Monitor calibrators

[EchoingWhisper]

Which one do you recommend? I don't do any commercial work, but I do wish to have a decent one.

 

[SCraig]

Datacolor Spyder 3 works quite well.

 

[Alex_B]

spyder here as well ... however with a good screen like a pre-press capable EIZO, you will hardly need it. Anything beyond a spyder you will only need in product photography.

 

[KmH]

Many, many of the pro print labs recommend X-RITE's hardware and software for display calibration.

Colorimeters can only calibrate a display. X-RITE's discontinued X-Rite i1Display 2 Color Calibrator for LCD, CRT, and Laptop Displays is quite a bargain.

The Xrite EODIS3 i1Display Pro replaced it, and you will want to also consider the Xrite CMUNDIS ColorMunki Display

To also profile a printer, scanner, and/or projector, requires a spectrophotometer like X-RITE's ColorMunki Photo - Monitor, Printer & Projector Profiler

 

[12sndsgood]

I use the spider 4 and have liked it so far. Which reminds me I need to re-calibrate.

 

[Sw1tchFX]

Amazon.com: X-Rite i1Display 2 Color Calibrator for LCD, CRT, and Laptop Displays: Camera & Photo

 

[Helen B]

I would recommend the i1 Display Pro (which I use) or the cheaper ColorMunki Display version. Even if you are also planning to get a spectrophotometer to calibrate a printer you are better off with one of the newer colorimeters like the i1 Display Pro for calibrating a monitor - they work better in the shadows.

 

[Alex_B]

while what you all recommend is perfectly true for a full workflow from camera to print. The original question was about monitor calibration only. I doubt the OP has got a full workflow in mind. But maybe he could enlighten us if that was his intention

 

[Helen B]

while what you all recommend is perfectly true for a full workflow from camera to print. The original question was about monitor calibration only. I doubt the OP has got a full workflow in mind. But maybe he could enlighten us if that was his intention

Oops. I was trying to point out that even if one has the full workflow in mind it is better nowadays to buy a good monitor calibrator for calibrating your monitor: the best current colorimeters, like the i1 Display Pro, are better for monitor calibration than spectrophotometers like the i1 Pro or the full Colormunki Photo spectrometer (which has been mentioned in this thread, but not by me).

 

[KmH]

All of the tools mentioned so far can be used to calibrate a computer display. One of the tools mentioned can also profile printers, scanners, and projectors. If the OP, like many amateurs, is scanning prints/negatives, or is going to do their own printing, it would be wise to get a spectrophotometer in lieu of a colorimeter.

 

[Helen B]

...If the OP, like many amateurs, is scanning prints/negatives, or is going to do their own printing, it would be wise to get a spectrophotometer in lieu of a colorimeter.

Not if you want the best monitor calibration - which is the point I was trying to make.

 

[EchoingWhisper]

I heard that Spyder has high product variation. So it is the reason I've been holding back. I'll be printing too, but I'm not doing my own printing.

 

[Alex_B]

I heard that Spyder has high product variation. So it is the reason I've been holding back. I'll be printing too, but I'm not doing my own printing.

Not sure about that variation, also I am using a rather old version of the Spyder, maybe there production standards from that time were probably not comparable.

I also do the "printing" in a lab. Actually they do expose photographic paper and not really print. I do have their equipments and the paper's profiles for photoshop. So in my workflow the last step is always colour correction according to their profiles, with a check on my Spyder-calibrated EIZO.

In my setup this is fine for nature, wildlife and also for studio work with models, but it is not sufficient for product photography.

 

[Svandru]

I have the Spyder 3 Elite. I like it, but I like using it with the open source Argyle CMS software much better. I hate how the ambient light feature works in theDatacolor software. I have 300 lux at the keyboard and Datacolor calls that high ambient. The wizard-driven calibration is too contrasty in my environment.