or more of users are either never going to get the chance to notice a difference or are just not going to really care enough to pay double the price for a monitor that can show more colors but no one else will see them unless you print them on a calibrated cmyk printer. As for everyone else on earth if you do happen to have gear that can work in these color ranges just remember that if you are not setting everything correctly along the entire process then it isn't going to make a difference. Or if you are going to share your digital images with basically anyone on earth then those missing spectrum colors won't matter. Not only will not show for them but it will actually mute and wash out the colors and if will look worse than ever.
If your someone who does photography as a hobby or on a small level or only digitally, if you edit your own videos or web shows, if you want something that will display way more colors while watching your dvds and blue rays and you don't want to sell a kidney to do it then this monitor is one of the best out there. If all of this same stuff applies but the 1920x1200 (16:10) isn't important to you and you are perfectly fine with 1920x1080 (16:9) then take a look at the ASUS PA Series PA238Q or the cheapest and nicest looking of the all the AOC I2353PH. They are both also very highly rated IPS panels for cheap. Just remember if you plan on doing video editing that the extra 120 lines of vertical pixels in the Dell monitor means you can view your footage full HD and still have a time scrub/ tool bar at the bottom of the screen.
Anyway before you can really make a good decision takes a little bit of time to think how you are going to use your monitor the most and then find something that fits your needs. Don't bash a monitor (really anything) because it doesn't do what you want it to do. That would be more your fault for looking in the wrong place or not spending the time to make sure it will suit your needs. If you open a box and you pick up your item and it falls apart well then that is something to complain about but deducting a star because a monitor doesn't have an HDMI port and you need an HDMI just means you did a really crappy job at reading the specifications line in the product listing. Seriously though you are obviously already online and it's not like they are hiding facts about their monitor to hope to dupe you into thinking it will have an HDMI port when it really won't (OH I can just hear the maniacal laughter now). Well anyway if you are not a professional and you want something that's still fairly high end yet still affordable then you won't be disappointed with the quality of this monitor and color of this monitor once you set it up properly.
Buy Dell UltraSharp U2412M 24" LED LCD Monitor Now
When you do a search for a 24" monitor, and you find dozens available in the $150-$200 price range, why in the world would anyone consider this monitor when it costs about twice as much? If you're just looking for a monitor that delivers basic performance, you wouldn't. But if you're looking for a monitor that will deliver a great picture, provide lots of desktop space for your programs, and backed with a great warranty, then you should definitely consider this monitor!There are plenty of bullet point reasons to consider when comparing monitors:
Most monitors made today are 1920x1080. This one is 1920x1200. Those extra 120 pixels can make a difference depending on what you are working on. Imagine the difference between viewing a PDF file a full page at a time instead of having to scroll. Imagine being able to see more of that photo of your kids that you're working on. More vertical height means that you can see more E-Mails at once, and less scrolling when reading web pages.
Most cheap monitors are made with lesser quality TN LCD panels instead of higher quality IPS panels. This Dell UltraSharp has an IPS panel that delivers great color without oversaturation and its viewing angles are very good. With TN, you get color shifts depending on how you're looking at your monitor (especially vertically). Not so with IPS. While not capable of the wide gamut that the U2410 can deliver, that feature is only needed if you are editing files in the Adobe RGB color space. If you don't know what that is, you don't need it because you aren't using it. The more common sRGB color space is supported on this monitor, which is what most people would want to use.
Most cheap monitors do not have height adjustments. This monitor allows you to move the panel vertically to get the right viewing angle. For most people, the best position is to have the top of the monitor line up with your forehead. With cheap monitors, you end up stacking your monitor on top of old catalogs or phone books.
These are just some of the things you should consider when buying a monitor. Whether they are important to you is your choice, but you should be aware of them and make an educated decision.
What would I change on this monitor?
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While it has two USB ports on the side, it would be nice if the monitor had a built-in card reader. Doing so would help reduce the clutter of having an external card reader or depending on having a card reader built into your PC or printer. This isn't a deal-breaker by any means, but it would be nice to at least have an SD reader available.
I like the fact that this monitor doesn't come with speakers built-in, but the AY511 soundbar that can be added is unnecessarily expensive and requires a power adaptor. There are situations where having very basic speakers would be very nice, and an unpowered speaker bar that was in the $30 price range would be a great addition. The AX510 seems like it should work, but Dell doesn't list it as being compatible with the U2412 monitor.
Overall
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I haven't yet fully calibrated this monitor with color profiles, and I'm not sure that I will go through the effort, as the controls allow for getting a pretty good picture without needing that extra step. I have it adjusted for a broad range of greyscale display and the colors are vibrant without being oversaturated.
I am very happy with the performance of this monitor, and while the price was higher than your average big-box store flyer special, it represents a great value in my opinion. Even though I'm using it for personal use, I would not hesitate to use it in a professional environment as well. It's an excellent business monitor, and after being fully calibrated, I think it would serve photographers and graphic designers very well. If you need Adobe RGB, you'll have to go up to the U2410, but many photo labs use sRGB, and this monitor does that with no trouble.
