Spyder 2 Pro HW Calibration - what settings?

timk519

In reading this thread I see there are other Spyder 2 Pro users here, and could give me a pointer or two. I've tried a number of the "suggested" configurations, and the resulting calibrations seem - well - "off." So I was wondering what other Spyder users use for a dual-monitor setup?

I've got two NEC LCD200Vx monitors being driven by an ATI X1950 XTX video card.

Artur C.

timk519 wrote:

In reading this thread I see there are other Spyder 2 Pro users here, and could give me a pointer or two. I've tried a number of the "suggested" configurations, and the resulting calibrations seem - well - "off." So I was wondering what other Spyder users use for a dual-monitor setup?

I've got two NEC LCD200Vx monitors being driven by an ATI X1950 XTX video card.

If you could be a bit more specific on how "off" your particular calibration is, I'll give it my best shot to get the setting right.

timk519

Artur C. wrote:

If you could be a bit more specific on how "off" your particular calibration is, I'll give it my best shot to get the setting right.

Hi Arthur - and thanks for your assistance.

Since I've got two monitors, I'm using the measured luminance mode with the intention of calibrating them to the same resulting image.

The first attempt was with the suggested setting of 2.2-6500, but the result was too dark, the whites were more "grey".

I then tried sRGB, but the black luminance of 0.80 and white of 80.0 also produce calibrations that yield too-dark whites.

I've pushed the luminance values higher with better results, but still get off-white whites. Should I try white luminances in the 110 range? Or be using a different mode?

I'm editing a bunch of pictures from a Rebel XT using Adobe Lightroom, with the ultimate aim of making a DVD out of the images.

I'd like to have both monitors and my laptop set to the same calibration so the result'll still be the same regardless of which machine I'm using.

claudermilk

timk519 wrote:

I'd like to have both monitors and my laptop set to the same calibration so the result'll still be the same regardless of which machine I'm using.

That's the point of calibrating. Run the calibration on both the desktop and laptop and the individual calibrations should result in as close a match as is possible--keeping in mind hte two screens are likely very different. Now for the two monitors on the desktop--to get them both calibrated requires a dual-LUT video card. I'm not sure if yours has that, though it seems it's a monster & likely does. What most of us do is pick one monitor to be the critical-viewing image screen and the other is the tool palette screen. Only the image screen needs to be calibrated.

timk519

claudermilk wrote:

That's the point of calibrating. Run the calibration on both the desktop and laptop and the individual calibrations should result in as close a match as is possible--keeping in mind hte two screens are likely very different. Now for the two monitors on the desktop--to get them both calibrated requires a dual-LUT video card. I'm not sure if yours has that, though it seems it's a monster & likely does. What most of us do is pick one monitor to be the critical-viewing image screen and the other is the tool palette screen. Only the image screen needs to be calibrated.

Yes, that's what I'm trying for - getting at least one monitor calibrated for most of the work, use the same settings for the other monitors. Regardless of the screen (they're all LCD), I'm hoping the calibration'll be able to take that into account and adjust the screen accordingly.

Part of my issue is that the calibration itself looks "off" - the default "measured values" one made the whites into grey. I'm using an sRGB calibration, which is better, but the whites are still a blue-ish / gray color. Some of the images look pretty good, but if the whites aren't "white" I can't help but wonder if the rest of the image is off as well.

The ATI Radeon X1950 XTX was the highest-end card that ATI sold when it was purchased last fall, so I'm hoping it'll do everything I want to do here.

Newsy

timk519 wrote:

the whites are still a blue-ish / gray color.

I had the same issue with my LCD Samsung 215TW. But when I used the Ambient Light function of the Spyder2PRO, it suggested I calibrate to 5800K and indeed that eliminated the blue-ish caste. I've left it there because it just looks "right".

Miguel Delinquento

This tool is better
I also did what you did with the same Samsung monitor and Spyder device and software. It has worked good enough. . .until a few days ago when I downloaded a demo of the Color Eyes calibration software that works with Spyder hardware.
What a difference! It is like having a new monitor. My other monitor, a pretty decent Dell 19-in that I use for vertical shots and documents, calibrated to a closer match than before as well. I just have to get over spendng $170 for additional software.
M

pathfinder

timk519 wrote:

Yes, that's what I'm trying for - getting at least one monitor calibrated for most of the work, use the same settings for the other monitors. Regardless of the screen (they're all LCD), I'm hoping the calibration'll be able to take that into account and adjust the screen accordingly.

Part of my issue is that the calibration itself looks "off" - the default "measured values" one made the whites into grey. I'm using an sRGB calibration, which is better, but the whites are still a blue-ish / gray color. Some of the images look pretty good, but if the whites aren't "white" I can't help but wonder if the rest of the image is off as well.

The ATI Radeon X1950 XTX was the highest-end card that ATI sold when it was purchased last fall, so I'm hoping it'll do everything I want to do here.

If you have not worked with a calibrated monitor before, they MAY look distinctly different than what you have been seeing on your uncalibrated monitor. It may be less bright and seem less colorful. Try living with it for a little while and print a a few images on a printer with a good profile for the paper and see how they compare.

My Apple Cinema Display is slightly less bright and definitely less pink after calibration, but it is a real neutral gray. When I try to return to the un-calibrated state I can see the discoloration. Believe what your colorimeter tells you.

2.2 gamma 6500 K Let the Spyder 2 do its thing. Don't worry about the monitor for your palettes unless you know your card supports different profiles for different monitor. Most video cards do not.

timk519

Ok, time for an update.

To respond to the most recent poster, the difference in the colors hasn't been the main problem I've had, it's the brightness of the original calibration was too dim. The whites weren't anywhere near white (more grey actually). To me that meant the rest of the colors weren't "on" either.

Per another suggestion here, I went with the "ambient light" compensation, and the result looked a lot better - the whites actually looked white, etc. so I figured things were ok.

The problem now appears to be the calibration adjustments getting lost when I bring the system back up from "sleep" mode. I can see the differences - one monitor's a off with a yellow / grey cast, while the other - hmm - seems to be ok. I could've sworn it'd gone magenta on me...

Anyway, when both monitors were freshly calibrated, I could move a white background between the two monitors w/no discernable difference in color. Now I can't. Given that these were cheap NEC LCD200Vx screens, I suppose I shouldn't be too surprised.

Has anyone else run into this before?

Another poster's mentioned "Color Eyes calibration software." It sounds interesting, has anyone else tried it and willing to share their results?

pathfinder

Some LCDs have seperate brightness ( or backlight ) control knobs or sliders or some such. These should be set to maximum OR to the maximum that will allow you to discern a difference between the lightest test patches - there is a step in the Spyder2 Pro software where this is asked.

Are you using the latest software from ColorVision Ver 2.2 Spyder2 Pro I believe? There is a step where the software asks about setting including brightness ( or backlighting ) contrast, and color temperature. I leave my monitor set at maximum brightness - once calibrated you do not touch the brightness controls.

Is there something in the drivers in Windows entering into these transactions, perhaPS?