EIZO Nanao 17in LCD 26MM 1280x1024 L557 FlexScan 500:1 (EIZO Nanao-L557)

The L557's biggest drawback is its lack of physical adjustability. Adjustments are limited to tilting and about an inch of height positioning, while most other models on the 17-inch chart also swivel, and several pivot to portrait orientation. Like most Eizo models, the L557 has a pair of perfunctory stereo speakers that are adequate for little more than playing basic system sounds.

The L557 has a large number of front-panel buttons, and they are smaller and harder to read than those on most LCDs; their size and arrangement make navigating the on-screen menu system tedious. On the other hand, the L557's abundant on-screen menu options include some useful advanced adjustments--such as gain, gamma, hue, and saturation-- not commonly found on 17-inch models. We especially liked the one-button access to preset color modes optimized for graphics work, text-based applications, and entertainment. An sRGB option for calibrating on-screen color with other peripherals (such as sRGB-compliant printers) is also included.

Eizo offers a five-year warranty on the L557 (three years on the backlight).

Upshot: Though not as flexible as some competing 17-inch LCDs, the FlexScan L557's image quality and advanced controls make it a good investment for graphics fanatics.

Richard Jantz