monitor Calibration

Garbz · Feb 9, 2013

That's oversimplifying, you don't need to spend much to quickly be out of colorimeter territory and you're buying spectrometers. Between them there is a difference in quality and accuracy. So basically only the bottom end devices are similar, the rest you get what you pay for and the sky's the limit

jbarrettash · Feb 9, 2013

Garbz said:
That's oversimplifying, you don't need to spend much to quickly be out of colorimeter territory and you're buying spectrometers. Between them there is a difference in quality and accuracy. So basically only the bottom end devices are similar, the rest you get what you pay for and the sky's the limit

My information may be outdated then - that's why I joined here, I have a lot of knowledge but so much to learn!

Having said that, is a spectrophotometer really necessary for monitor calibration? Isn't it overkill? My understanding of the main difference between the two is that a spectrophotometer is not subject to matamerism - the appearance of different colours between two objects of the same colour under the same light. This is a real world problem, and cannot occur on a monitor. The two devices measure light very differently and the spectrophotometer is much more accurate, measuring the precise wavelengths of colours, but do people really use and see the difference with an instrument of such precision? It is useful in a lab, where you need to isolate tiny bands of colours and determine their exact wavelengths and where three dimensional objects reflecting light can be victims of metamerism.

But (and I underline my sincerity - I don't want this to come off wrong) is a spectrophotometer really more useful and necessary to calibrate a monitor and derive a colour profile for editing photographs? And how much more expensive are they? I don't think spyder (the brand I use) even make spectrophotometers, though I'll look into it.

Garbz · Feb 15, 2013

jbarrettash said:
Having said that, is a spectrophotometer really necessary for monitor calibration? Isn't it overkill?

Heck no. It's overkill for monitors as you rightly say. However one of the first supported features of the next level of devices from the bottom of the ranks is the ability to calibrated reflective light surfaces such as printers and projectors. Many of these are proper colour spectrophotometers. And you're right... I can't see any of the Spyder range of devices for consumers being listed as spectrophotometers, only the actual Datacolor branded ones.

The vast majority of differences really is ultimately still software features.

silve225 · Mar 17, 2013

I did get the colormunki display. But seems like my two monitors don't agree on the same color. My dell in2020m is a lot brighter then my asus mx239h. how do I know which one to go by?

Garbz · Mar 18, 2013

Play with settings until they even out. Calibration software suits a wide range of environments and goals. i.e. the typical single screen goal is to over power the environment and not care about colour temperature so the settings in that screen would be a factory set colour temp and maximum brightness. Got two screens you'll need to try and set everything. The white point, the black point, the colour temperature, and the gamma curve.

Assuming both displays are IPS they should agree. If they are not then you're not going to have much fun, subtle viewing angles will account for differences in that case.

silve225 · Mar 20, 2013

Garbz said:
Play with settings until they even out. Calibration software suits a wide range of environments and goals. i.e. the typical single screen goal is to over power the environment and not care about colour temperature so the settings in that screen would be a factory set colour temp and maximum brightness. Got two screens you'll need to try and set everything. The white point, the black point, the colour temperature, and the gamma curve.

Assuming both displays are IPS they should agree. If they are not then you're not going to have much fun, subtle viewing angles will account for differences in that case.

thanks and only one of them are ips

Garbz · Mar 21, 2013

Eeeek Ok sorry to be the bearer of bad news but the displays will never match perfectly. The viewing angles alone will cause shifts in the colour palate. That said a lot of image editing programs use one monitor for a reference view and the other for a toolbar / filmstrip view. I believe you can setup lightroom and photoshop like this.

As so:

http://jayphotoworks.files.wordpress.com/2009/12/mg_9877-edit.jpg