EIZO FlexScan S2433W: Review

EIZO FlexScan S2433W
We put this latest LCD to the test and compare it to its nearest and dearest rivals

EIZO is making great strides in producing affordable monitors catering for high-end creative users. From photos to graphic studios, previous items we’ve reviewed (ColorEdge CG243W, issue 62) have stood up to our scrutiny and wouldn’t seem out of place in such professional surroundings. But what of the latest EIZO – the FlexScan S2433W?

Well, this LCD monitor is as unassuming as its brethren. Presenting a 24.1-inch screen wrapped in professional, streamlined charcoal casing, it makes you feel every inch the professional without any eye candy – normally associated with the high-gloss Apple Mac machines. Control buttons are allocated easily on the front of the unit, and the S2433W incorporates the tried-and-trusted weighted stand for secure placement.
This modest design is wholly intentional, allowing the machine to do what it does best, and that’s present optimum visual output. In other words, it does not distract you from the great artwork presented on the screen. Even with a 61-centimetre widescreen, the footprint of this machine promises to occupy ten per cent less space than conventional 24-inch monitors. The FlexScan S2433W offers a familiar 100mm height adjustment range, 40-degree tilt and Portrait mode viewing when rotated 90 degrees clockwise. A quick mount attachment is also optional, which allows the monitor to be quickly and easily mounted and dismounted with the pull of a lever. This is great when presenting animation and show reel demonstrations within your studio space.

adjustable: You can adjust the angle and height of the FlexScan S2433W for maximum viewing comfort

The technology of the S2433W is where consumers get their money’s worth, leaving everything else seeming merely complementary. Its native 1,920 by 1,200 resolution means first-class presentation. With this, large screen size images are crystal clear in high resolution, which is essentially what all designers will be looking for from a competent LCD monitor. This machine is also equipped with VA (vertically aligned) panels. These allow viewers a 16:10 aspect ratio and viewing angles of 178 degrees.

But colour output is as important as resolution, especially when producing accurate tonality in our artwork, and the FlexScan S2433W excels at this as well.
This machine serves up several colour functions that will have Photoshop users purring. First, the S2433W produces 96 per cent of the Adobe RGB color space. What this means is that the monitor is near-perfect when replicating colour that’s captured and downloaded from your digital camera. This factor makes working with photo stock in your graphic and photographic projects just perfect.

Rotation: Being able to rotate your screen 90 degrees into portrait positions makes this LCD an extremely versatile machine, catering for both design preference and necessity

The monitor also offers 360 cd/m² brightness and 1000:1 contrast ratio. The latest edition of the EyeCare mode is also an added bonus. Here users can control brightness down to an ultra-low setting, 3 cd/m², which is comfortable for those working in ambient-lit studios. When altering this and the Gamma setting, the S2433W showed no signs of bowing or over-saturation in either highlighted or shadowed areas. When comparing these factors with other leading industry monitors – with more obscure Adobe RGB information – they make the EIZO FlexScan a preferable option for colour critical work.

Connectivity isn’t lost on this machine, as it comes with complementary connections to three separate computers at any given time – a digital DisplayPort and DVU-D input terminals, plus an anolog D-Sub input terminal, all exist on its design. This means your EIZO monitor needn’t replace your old system and can be used as a viewing device to complement high-end production.
Considering the optimal technologies discussed, the FlexScan S2433W is one of the best LCDs on the market. And the price of £555 + VAT is just the icing on the cake.

www.eizo.com