While this monitor is more expensive, I feel that it delivers what's important. A monitor is your primary interface with your computer, and if you care at all about image quality, you'll give this monitor very serious consideration before thinking that you can save money and be just as happy.
Read Best Reviews of Dell UltraSharp U2412M 24" LED LCD Monitor Here
Beautiful image set in a good, unobtrusive matte bezel. I replaced a deceased TN panel with this, it's wonderful no longer having viewing angle or a photo's location on-screen affecting brightness and contrast when I process things. The stand seems sturdy and has nice tilt, rotation and height adjustments.Out-of-the-box default settings had the panel WAY too bright and it seemed to have a bit of a cold cast; if like me you don't have calibration equipment TFT Central makes available a color profile you can try. That plus the brightness brought down to 35 worked well enough for me and images are beautiful, without their ICC I'm not sure I could've tuned it well "by eye" (it's amazing how quickly our eyes adjust to compensate for color casts).
I'm glad they kept the 16:10 Aspect ratio instead of 16:9, 1920x1200 has lots of real estate, and the only reason I'm not giving this 5 stars is that Dell is a pain to deal with if you haven't purchased directly from them. I had to call them three times (and ignore a thread in their forum where their "liason" misinformed me) before getting an employee who would deign to entertain my questions without an order number or service tag, finally a tech rep acknowledged for me that yes, the manufacturer's 3-year warranty (from time of manufacture at rear) remains valid despite my inability to obtain an order number.
Want Dell UltraSharp U2412M 24" LED LCD Monitor Discount?
I purchased this monitor 2 months ago. I am amazed at how crisp and clear the picture is. I had my son calibrate the monitor and he said it really performed well better than his Dell 2010 model IPS screen. The controls are easy to use and the monitor looks great for movies. I mainly use it for Photoshop CS5 and I love having the extra screen space that 1920x1200 has. I am amazed at how sturdy the stand/build is. My old Samsung monitor creaks and woobles. This thing is a rock.Overall... great monitor fair price.I'm a photographer making the transition to video capture and editing (which will be my primary workflow). I shoot with Canon and exclusively use older Zeiss lenses. I process on a 2010 15" Macbook Pro duo-core i7 processor with 8gb ram. I recently purchased a Spyder 4PRO color calibrator for monitor calibration.
I'm not a video gamer, so monitor response time is not that much of a concern (if you primarily game, save $150 and buy a TN panel).
Okay, with all that in mind:
I researched monitors for a month prior to my purchase and decided that, regardless of the money, an IPS panel was critical for color gamut and angle of view. Of the IPS panels, Dell had the winning combination of video performance as well as physical ergonomics within a $500 budget. It became a question of the U2412 ($300 on Amazon) and the U2410 ($500 on Amazon):
Both monitors had a well-built feel. They had heavy, solid bases that prevented tipping within reason. The menus were intuitive and easy to navigate.
It wasn't until I calibrated the color with the Spyder 4PRO that I noticed a potential problem for photographers using the U2412. The Spyder 4PRO is such a dream to use in this system configuration, and will actually show you how your monitor's color gamut compares within SRGB, NTSC, and ADOBE RGB color spaces.
THE U2412 FALLS JUST SHORT OF AN SRGB COLOR SPACE, AND IS ONLY 77% OF AN ADOBE RGB COLOR SPACE. If you want the option of viewing your images in an ADOBE RGB colorspace, the U2410 is capable of that color gamut not the U2412.
The U2412 is a stellar in the image department, showing as much subtle mid-tone as my camera can capture. I will, however, note that blacks could be just a touch deeper. Again, it's easy to get neurotic with exacting measurement. It must be put into perspective that, for my line of work, web-based media is the future, as broadcast network tv is becoming dead as dead. with this in mind, even if I'm watching media on a "prefect" screen, the masses who will stream it are definitely watching it on wildly inaccurate monitors, so when all's said and done, where do you draw the line on critical performance perfection?
Out of the box, both monitors need to be calibrated (previous reviews about a blue/red hue are right on). Don't rely on the pre-fab video options for games, movies, etc. they are not accurate. I personally can't fault a monitor for not being accurate out of the box I understand that proper monitor calibration is a step that must be taken and is dependent on specific variables regarding monitor location, workflow, etc. I found the Spyder 4Pro to be a 10minute process from start to finish and was dead on the first time... because exact directions were followed.
Again, the U2412 is plenty of accurate monitor for the price.
!!! ADD-ON COMMENT !!!
THERE ARE NO HDMI INPUTS FOR THE U2412, ONLY THE U2410.
IF YOU ARE ON A MACBOOK, MAKE SURE YOU HAVE A PROPER DVI INPUT. MY MACBOOK REQUIRES A MINI DVI STANDARD DVI ADAPTER... NOT TO BE CONFUSED WITH A MICRO DVI STANDARD DVI ADAPTER (EVEN SMALLER INPUT FOR IPADS). APPLE SELLS THE MINI FOR $40 AND THE MICRO FOR $20. AMAZON SELLS THEM FOR $5.
*** 6 MONTH FOLLOW UP ***
Monitor behaves just as it did out of the box. No problems of any kind to report.


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