In summary
The ColorEdge CG2730 is designed for serious graphics users, particularly photographers and designers who can benefit from easy and accurate colour calibration and superior stability.
It features a built-in self-calibration sensor and flicker-free display, making it ideal for photographers who spend a lot of time in front of a computer screen.
Full review
Just under a year ago, Eizo announced two new 27-inch ColorEdge monitors, the CG2730 and CS2730 as ‘next generation’ products. Both featured slimmer and lighter designs plus built-in carrying handles to make them more portable. While they share many features, the ColorEdge CG2730, reviewed here, is the professional-level model with a built-in self-calibration sensor, while the CS2730 does not. Other differences between the two models are listed below.
Front view of the ColorEdge CG2730 monitor showing the drop-down calibration sensor in use. (Source: Eizo.)
With more than AU$1000 difference between their RRPs, potential buyers will ponder on the differences between the two models. These could be significant for some potential buyers but largely irrelevant for others.
The Eizo CS2730 monitor in use. (Source: Eizo.)
The table below compares both monitors.
| CG2730 | CS2730 | |
| Panel size | 68.5 cm (27-inch) | |
| Active display size (h ø— v) | 596.7 x 335.6 mm | |
| Viewing angles (h, v) | 178 °, 178 ° | |
| Brightness | 350 cd/m2 | |
| Contrast ratio (typical) | 1500:1 | 1000:1 |
| Response time (typical) | 13 ms (Grey-to-grey) | 10 ms (Grey-to-grey) |
| Native resolution | 2560 x 1440 (16:9 aspect ratio) | |
| Pixel pitch | 0.233 x 0.233 mm | |
| Display colours | DisplayPort, HDMI: 1.07 billion from a palette of 278 trillion; DVI: 16.77 million from a palette of 278 trillion | |
| Wide gamut coverage | Adobe RGB: 99%, DCI-P3: 98% | Adobe RGB: 99% |
| Built-in Calibration Sensor | Yes | No |
| Look-up table | 16-bit with 10-bit simultaneous display available | |
| Internal processing | Brightness stabilisation, digital uniformity equaliser | Digital uniformity equaliser |
| Screen adjustment | Picture Expansion (Auto, Full Screen, Aspect Ratio, Dot by Dot), Input Colour Format, Input Range, Noise Reduction, Auto Input Detection, Menu Rotation | |
| Colour adjustment | Brightness, Temperature, Gamma, Colour Gamut, Hue, Saturation, Clipping, Gain, Independent 6-Colour Control, Reset | |
| Preset modes | Colour Mode (Custom, Adobe RGB, sRGB, Calibration) | |
| Video input terminals | DVI-D 24 pin (with HDCP), DisplayPort (with HDCP), HDMI (with HDCP, Deep Color) | |
| Digital scanning frequency (h / v) | DisplayPort, DVI: 26 – 89 kHz, 23 – 61 Hz (VGA Text: 69 – 71 Hz); HDMI: 15 – 89 kHz, 23 – 61 Hz | |
| USB ports / standard | 2 ports for monitor control plus 3-port USB hub / USB 3.0 | |
| Power consumption | Max. – 95 W, typical – 33 W; Standby & Power Save modes – less than 0.6 W | Max. – 110 W, typical – 44 W; Standby & Power Save modes – less than 0.6 W |
| Power Management | Power Save (DisplayPort Version 1.2a, DVI DMPM) | |
| Certifications | CB, CE, TUV/GS, cTUVus, FCC-B, CAN ICES-3 (B), VCCI-B, TUV/Ergonomics, RCM, EAC, RoHS, WEEE, China RoHS, CCC | |
| Height adjustment range | 155 mm | |
| Tilt / Swivel / Pivot | 35 ° Up, 5 ° Down / 344 ° / 90 | |
| Dimensions (w x h x d) | With Stand: 638 x 404.1 – 559.1 x 245 mm; Without Stand: 638 x 378.2 x 64 mm | |
| Net weight | With Stand: 8.9 kg; Without Stand: 6.1 kg | |
| RRP | $3300 | $1980 |
Who’s it for?
ColorEdge monitors are designed for serious graphics users, particularly photographers and designers who can benefit from easy and accurate colour calibration and superior stability. They are also flicker-free and easy on the eyes, making them ideal for anyone who spends a lot of time in front of a computer screen.
Both models in this series share the same display size, viewing angles and brightness level and they have the same native resolution, pixel pitch, display colours and screen and colour adjustments. They also provide the same preset modes, input terminals and physical dimensions and adjustments as well as the same industry-standard certifications.
