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Oregon 450 screen brightness


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Are these screens really more sunlight friendly/readable than the 300 series?

 

Thanks

What a coincidence you would ask today. Just 3 hours ago I was at my local Sportsmans Warehouse store and the sales clerk went outside with me. We compared their Oregon 450t to my Oregon 400t (both with same settings) side by side with bright sunshine outside but we were in a shaded area so that sunlight was not on the screen. I have made all the settings on my 400t to enhance the screen's readability plus I used the white backgrounds from the wiki. There was no appreciable difference in the 2 screens readability to either of us. We moved both units at all different angles trying to see if there was much difference. You can't really say the 2 are identical because you can notice a very very slight difference in the 450t but it is so minimal. From a practical users veiwpoint you can't say it is any better, if you really want to split hairs and talk miniscule amounts then Garmin can say it is better, but still not satisfactory in my above test situation. Don't expect the 450 to be much different than the 300 series if it has the settings and background set to maximize the readabilty
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Are these screens really more sunlight friendly/readable than the 300 series?

 

Thanks

What a coincidence you would ask today. Just 3 hours ago I was at my local Sportsmans Warehouse store and the sales clerk went outside with me. We compared their Oregon 450t to my Oregon 400t (both with same settings) side by side with bright sunshine outside but we were in a shaded area so that sunlight was not on the screen. I have made all the settings on my 400t to enhance the screen's readability plus I used the white backgrounds from the wiki. There was no appreciable difference in the 2 screens readability to either of us. We moved both units at all different angles trying to see if there was much difference. You can't really say the 2 are identical because you can notice a very very slight difference in the 450t but it is so minimal. From a practical users veiwpoint you can't say it is any better, if you really want to split hairs and talk miniscule amounts then Garmin can say it is better, but still not satisfactory in my above test situation. Don't expect the 450 to be much different than the 300 series if it has the settings and background set to maximize the readabilty

 

Thanks a ton.....you saved me some money.

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I have looked at both Oregon 400 and 450's and agree, there is a slight difference giving the 450 an edge, but it still is nowhere as good as my Colorado 400t. It must be the touchscreen technology, that makes the screen harder to see than the Colorado. I also found the touchscreen to be difficult to trigger with my thumbs, so I was stuck using the Oregon's with 2 hands. Hope they are looking at a screen colser to the iPhone style.

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We compared their Oregon 450t to my Oregon 400t (both with same settings) side by side with bright sunshine outside but we were in a shaded area so that sunlight was not on the screen.
Since the backlights on the Oregon and Dakota models aren't very intense, you got what I'd expect. Now, go back and get those units into some sunshine (toss in a Dakota while you're there, I think you'll like the results) and then see what happens. The contrast in bright sun on my Dakota 20 is incredible, and the 450 is noticeably improved over the 200/300/400.
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Can't say if the Garmin Oregon 450 screen is better than the 300, but if the question is really to find out if the screen on the Oregon 450 is viewable in various lighting conditions, I can say that I find my 450 to be excellent in all lighting conditions. I have tried the following lighting conditions: Night, daylight overcast, daylight partly cloudy, daylight clear (no clouds), daylight shade and direct sunlight. The worst case is daylight shade, but by no means is poor. If you've experienced an IPAQ, Palm or any laptop computer in any daytime outdoor conditions, you too should find the Garmin Oregon 450 display to be light years better. Having used my Garmin eTrex Vista for 10 years, the Oregon 450 is a monumental leap forward. BTW I have the screen backlight set for factory default (I didn't change it). It is three steps lower than full brightness.

Edited by Pt-Man
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If you test them side-by-side, make sure all the settings are the same. I've tested my Oregon 400t against the 450 and 550t, as well as the Dakota 20. I noticed little difference between my 400t and the 550t. The brightest units were the Dakota 20 and the Oregon 450. They are the only ones that I've thought were legible enough for fixed-mount use without external power (e.g., bike handlebars). The 450 was viewable at a much wider range of angles in full sun, compared to my 400t.

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In direct sunlight is not where the real readability problem is with the Oregon series. The Oregon 200, 300, 400s are all readable in direct sunlight with the sun shining on the screen, granted not as good as the 450/550 but still very readable. The screen readability problem as I tried to describe earlier in this thread for the OP... exists when in bright ambient sunlight conditions, but the screen itself is shaded is where the real readability problem exists... the backlighting has no effect; and in this exact situation there is no appreciable difference in the 450/550s when compared to the 200,300, and 400s.

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I disagree, I had issues reading my 300 in direct sunlight. The matte screen sort of clouded it, especially with the back light reduced to save battery life. I don't have many issues at all with the 450 screen, even in when the screen is shaded. Thats just me though...everyone eyes are different, thats just my experience from actually owning and using both devices.

Edited by CortandTrent
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