BenQ boosts its color-critical monitor range with new flagship 27-inch display

(Image credit: BenQ)

BenQ has expanded its already extensive range of high quality monitors for photo editing and video editing with this, the SW271C.

The SW271C joins two existing 27-inch screens in BenQ’s PhotoVue range: the SW271 and SW270C. The latter is a 2560 x 1440 panel, but the differences between the new SW271C the older SW271 are more subtle, as both are very similar 4K screens.

BenQ SW271 full review • BenQ SW270C full review

Specifications

Panel Type: IPS LED
Panel Size: 27" (16:9)
Display Area: 596.16 x 335.34mm
Max. Resolution: 3840x2160
Pixel Pitch (mm): 0.15525
Brightness (Typ.): 350 nits
Contrast Ratio (Typ.): 1000:1
Viewing Angle (H/V): 178/178 degrees
Display Colors: 1.07 Billion
Response Time: 12 ms (Tr+Tf)
GtG response Time: 5 ms
Color Gamut: Adobe RGB 99%, sRGB 100%, P3 90%

The primary enhancement over the old SW271 is BenQ’s third-generation color Uniformity Technology, which fine-tunes the color and brightness of sub-regions across the screen for a more consistent viewing experience. The SW271C is also a USB-C monitor, with up to 60W Power Delivery – and handy boost compared to the 10W USB-C PD rating of the SW271.

Elsewhere, the new SW271C mostly matches the specifications of the older SW271. Both are 4K (3840 x 2160) displays, and both boast superb color space coverage, with the wide-gamut 16-bit panel delivering 99% Adobe RGB, 100% sRGB/Rec.709, and 90% DCI-P3/Display P3 coverage. Hardware color calibration ensures a high color accuracy of Delta E ≤ 2 for Adobe RGB and sRGB content, and the monitor boasts Pantone and CalMAN validation, with support for standalone monitor calibrators. The SW271C also supports two HDR formats - HDR10 and HLG - making it suitable for video editing and color grading.

And it’s not just the screen spec that could make this a future candidate for our best monitors for photographers list. The monitor comes with BenQ’s 2nd-generation Hotkey Puck remote control dial for faster and more efficient on-screen-display navigation, plus it enables easier switching between different color spaces for a side-by-side comparison.

Also included with the monitor is a full hood shade to ensure ambient light and reflections won’t interfere with the display’s precise color and contrast.

The hood will also be beneficial when using the included Paper Color Sync software, which automatically adjusts the color and contrast of an on-screen image preview to match that of the final print.

The BenQ SW271C is available to pre-order now from B&H, priced at $1,599.99. That’s a hefty increase over the similarly specced $1099 SW271 - we’ll await a review sample to see if the difference is worth the extra outlay.

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Ben is the Imaging Labs manager, responsible for all the testing on Digital Camera World and across the entire photography portfolio at Future. Whether he's in the lab testing the sharpness of new lenses, the resolution of the latest image sensors, the zoom range of monster bridge cameras or even the latest camera phones, Ben is our go-to guy for technical insight. He's also the team's man-at-arms when it comes to camera bags, filters, memory cards, and all manner of camera accessories – his lab is a bit like the Batcave of photography! With years of experience trialling and testing kit, he's a human encyclopedia of benchmarks when it comes to recommending the best buys.

Specifications

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