Monitor Calibration Tool

[Viggo]

SImple question:

I'm looking for a, not too expensive, Monitor calibrator; Which one should  get and why?

[wickidwombat]

I used this method
http://forums.macrumors.com/showthread.php?t=1054380
for my dell u2711 as i read bad things about the expensive calibration tools not working for that monitor
so far I think its great in the adobe products but the web browsers look all screwy on it
overall I think the method worked well I found I reduced the brightness more before the calibration and i took a few goes at it until i was happy
since this method is free i suggest trying it before spending money

[Viggo]

I did the Mac-calibration thing, but I'm colorblind so trusting my eyes isn't very accurate, however he said (in the link) not to touch the right slider, good call! I was going mental over it, too many settings looked right.

My question is, where do you set the brightness/contrast on an Imac? I mean, I thought setting contrast and brightness was a part of the calibration, but if I tune contrast before calibration then how can it be right in the end?

[Warninglabel]

I use Pantone Huey Pro MEU113 Monitor Color Calibration Kit

I use two 27 inch monitors and this does a good job, you can find it around the web for $59-$99, I need to keep both monitors very close to each other and this does it.

Hope this helps 

[Viggo]

It all helps a lot! Thanks guys!

I just bought the X-rite Color Checker passport, and it's great, but not if the screen isn't right

[hhelmbold]

I am not a big fan of color calibration kits. I believe you get what you pay for. Most people buy a computer based on budget and the 2 things that can quickly push up the price is graphics cards and monitors. There is a reason you pay quite a bit more for a workstation laptop for instance.

I have used the Huey PRO and also the Xrite eyeOne Display as well as the Spyder. In the end the best results came from buying a workstation graphics card, nVidia Quadro FX card and a Dell UltraBright display (moved over to NEC now). There is a reason why the graphics card is so pricey, but the contrast and colour accuracy is great.

Sure - you will still get different results with 2 different screens, but I guarantee that 2 high end screens will give VERY similiar results. The easiest difference to see between the normal graphics cards and the workstation graphics cards is in contrast. If you look at a grey scale gradient the normal graphics cards will either lose detail in the dark areas (shadows) or in die white areas (highlight). The workstation cards gives a perfect gradient in the light and dark spectrum of the gradient.

As mentioned by Viggo - I also use the X-rite Color Checker and it is a big help in color accuracy when shooting products like make-up where the client wants perfect color accuracy.

But just to highlight it once again... the graphics card and monitor goes hand in hand. Cheap monitors on expensive graphics cards gives average results

[CJRodgers]

http://www.tftcentral.co.uk/articles/icc_profiles.htm#install

I dont know if this will help?

[neuroanatomist]

I use the Xrite i1, and it does quite well. Before calibration, using the default Apple profile, both the high and low ends of the gray scale were not distinguishable. After, all 256 levels can be seen.

[Viggo]

I use the Xrite i1, and it does quite well. Before calibration, using the default Apple profile, both the high and low ends of the gray scale were not distinguishable. After, all 256 levels can be seen.

What about color tint? I am colorblind so trying to adjust the X-rite Color checker tells me nothing if I don't have a properly calibrated monitor, and it's no way I can adjust from my eye-sight.

I looked at the X-rite ColorMunki Display, it seems to to fairly okay. I'm not shooting with multiple cameras and need 4000 images from 12 different cameras with 30 lenses to match 110%, I just want more accurate color in difficult lightning situations and a screen that gives me basically the right exposure and tint (or no tint rather) no matter if I edit my pictures during the day or at night.

Do you guys make one profile for daytime and one for evening, or do you edit in a constant lit room?

[CJRodgers]

I use the Xrite i1, and it does quite well. Before calibration, using the default Apple profile, both the high and low ends of the gray scale were not distinguishable. After, all 256 levels can be seen.

What about color tint? I am colorblind so trying to adjust the X-rite Color checker tells me nothing if I don't have a properly calibrated monitor, and it's no way I can adjust from my eye-sight.

I looked at the X-rite ColorMunki Display, it seems to to fairly okay. I'm not shooting with multiple cameras and need 4000 images from 12 different cameras with 30 lenses to match 110%, I just want more accurate color in difficult lightning situations and a screen that gives me basically the right exposure and tint (or no tint rather) no matter if I edit my pictures during the day or at night.

Do you guys make one profile for daytime and one for evening, or do you edit in a constant lit room?

I use an IPS monitor which seems to help with consistancy regarding time of day

[Viggo]

I use the Xrite i1, and it does quite well. Before calibration, using the default Apple profile, both the high and low ends of the gray scale were not distinguishable. After, all 256 levels can be seen.

On a side note ( I bought the Color Munki today, works very well) Continous measurment of the ambient light was very neat.

Here's a side question to the ladder of camera color calibration;

I use the Passport Color Checker and got less than correect results using 1600 iso on the 5d2, but put on a tripod and shot way longer speed at 100 iso, and the results are amazing. Is this the reason, that the color noise can severly affect the color readings?

[neuroanatomist]

I think so - I've got a ColorChecker Passport as well, and there's definitely a desaturation of the red channel at increasing ISO (pink becomes lavender, orange becomes yellow), and to a lesser extent, the green channel desaturates as well.

[Viggo]

I think so - I've got a ColorChecker Passport as well, and there's definitely a desaturation of the red channel at increasing ISO (pink becomes lavender, orange becomes yellow), and to a lesser extent, the green channel desaturates as well.

Perfect!!! I got the same readings here, the yellows looked way to "punchy" as all other tones of orange turned bright yellow, and the greens were useless... And red never turned out right.

But now, man, this is a fantastic tool. I had no idea the colors were that dirty and "off" before.

Thanks!