The main differences are as follows:
1. The CG2730 has a higher contrast ratio (1500:1 vs 1000:1).
2. The CG2730’s built-in self-calibration sensor can be set to operate automatically. Once programmed via the ColorNavigator software or the on-screen menu, the CG2730 starts the adjustment at night, during lunch breaks or at any other defined time.
3. While both screens cover 99% of the Adobe RGB colour gamut, the CG2730 also covers 98% of the DCI-P3 gamut, which is a common RGB colour space for digital movie projection. This makes it a better choice for video editing.
4. The CG2730’s internal processing includes brightness stabilisation, whereas the CS2730 only comes with a digital uniformity equaliser (which is also provided in the CG2730). The CG2730 also includes colour drift correction, which can compensate for deviations in ambient temperature, which can cause colours to drift.
5. The power consumption in the CG2730 is slightly lower than the CS2730’s.
6. The CG2730 is fitted with a black retardation film which allows tones to retain their depth even when viewed from an angle. This feature is recommended for people like video graders as it makes colour matching faster and easier.
7. The CG2730 comes with an easy-to-fit shading hood, which attaches to the monitor magnetically for easy installation and removal. No hood is provided with the CS2730.
Eizo bundles its proprietary ColorNavigator 6 calibration software with both monitors. You don’t need a separate colorimeter to calibrate the CG2730, although you will need one if you buy the CS2730. If you already have a colorimeter from Datacolor (Spyder) or X-Rite (i1 Display or ColorMunki) it can be used with either screen.
Design and Ergonomics
Most monitors these days are widescreen panels and the CG2730 is no exception. With an active area measuring 596.7 x 335.6 mm it has a native resolution of 2560 x 1440 pixels, which is double that of earlier 1280 x 1024-pixel monitors and 60% more than 1920 x 1200-pixel screens. It has a pixel pitch of 0.233 x 0.233 mm and a 16:10 aspect ratio and is framed with a black bezel, which has been slimmed down considerably.
The bezel is only 20 mm wide at the top and sides and 22 mm wide along the bottom of the screen. The six buttons controlling all major adjustments are indicated by white LEDs at the right hand end of the lower bezel. The power switch sits to the right of the buttons. The first button selects the input signal, the second the display colour mode, the next two adjust the screen brightness and the final buttons control menu settings.
The CG2730 includes a specially-designed stand with a circular base plate attached to the vertical panel on the back of the screen. This panel is counter-sprung to be widely adjustable across a height of 155 mm. The screen can also be pivoted into portrait format, tilted through 35 degrees up or five degrees down and swivelled through 344 degrees.
Multiple inputs enable the CG2730 to be connected to several devices simultaneously. DisplayPort, HDMI, and DVI-I inputs are included for connecting to various types of graphics boards and the HDMI input also offers direct connection with digital cameras. Two USB 3.0 upstream ports provide high-speed connections to a computer plus a connection to a peripheral device (such as a colorimeter). Three additional USB 3.0 downstream ports are also available, the top one supporting USB charging for devices that support quick charging.
Angled rear view of the CG2730 showing the carrying handle and height-adjustable stand. (Source: Eizo.)
Setting up the CG2730 is straightforward. Once you’ve decided which input to use you simply plug in the supplied cable and connect it to your computer; do the same with the USB cable, load the software and you’re ready to go.
Software
The bundled ColorNavigator 6 software provides all the controls professional users require, including the ability to select preset target values for photography, printing, and web design. It also enables them to set their own target values for brightness, gamma, and white point and generate an ICC profile which can be stored for quick access.
The software is supplied on a disk (and also available for downloading from Eizo’s website). Eizo recommends using it for the initial set-up because it calibrates the monitor itself, whereas the software supplied with colorimeters simply works on the graphics card in the computer.
When you open ColorNavigator 6 you are presented with an initial screen showing the current settings and providing three ‘target’ options: Photography, Printing and Web design. If you don’t want to create your own target, the default setting ‘Photography’ is recommended if you are editing images for printing.
Eizo suggests photographers click on the ‘Create a new target’ box below the Target box, select ‘Adjust’ and enter the following values in the panel on the right hand side of the screen:
Brightness: 100 cd/m2, depending on the brightness of the ambient lighting (the default 100 cd/m2 works well for rooms that are evenly lit with low-to medium light levels);
Black level: 0.4 (this provides the best match for paper contrast, setting a contrast ratio of 250:1);
White point: 6500K (the default 5500 K setting is a little too warm)
Tone curve (gamma): 2.20 for each of the R, G and B settings
Leave the priority on Standard and click on ‘Create a new target’.
