Refresh rate test
Not a photography essential, but when live view over a tether feels sticky I check the laptop first.
Frames per second
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Nearest refresh rate
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If it reads low
- Battery saver often caps a laptop at 60 Hz or below. Plug in.
- Check the refresh rate in display settings; it may default to 60.
- An external monitor on an old HDMI cable may be limited.
- A busy processor, for instance during a large export, drops frames. Test again when idle.
Tethered live view is limited by the camera and cable far more than by the display, so treat this as a way to rule the screen out. For the screen itself, the checks that matter to a photographer are calibration and resolution.
Questions
It is a close estimate based on browser frame timing.
Not image quality. Higher rates make panning and brush strokes feel smoother.
Many phones limit web pages to 60 frames per second or drop the rate to save battery.
Other bench tools
White Background Generator
PNG, JPG or WEBP at any size, plus a five-size batch for marketplaces.
Monitor Calibration
The near-white patches I use before I trust a screen with an edit.
Dead Pixel Test
Eight flat fields to rule out the monitor before blaming the sensor.
Screen Resolution Checker
Real pixels and pixel ratio, so exports match the screen.
Screen Burn-In Test
Grey fields that show retained palettes and toolbars.