Assessing quality images on a laptop screen

I drive a Canon 20d and regularly try to assess raw and jpegs on my 15 inch
Acer laptop screen. This happens to have quite a shiny screen but despite
taking reasonable precautions against reflection etc I am never sure when I
am seeing the 'correct' image. I try to ensure 90 degree line of sight to
the screen but even a slight shift in my viewing position will change the
image 'quality'. I find it very difficult to know when I am seeing the best
of a series of shots that I may have taken. Do you have any hints or
guidelines to help making a true assessment of images when the smallest
change of viewing line shows a 'different' quality? Obliged.

Bill wrote:
I drive a Canon 20d and regularly try to assess raw and jpegs on my 15 inch
Acer laptop screen. This happens to have quite a shiny screen but despite
taking reasonable precautions against reflection etc I am never sure when I
am seeing the 'correct' image. I try to ensure 90 degree line of sight to
the screen but even a slight shift in my viewing position will change the
image 'quality'. I find it very difficult to know when I am seeing the best
of a series of shots that I may have taken. Do you have any hints or
guidelines to help making a true assessment of images when the smallest
change of viewing line shows a 'different' quality? Obliged.

Yes: Don't do that! If you have no choice of computers, ie. cannot use a
desktop with a decent CRT screen, learn to read histograms better. Put
side by side an image that you know is properly balanced and has the
right Levels.

The biggest complaint I have on my laptop is I cannot visually judge the
images as to brightness/darkness; what I referred to above as "Levels".

Is the quality you refer to mostly of that type?

--
John McWilliams

Dear Bill,

I have a Canon 20D also and want to make sure my final images are the
correct color. When more people reply to your post they will probably
suggest having your screen calibrated. Because I'm still a newbie at all
this digital stuff, I'm trusting my Dell 1905FP flat screen when making
corrections and then checking the images after they come out of the printer.
The printer does make my images a tiny bit dark, but I can adjust the
printer as well. I just have to find the balance until I get it right.

Good luck,
Dave


"Bill" wrote in message
...
I drive a Canon 20d and regularly try to assess raw and jpegs on my 15 inch
Acer laptop screen. This happens to have quite a shiny screen but despite
taking reasonable precautions against reflection etc I am never sure when I
am seeing the 'correct' image. I try to ensure 90 degree line of sight to
the screen but even a slight shift in my viewing position will change the
image 'quality'. I find it very difficult to know when I am seeing the
best of a series of shots that I may have taken. Do you have any hints or
guidelines to help making a true assessment of images when the smallest
change of viewing line shows a 'different' quality? Obliged.

Connect to an external crt.
mark_


"Bill" wrote in message
...
I drive a Canon 20d and regularly try to assess raw and jpegs on my 15 inch
Acer laptop screen. This happens to have quite a shiny screen but despite
taking reasonable precautions against reflection etc I am never sure when I
am seeing the 'correct' image. I try to ensure 90 degree line of sight to
the screen but even a slight shift in my viewing position will change the
image 'quality'. I find it very difficult to know when I am seeing the
best of a series of shots that I may have taken. Do you have any hints or
guidelines to help making a true assessment of images when the smallest
change of viewing line shows a 'different' quality? Obliged.

"Bill" wrote in message
...
I drive a Canon 20d and regularly try to assess raw and jpegs on my 15 inch
Acer laptop screen. This happens to have quite a shiny screen but despite
taking reasonable precautions against reflection etc I am never sure when I
am seeing the 'correct' image. I try to ensure 90 degree line of sight to
the screen but even a slight shift in my viewing position will change the
image 'quality'. I find it very difficult to know when I am seeing the
best of a series of shots that I may have taken. Do you have any hints or
guidelines to help making a true assessment of images when the smallest
change of viewing line shows a 'different' quality? Obliged.

Now you know why photographers prefer crt monitors.

Jim

On Sat, 04 Mar 2006 21:04:46 GMT, "Jim" wrote:


Now you know why photographers prefer crt monitors.


They do? Coulda fooled me.


rafe b
www.terrapinphoto.com

Jim wrote:
"Bill" wrote in message
...

I drive a Canon 20d and regularly try to assess raw and jpegs on my 15 inch
Acer laptop screen. This happens to have quite a shiny screen but despite
taking reasonable precautions against reflection etc I am never sure when I
am seeing the 'correct' image. I try to ensure 90 degree line of sight to
the screen but even a slight shift in my viewing position will change the
image 'quality'. I find it very difficult to know when I am seeing the
best of a series of shots that I may have taken. Do you have any hints or
guidelines to help making a true assessment of images when the smallest
change of viewing line shows a 'different' quality? Obliged.


Now you know why photographers prefer crt monitors.

Jim



All LCD's are not alike. The contrast, response time, and viewing angle
of my T40 laptop is totally inferior to my NEC 2180UX at work.

rafe b rafebATspeakeasy.net wrote:

On Sat, 04 Mar 2006 21:04:46 GMT, "Jim" wrote:


Now you know why photographers prefer crt monitors.


They do? Coulda fooled me.



You just have to be careful with a LCD and make sure you are looking at it
"straight on", this isn't an issue with a CRT. I've found I can edit on my
thinkpad about as easily as I can my desktop once I got used to it.

--

Stacey

"Stacey" wrote in message
...
rafe b rafebATspeakeasy.net wrote:

On Sat, 04 Mar 2006 21:04:46 GMT, "Jim" wrote:


Now you know why photographers prefer crt monitors.


They do? Coulda fooled me.



You just have to be careful with a LCD and make sure you are looking at it
"straight on", this isn't an issue with a CRT. I've found I can edit on my
thinkpad about as easily as I can my desktop once I got used to it.

--

Stacey

I can't seem to find the "sweet spot" on our laptop, while our LCD desktop
is easy to work with. I did do some editing on our laptop, once. I had to
redo the whole thing, everything was way to dark. Thus, the "once" in that
preceding sentence...
I also have the same problem with the LCD on my 5D. Last night, I didn't
believe my flash meter, choosing, instead, to trust the LCD. Everything was
one stop under, consistently. Which was exactly the difference between my
settings and the light meter...
--
Skip Middleton
http://www.shadowcatcherimagery.com

timeOday wrote:
Jim wrote:
"Bill" wrote in message
...

I drive a Canon 20d and regularly try to assess raw and jpegs on my
15 inch Acer laptop screen. This happens to have quite a shiny screen
but despite taking reasonable precautions against reflection etc I am
never sure when I am seeing the 'correct' image. I try to ensure 90
degree line of sight to the screen but even a slight shift in my
viewing position will change the image 'quality'. I find it very
difficult to know when I am seeing the best of a series of shots that
I may have taken. Do you have any hints or guidelines to help making
a true assessment of images when the smallest change of viewing line
shows a 'different' quality? Obliged.


Now you know why photographers prefer crt monitors.

Jim


All LCD's are not alike. The contrast, response time, and viewing angle
of my T40 laptop is totally inferior to my NEC 2180UX at work.

I have seen both lousy CRTs and lousy LCD displays. One needs to
evaluate the display on any prospective laptop purchase to make sure it
is appropriate to the intended use. There are design factors which lead
manufacturers to compromise quality of the display for either graphics,
or text to meet a 'price point'. Getting one that does both well may
mean spending a bit more, or choosing one from a different company.