Do you calibrate and how do you do it?

[e.rose]

This is just to satisfy my curiosity... after discussions with several photographers I was surprised to find out how many of them didn't calibrate their monitors... or just calibrated them by eye (I guess that would be the visual equivalent of playing by ear? I dunno... ), rather than using hardware to do it.

So I'm curious... how many of you here:

1. Do not calibrate

2. Use a hardware calibrator

3. Use the windows/mac color manager/calibrator/whathaveyou to calibrate "by eye" and/or another third-party software that requires you to calibrate "by eye"?

(Vote in poll above.)

 

[KmH]

Your poll should also ask how often people that do calibrate, re-calibrate.

I re-calibrate my editing display using an X-RITE i1Display 2 Colorimeter - every 28 days (13 times a year). I don't calibrate my second display at all, because I never display images on it for editing (it's just a TN display anyway). My second display is only used for my desktop display and Photoshop work pallets.

Note: 28 days is how long it takes the Moon to rotate once on it's axis, So I re-calibrate on each day the Moon is new.

 

[e.rose]

Note: 28 days is how long it takes the Moon to rotate once on it's axis, So I re-calibrate on each day the Moon is new.

Ha, that's a cool way to remember

 

[tirediron]

Spyder II - auto-reminder (I use 30 days)

 

[Overread36]

I use a Spyder 3 to calibrate my monitor, though I don't recalibrate as often as I should (normally every 2 weeks when I remember). I'm slightly lazy with it partly because the monitor I have currently is cheap and really not suited to editing at all - calibration is however far superior to no calibration so I keep at it and dream on a nice shiny new monitor oneday

Note: 28 days is how long it takes the Moon to rotate once on it's axis, So I re-calibrate on each day the Moon is new.

Werecalibration!!

 

[bentcountershaft]

I didn't realize calibration was something that had to be maintained but now thinking about it, it makes sense. Needless to say I don't calibrate. I hope to some time in the future but there are too many other needs first.

 

[KmH]

Of course few beginners are likely to calibrate their display.

One draw back from posting this in this forum section. :er:

 

[mishele]

Spyder II - auto-reminder (I use 30 days)

That.....

 

[Trever1t]

I'm working on a cheap but fast laptop. I suppose if I get myself a decent system I'd calibrate it but until then....

 

[xjoewhitex]

I'm working on a cheap but fast laptop. I suppose if I get myself a decent system I'd calibrate it but until then....

Same, well not cheap but getting a bit slow and older now.

 

[c.cloudwalker]

The need to calibrate depends on how you use your photography.

For example, if all your images are going to be seen on home computers/the web only, like on Flicker, I see no point in wasting time calibrating except by eye, because most of the monitors that will be used in viewing your images will not be calibrated.

On the other hand, if you're going to work with graphic designers and your work is going into magazines, brochures, etc it is a good idea to have a quality monitor and calibrate it. Of course, you could always call the lack of calibration part of your style :lmao:

 

[e.rose]

Of course, you could always call the lack of calibration part of your style :lmao:

Oh is THAT what that's called?

 

[mwcfarms]

I use spyder 3 and every couple months. I rent it for 10 bucks.

 

[loosecanon]

Getto monitor calibration.


1- Set up strobes for table top shooting and set w/b with gray card.
2- Take picture of colorful object, I use a cup full of crayons.
3- Open photo in Photoshop using sRGB colors pace and compare the object with the photo, adjust monitor to match.
4- Adjust brightness and contrast using gray scale chart from web.
5- Print picture and compare to object, adjust printer settings in Photoshop to match object.
6- Under same lighting conditions take photo of someone and compare skin tones.

You can get some pretty good result this way without spending any money. I believe calibrations is important if you are printing, not so much for web unless you are way off.

 

[ghache]

Getto monitor calibration.


1- Set up strobes for table top shooting and set w/b with gray card.
2- Take picture of colorful object, I use a cup full of crayons.
3- Open photo in Photoshop using sRGB colors pace and compare the object with the photo, adjust monitor to match.
4- Adjust brightness and contrast using gray scale chart from web.
5- Print picture and compare to object, adjust printer settings in Photoshop to match object.
6- Under same lighting conditions take photo of someone and compare skin tones.

You can get some pretty good result this way without spending any money. I believe calibrations is important if you are printing, not so much for web unless you are way off.

thats what i did and it worked really great so far for what ive printed. i will need to invest in a spyder sometimes.