This opens a new screen for setting the monitor gamut (colour range). Leave this on ‘Monitor native’. Clicking on ‘Next’ opens a new screen for adjusting Brightness and White point settings.
Setting the brightness and white point parameters when creating a new target.
Check that the settings comply with the recommendations listed above and click on ‘Next’ to open the black level settings, which should be checked and, if necessary, adjusted.
Setting the black level.
On the next page you should ensure that the All RGB box is checked and the gamma setting of 2.20 is selected. The Priority setting in the lower section of this page should be set to ‘Standard’, which adjusts grey balance while maintaining the contrast ratio in the darker tones. The Prioritise Grey Balance setting adjusts the grey chromaticity of the mid tones so they are the same as the white point, while Prioritize Contrast maintains a high contrast ratio.
Setting the tone curve (gamma) value.
Proceed to the next page to see the default name for the adjustment target, which will be stored in your computer once the monitor is calibrated. You can change the name if you wish.
Naming the new adjustment target. It’s a good idea to add a date to the name so you know when it was created.
Check the ‘Start adjustment’ box before clicking on ‘Finish’, which stores the profile. The next time you open ColorNavigator 6, the target list will include the last profiles as well as the date and the time since the monitor’s last adjustment.
The first screen displayed when ColorNavigator 6 opens. Note the two custom target settings displayed at the top of the list from recently created targets.
The first page of ColorNavigator 6 also includes a Preferences button, which opens a sub-menu that lets you access settings for timing automatic self-calibration so you don’t have to remember when to check the screen and you don’t have reminders popping up to interrupt your work.
Setting the self-calibration frequency.
You can set automatic self-calibration to occur after a selected number of hours have elapsed (the default is 200 hours) or at pre-determined intervals, shown in the screen grab above. The tiny sensor in the top bezel will perform the calibration automatically without interrupting your workflow.
The Preferences box with the Validation tab opened.
The Validation tab lets check how much the monitor’s colours have varied since it was last calibrated. It measures the monitor’s colour patches and compares them with the monitor’s profile. ColorNavigator can also measure CMYK colour patches for printing (GRACoL 2006 Coated #1 and FOGRA39) and output them as Adobe Photoshop or Acrobat files. The measurement results of both the monitor and profile for each colour patch are shown in either CIELAB or XYZ values and the differences between them can be output as a graph for comparison with previous results.
Photographers with multi-screen set-ups can standardise them by loading the profile of an already-calibrated screen and using it to calibrate another. ColorNavigator can also emulate the profiles of printers, paper, and other monitors. The selected profile will be added to a drop down menu of emulated profiles for easy access when needed.
The Measurement device tab lets you eliminate the individual differences in measured values among calibration devices, based on Eizo’s standard colour management settings and correct the calibration devices to match the monitors’ colour standards. With the CG2730, ColorNavigator is also able to emulate the colour profiles of other devices, such as smartphones, tablets and laptops and adjust the screen to emulate them. It can take between two minutes and half an hour to profile these devices.
Performance
The review screen was very easy on the eyes and appeared to be totally flicker-free. We saw no trace of colours in either greyscale or white patches and gradients were smooth and evenly distributed. Colour reproduction appeared accurate straight out of the box and we found no evidence of banding. Neither did we detect the irritating ‘fizz’ that can occur on monitors that require dithering to encompass a wide colour gamut.
We re-calibrated the review monitor with our Spyder5 Elite colorimeter and software, the latest version of a combination we have used when reviewing other monitors in the past. The results presented here can provide an objective comparison of various aspects of monitor performance.
1. Colour Gamut
The review monitor delivered excellent performance in this test, as shown in the graph above. The green triangle shows the boundaries of the sRGB colour space, while the purple triangle delineates the Adobe RGB colour space. The red triangle shows the measured colour space for the monitor, which covers almost all of Adobe RGB colour space and is significantly larger than sRGB.
2. Gamma
Gamma plots show the relationship between the brightness of a pixel as it appears on the screen, and the numerical value of that pixel. They are a good indicator of how mid-tones are reproduced. If gamma is set too high, mid-tones appear too dark.
The graph of the measured tone response (gamma ), shown above, shows it to comply with the recommended gamma for image editing with Windows PCs.
3. Colour Accuracy.
Measurements of colour accuracy shows all hues to be well within acceptable tolerances.
