Eizo FlexScan S2431W review

Eizo has a long heritage of award-winning high-end panels in PC Pro, and its latest display boasts a hefty 24.1in 16:10 aspect screen and a native resolution of 1,920 x 1,200.

The electronics allow 12-bit signal processing, although the panel itself is an 8-bit model. This leads to a slight disadvantage over end-to-end 12-bit monitors, as the maximum number of shades a single RGB element can have is limited to 256. In our tests, though, we struggled to come up with any concrete criticisms: RGB colour ramps were immaculate, and our photo tests produced rich, vivid and accurate colour reproduction. The black level is suitably deep for dark images, and results are impressive at the other end, preserving detail in bright images. The claimed brightness is 450cd/m2, while the contrast ratio is 1,000:1.

The flexible OSD offers a staggering number of colour temperature presets, and the accompanying software CD even allows the panel to simulate colour blindness in the interests of accessibility.

Ergonomics are well thought through, with an effective light sensor to gently adjust the panel's brightness to ambient light. The stand, which also integrates a two-port USB hub, offers 70mm of height adjustment, as well as wide tilt and pivot options. Our only criticism is that it doesn't go down far enough: at 130mm off the desk, it's high enough to lead to discomfort after prolonged use.

But that's as much mud as we can sling at the S2431W. It's naturally expensive compared to even high-end monitors such as the BenQ FP241W, which costs £50 less. Indeed, if image quality is a few places lower on your list of must-haves, consider the Acer AL2623W, which costs £100 less and offers a 2in greater diagonal. But for image quality alone, Eizo has done it again. The S2431W may command a price premium, but there's no arguing with its results - it will win the heart of any avid photographer.

Author: Dave Stevenson