Screen Calibrator

Perflections

Hi,

Can I get some suggestions on a Screen Calibrator Program for Mac? Thanks!

Scott_Quier

I've gotten great results from my Spyder 2 Pro - mine's a couple of years old now and I don't think you can even get them anymore. Maybe someone else can say something about more recent versions of this tool?

Manfr3d

The least expensive solution is:

1) Spyder 2 Expess / Spyder 3 Express
2) Pantone Huey

More Expensive solutions are:

3) Spyder 2 or 3 in Pro, Studio or Elite Version
4) Color Eyes Display Pro (Software) with a colorimeter of your choice (Also availabe with Getrag or Spyder2 colorimeter

What differentiates them is the software. The cheaper kits
for exampe usualy don't allow you to set custom color
temerature (6500K, 6000K etc), custom gama (1.8 vs 2.2)
and most of the time they only support one monitor per system.

I would recommend either option 3 OR option 1 as a cheap entry
to calibrating you monitor. If you choose option 1 you can always
expand the functionality by buying Color Eyes Display Pro (Software only)
from option 4.

A pure software only calibration process is pretty much worthless,
because it relies on your subjective judgement of color on screen.

jonh68

I just got a spyder 2 and I have noticed a big difference with my laptop and desktop PC's. Adorama still has the spyder 2 series.

Qarik

I just bought the eye one dsiplay LT for $150 and ran it on my macbook pro and it seems to have worked. Previously I was editing photos and on 2 occasions when I posted pciture here folks would comment that they photos looked a touch red. After calibration I could see what they were talking about.

Perflections

jonh68 wrote:

I just got a spyder 2 and I have noticed a big difference with my laptop and desktop PC's. Adorama still has the spyder 2 series.

Now, is it true that you shouldn't edit on laptop screens because your color and view changes? I have been using my lap top but with an additional monitor (desktop) to edit my photos on.

KyleMc569

I have the Spyder 2 Express. It works o.k. I want something nicer. You can do more than one monitor, but you must switch them manually and then rename the color profile because it creates a default name each time on the default monitor. It is also a little slow, so I don't calibrate as often as I should. I feel like it was worth the money, but the software is definitely limited.

Manfr3d

Perflections wrote:

Now, is it true that you shouldn't edit on laptop screens because your color and view changes? I have been using my lap top but with an additional monitor (desktop) to edit my photos on.

Unless of course you have a good one: http://www.robgalbraith.com/bins/content_page.asp?cid=7-8741-9027

Rocketman766

Thanks for that posting that link, guess I will have to upgrade if I ever get good enough where there is a need to calibrate. Looks like my Macbook Pro 17 won't cut the mustard...older version...

JKSlusser

Qarik wrote:

I just bought the eye one dsiplay LT for $150 and ran it on my macbook pro and it seems to have worked. Previously I was editing photos and on 2 occasions when I posted pciture here folks would comment that they photos looked a touch red. After calibration I could see what they were talking about.

Can you please tell me if your "Eye-One Display LT" is made by X-Rite or Pantone? when I looked it up, both names came up - thank you!

chrismoore

JKSlusser wrote:

Can you please tell me if your "Eye-One Display LT" is made by X-Rite or Pantone? when I looked it up, both names came up - thank you!

I just got the Eye One a couple of weeks ago, easy to set up and makes a huge difference in processing correctly. I got it from Amazon, it is made by X-rite. Link here.

JKSlusser

chrismoore wrote:

I just got the Eye One a couple of weeks ago, easy to set up and makes a huge difference in processing correctly. I got it from Amazon, it is made by X-rite. Link here.

Thank you so much for your time!! I appreciate it! I've been reading on this product a TON today - I'm not seeing any/much negative as I am on Huey. Now I just need to decide whether I need the LT or Display2. Again, thank you very much!

jonh68

Perflections wrote:

Now, is it true that you shouldn't edit on laptop screens because your color and view changes? I have been using my lap top but with an additional monitor (desktop) to edit my photos on.

I don't have my second monitor hooked up to my pc, but I check the look of my edits when I upload to smugmug from my other PC. I haven't seen anything out of wack by editing on my laptop, unless both my monitors are bad.

Mr. 2H2O

I recently bought a Spyder 2 Suite from a photographer in Chicago off Ebay for about $50 delivered. It works perfectly for what I need - very accurate to judge colors with printer profiles. Directions are easy to use. He took great care of it and had the complete contents including the box.

- Mike

JKSlusser

Mr. 2H2O wrote:

I recently bought a Spyder 2 Suite from a photographer in Chicago off Ebay for about $50 delivered. It works perfectly for what I need - very accurate to judge colors with printer profiles. Directions are easy to use. He took great care of it and had the complete contents including the box.

- Mike

Thank you so much! I've ordered a Spyder 3 - needed a 3 to also be able to calibrate my 64 bit Vista - hopefully it will be as easy to install as yours! I appreciate your response!!

jonh68

JKSlusser wrote:

Thank you so much! I've ordered a Spyder 3 - needed a 3 to also be able to calibrate my 64 bit Vista - hopefully it will be as easy to install as yours! I appreciate your response!!

The spyder 2 can calibrate 64 bit too. You have to download the latest software from their website.

stevod

chrismoore wrote:

I just got the Eye One a couple of weeks ago, easy to set up and makes a huge difference in processing correctly. I got it from Amazon, it is made by X-rite. Link here.

I also have the eye one and would recommend it. I use a laptop and also dock it into a 24" WCG LCD and the difference in colour profiles between the two is remarkable. In usage they now look identical of course!

S