Hardware Monitor Calibration - well worth it!

PARUK

PARUK

PARUK

Associate
Joined
18 Oct 2002
Posts
488
Location
Ayrshire, Scotland
Lots of people on here and other photography forums talk about the importance of getting your monitor properly calibrated using a hardware solution. I was one of the doubters, then I got an offer for a bit of paid work and finally bought a calibration package (Spyder3 Pro in this case, but I guess most of the mid-range solutions are much of a muchness).

Anyway, long story short I 'm now a convert and view hardware calibration as a necessity. I'll hopefully never again get that sinking feeling when a batch comes back from the printers with "incorrect" colors. I just wish I'd splashed the cash sooner, although at least I've kept RAW versions of some of older shots and can go back and fix 'em.
 
I really REALLY should get one, but their cost isn't justifiable to me :(

I think I need a better screen first, this may be a PVA but its a cheap PVA 24"...

I want a 26-27" Dell but their input times are nothing short of shocking.

Anyone in Berkshire/Bristol mind me borrowing one?
 
I brought one of these home with me today (Spyder3 Pro, but not yet used it) but will have time tomorrow night, so ill let you know how i get on.

Might rent it out after ive used it ;)
 
Just to point out my experiences with hardware calibration. I bought a monitor which is well regarded as having accurate colours from the off, but a year or so later bought a huey and calibrated the monitor, which made it slightly redder. I kept it at that and printed off a couple of prints, and the colour still wasn't right. I was then loaned a Spyder 3 pro (the TP one), and calibrated the screen again, mainly to see if there was a difference, and there was, pretty huge (bigger than the huey calibration), but slightly the other way. The colours still aren't 100% but they are better than both uncalibrated and Huey.

So moral of the story is, it's not as easy as just plugging it in to get it perfect (neither calibrator sorted the brightness), and different calibrators appear to calibrate to different colours (especially on laptops!). However a lot of fiddling, and using the calibrator as a guide (not god) can really help get your prints right. :)
 
I remember when I first bought my Spyder 2 pro a couple of years ago, I thought my monitor was bang on before I calibrated it.

After I did it, the monitor appeared to be much much warmer I thought it looked wrong, then after a nights usage I realised how much better it is.

I remember when speaking to InvaderGiR on here and he was saying his media monitor is supposed to bang on from the word go and wanted to check it wasn't far off. So I took the S2 round to his and it was out and now he's like "yeah you deffo need to get it calibrated" :p

Anyone who thinks you don't need one just because you have a kick arse monitor needs their horizon broadened a bit :)
 
I bought an eye1 display 2 and i have to agree that there is a huge difference and its well worth it :) I do online/shop printing and I have much closer colour reproduction now. Still come out a bit darker than on screen but that is due to the monitor emitting light making it look brighter probably.
 
I've mostly borrowed calibrators but really need to buy one now. Was going to buy the Spyder Express but then saw some mixed reviews. The La Cie calibrator seems excellent but 5 times the price.
 
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