Monitor Calibration......

OnTheFly7 · Aug 28, 2014

After being very happy with some of my photo post processing in the past and after having some images published, I was feeling good. The need then arose for a new laptop. I picked up a very nice machine with 17" monitor that is fast, powerful, has great imaging, etc. I am very happy with the laptop! I was hoping to utilize the laptop for much of my editing. You know, so I could do it while watching football and hockey! :mrgreen:

Well, after a few images had been completed and uploaded to the internet, I was not very happy with what I was seeing. The images looked great on my laptop, no so much on the web. I did my research and figured if I want to take this stuff seriously, I should probably get a monitor calibrator. So, I broke down and bought the X-Rite i1 Pro Display. I calibrated the laptop and my 24" monitor and worked on a couple of images. The image form the laptop is a bit off, which I expect as it could not be fine tuned, like the big monitor. I am kind of disappointed as I really wanted to do most editing on the laptop. I then worked on 2 images on the larger monitor and I think these images look great. So it looks like my big monitor will get most of the work.

The one question, worry that I have is that when working on the larger monitor, the images look decent, yet not as crisp or clear. Yet, when I upload the images to the internet, the images look fabulous (in my mind). So I wonder what is more realistic to what a print would look like; the images on the web or on my larger monitor. The larger monitor is not as bright or as clear, yet the colors and clarity seem to be spot on when uploaded. I have provided three images below.

Any thoughts or insight, as well as image feed back is welcomed.

Image completed on the laptop.......

Images completed on the larger monitor.....

SCraig · Aug 29, 2014

You can't trust the image on a laptop screen. Any laptop screen. The reason being that they all depend on the angle that the screen is in relation to your eyes and the way the ambient light hits them. Change either of those and you completely change how the image looks. Calibration does no good either because as soon as you move it the calibration is shot. This is why some people who insist on using a laptop for editing wind up getting an external monitor for it. Personally I'd never consider editing on my laptop, all editing is done on my desktop which has (2) calibrated monitors.

Don Kondra · Aug 29, 2014

Best you can do is use this gauge to assure you are always at the same viewing angle...

Acratech Viewing Angle Gauge (Silver) 6005S B&H Photo Video

Cheers, Don

Ysarex · Aug 29, 2014

Most laptops (over 90%) are equipped with TN displays. TN displays use less power and that means longer battery life. However TN displays do not not compare well with IPS/PVA displays when it comes to image quality. TN displays will have a more restricted color gamut. Assuming your photos are edited to the sRGB color gamut it is possible to get an IPS/PVA panel that is capable of displaying 100% or very near 100% of the sRGB color gamut. A TN display isn't even going to get you into the ball park with average laptop displays only capable of 40% to 60% of the sRGB color gamut and plenty of them out there actually barely managing 30%.

So that:
1. even if you calibrate it and,
2. even if you don't move it around into different ambient light conditions and,
3. even if you manage to maintain a constant viewing angle,
it's still not showing you the full range of color in your photo and you really can't see what you're doing.

My favorite analog to this is tuning a guitar. You can tune a concert quality Martin guitar and it'll sound great and you can tune a toy guitar and it'll sound better but it'll still sound like a toy guitar. Calibrating most laptops (exceptions do exist) is analogous to tuning a toy guitar.

Joe

OnTheFly7 · Aug 29, 2014

I appreciate the responses and replies, along with the information.

I have accepted the fact that the editing will have to be done on the larger monitor. I am ok with this, it just will not be as convenient. Such is life.

If I may ask, how do the last two images that I posted look on your monitors (in terms of sharpness, color, etc).

Again, I ask because on my calibrated big monitor, they do not look as bright or clear, yet everywhere else they do.

Your input as to how those last two look may help ease my anxiety.

Thanks!

tirediron · Aug 29, 2014

SCraig said:
You can't trust the image on a laptop screen. Any laptop screen. The reason being that they all depend on the angle that the screen is in relation to your eyes and the way the ambient light hits them. Change either of those and you completely change how the image looks. Calibration does no good either because as soon as you move it the calibration is shot. This is why some people who insist on using a laptop for editing wind up getting an external monitor for it. Personally I'd never consider editing on my laptop, all editing is done on my desktop which has (2) calibrated monitors.

I do a lot of work on my laptop, and I have found a simple and reliable system; I have a large .jpg of a zone system chart, and when I sit down to work, the first thing I do is open that file, and tilt the screen until I can see all ten graduations correctly, and I know that I'm looking at it at the optimum angle.