MultiSync LCD2690WUXi

The NEC MultiSync LCD2690WUXi is a 26in widescreen LCD monitor, the largest in NEC's 90 series of professional displays. As such, you'd expect it to be packed with features and NEC is never one to disappoint. At first glance you might be a little disappointed by some of the specifications (800:1 contrast ratio, 300 cd/m2 brightness rating), but it's the many impressive features that turn this into a barnstormer.

These include a programmable 12bit colour lookup table for smooth colour transitions and gradients, the ability to display up to 94 percent of the Adobe RGB colour space, and X-light Pro technology to keep the brightness and colour consistent through the life of the display. Though it carries a high-end price tag, this display should appeal to colour-savvy professionals.

The display sports a simple but elegant design with a thin, black bezel - helpful if you need to position two or more displays together. The menu system is intuitive, and the process is made easier still by the onscreen descriptions that appear just above the navigation buttons. Seeing eye-to-eye with this display should be no problem; you can adjust its height, tilt it forward and back, and even rotate it into a portrait orientation. We found the display to be bright but a little washed out. Once calibrated, though, the screen looked great. Its side-angle viewing wasn't quite as good as that of other NEC 90 series displays, but it was still very good. Text was clear, crisp, and legible at small point sizes. Colours really popped, with saturated but accurate representations of the food, skin tones and textures.

For professional photographers and designers, accurate colour is a necessity. Although this big, bright 26in display costs a pretty penny, its vast array of features make the MultiSync LCD2690WUXi a tool all serious colour geeks should consider.