4. Screen Uniformity
The two Screen Uniformity tests check the brightness and colour consistencies of the display in nine sections of the screen, at various luminance levels. Separate graphs are provided for luminance (brightness) and colour measurements across four luminance levels. We present the upper and lower graphs for each category.
4a. Luminance Uniformity.
Luminance uniformity was above average, although slight deviations from the ideal measurements were identified in the lower third of the screen.
4b. Colour Uniformity.
Colour uniformity results were very good overall.
5. Overall Rating
The graph above shows the review monitor to be an excellent performer with maximum scores for colour gamut, contrast and colour uniformity. Scores for tonal response and colour accuracy were almost as highly rated, with white point and luminance uniformity close behind. The overall rating is what you would expect for a monitor at this level.
Conclusion
The price tag (RRP AU$3300) puts this monitor into the premium level for professional displays. It is likely to be seen as high for most enthusiasts, unless they are really serious about making top quality prints of their best images.
If you shop around you will find the CG2730 listed at AU$3095 by both Image Science and Kayell, which is lower than the RRP and less than it would cost you from B&H, even without freight and tax added. The best price we found for CS2730 was AU$1880 from two resellers – click here to see a full list of Eizo’s Australian resellers.
Eizo monitors are built to last and should be seen as investments in overall quality and user comfort. We have been using a ColorEdge CG19 monitor continuously since October 2006 and it hasn’t missed a beat. It still reproduces colours accurately, according to our regular re-calibration tests. If you amortise the price across the 10 years or more of the anticipated lifespan, either monitor represents good value for money.
Potential purchasers concerned about running costs will appreciate the CG2730’s low power consumption. The screen typically uses 33 Watts during normal operation and only half a Watt in the Power Save and Standby modes. When the monitor is turned off via the power button on its front bezel it consumes no electricity. Eizo supports both monitors with a five-year manufacturer’s warranty, which covers all components including the LCD panel.
SPECS
Panel size: 68.5 cm (27-inch)
Active display size (h ø— v): 596.7 x 335.6 mm
Panel type: IPS with wide-gamut LED backlight
Viewing angles (h, v): 178 °, 178 °
Brightness: 350 cd/m2
Contrast ratio (typical): 1500:1
Response time (typical): 13 ms (Grey-to-grey)
Native resolution: 2560 x 1440 (16:9 aspect ratio)
Pixel pitch: 0.233 x 0.233 mm
Display colours: DisplayPort, HDMI: 1.07 billion from a palette of 278 trillion; DVI: 16.77 million from a palette of 278 trillion
Wide gamut coverage: Adobe RGB: 99%, DCI-P3: 98%
Built-in Calibration Sensor: Yes
Look-up table: 16-bit with 10-bit simultaneous display available
Internal processing: Brightness stabilisation, digital uniformity equaliser
Screen adjustment: Picture Expansion (Auto, Full Screen, Aspect Ratio, Dot by Dot), Input Colour Format, Input Range, Noise Reduction, Auto Input Detection, Menu Rotation
Colour adjustment: Brightness, Temperature, Gamma, Colour Gamut, Hue, Saturation, Clipping, Gain, Independent 6-Colour Control, Reset
Preset modes: Colour Mode (Custom, Adobe RGB, sRGB, Calibration)
Video input terminals: DVI-D 24 pin (with HDCP), DisplayPort (with HDCP), HDMI (with HDCP, Deep Color)
Digital scanning frequency (h / v): DisplayPort, DVI: 26 – 89 kHz, 23 – 61 Hz (VGA Text: 69 – 71 Hz); HDMI: 15 – 89 kHz, 23 – 61 Hz
USB ports / standard: 2 ports for monitor control plus 3-port USB hub / USB 3.0
Power consumption: Max. – 95 W, typical – 33 W; Standby & Power Save modes – less than 0.6 W
Power Management: Power Save (DisplayPort Version 1.2a, DVI DMPM)
Certifications: TUV Rheinland Colour Accuracy (Quick Stability grade), FograCert Softproof Monitor Certified
Height adjustment range: 155 mm
Tilt / Swivel / Pivot: 35 ° Up, 5 ° Down / 344 ° / 90 °
Dimensions (w x h x d): With Stand: 638 x 404.1 – 559.1 x 245 mm; Without Stand: 638 x 378.2 x 64 mm
Net weight: With Stand: 8.9 kg; Without Stand: 6.1 kg
Distributor: Eizo Oceania; (02) 9462 7500; www.eizo.com.au.
Rating
RRP: AU$3,300
- Build: 9.2
- Ease of use: 9.1
- Viewing quality: 9.2
- Versatility: 9.1
