Monitor Calibrator


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Eric Que

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Oct 17, 2006
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Hi I needed input from the xperience here regarding which monitor calliberator is good to get. At the same time it won't do the damage on my wallet.


cheerz.
 

The Eye-One Display 2 is good and not too expensive. If you want something better, the Monaco Optix XR Pro earns my highest recommendation (S$560 with GST. Have to be specially ordered from Chromix).

Personally, I use the Eye-One Display 2 and am satisfy with it (I paid S$438 with GST).

Stay away from Colorvision products. Reasons: overpriced and poor quality.
 

Hi I needed input from the xperience here regarding which monitor calliberator is good to get. At the same time it won't do the damage on my wallet.


cheerz.
A cheap one I know which might probably be good enough is the Gretag Macbeth Huey. Eastgear (2nd flr Peninsula Plaza) is selling something similar but doesn't seem to be called Huey for $89. I think it might be an OEM version of the Huey which retails for slightly under $200. Just ask for "Gretag Macbeth monitor calibrator".

The Eye-One Display 2 which photobum mentioned is also by Gretag Macbeth.
 

Huey is just a marketing gimmick from Gretag Macbeth. My photo lab don't even want to consider it, so should you?

If you are seriously considering a budget system, try Colorvision Spyder2Express (even though I don't recommend it).
 

Anyone has tried both the Eye-One and the Spyder? Which one is better?
I used the Spyder before, borrowed from a friend. Seems ok to me, but then again, anything is better than before calibration.
 

is printer calibration necessary even if the monitor has been calibrated?
 

is printer calibration necessary even if the monitor has been calibrated?


They are completely different. Monitor calibration takes care of what you see on the monitor. Printer calibration takes care of what you see on your print-out. How would calibrating one help you with the other?
 

They are completely different. Monitor calibration takes care of what you see on the monitor. Printer calibration takes care of what you see on your print-out. How would calibrating one help you with the other?


if i want to print out something that's exactly the same as what i see onscreen....
are both calibrations needed?
 

then u need a printer profile for every printer u have...

most labs hav their profiles .... u should get one if u are printing at home imho..

cheers
 

Anyone has tried both the Eye-One and the Spyder? Which one is better?
I used the Spyder before, borrowed from a friend. Seems ok to me, but then again, anything is better than before calibration.

It is not the matter of which is better but more of what you need and want. Both systems will give a very similar results to the untrained eyes.

Personally, I prefer the Monaco Optix XR Pro to the Eye-One Display 2 which I am currently using. However, the Eye-One Match software is extremely user friendly and very easy to setup. Again, it depends on your preference.

In terms of build quality, the Eye-One is sturdier and feels more soild compared to the Spyder. After all, the latter is made in China. The Eye-One puck is swiss made.
 

Huey is just a marketing gimmick from Gretag Macbeth. My photo lab don't even want to consider it, so should you?

If you are seriously considering a budget system, try Colorvision Spyder2Express (even though I don't recommend it).
I tried it. Seems ok to me.. at least the colour came quite close to what I get from Spyder. It's still slightly different from Spyder, but I'm sure that it's definitely better than not calibrated at all.
 

then u need a printer profile for every printer u have...

most labs hav their profiles .... u should get one if u are printing at home imho..

cheers
..and for every ink batch and for every paper batch and paper type and.....
 

I tried it. Seems ok to me.. at least the colour came quite close to what I get from Spyder. It's still slightly different from Spyder, but I'm sure that it's definitely better than not calibrated at all.

It also depends on one's LCD monitor. If you are using a Samsung, Phlilips, LG, Dell (not the Ultrasharp series) or Viewsonic, the differences are not very obvious. However, try to calibrate a higher-end LCD monitor such as the Eizo or the Apple Display with a Huey and compare the results to its older brother, the Eye-One Display 2. You can see the differences, even to the untrained eyes.

Personally, I am using a NEC Spectraview 22" LCD monitor together with the Eye-One Display 2. When I compared it side-by-side with my older Samsung 19" monitor, the differences are obvious, especially in the shadows and the renditioning of reds.

Therefore, I can comfidently conclude that the quality of our monitor does makes a whole lots of difference to which brand of calibrator we use. In another words, if you use an Eye-One Display 2 to calibrate a low-end monitors and expect good results, it is as if you are hitting flies with a tennis racket.
 

Monaco Optix is a dying breed...get it while you can...X-Rite, the company that owns Monaco is phasing it out in favour of the Eye-One series after they bought over Gretag Macbeth...they have even stopped taking online orders for the Optix ;(
 

Wow... thanx for all the input regarding the topic guys. That's very helpful...

Do u guys think that I need a monitor calliberator or a printer profiler?

my problem is everytime I print out pictures there's seems to hv more yellow / yellowist overcast. however, I am statisfied with the color that I see on my screen. In other word what I see on the screen is not what I get on the print out.

my printer is canon ip4200.

Cheerz....
 

Wow... thanx for all the input regarding the topic guys. That's very helpful...

Do u guys think that I need a monitor calliberator or a printer profiler?

my problem is everytime I print out pictures there's seems to hv more yellow / yellowist overcast. however, I am statisfied with the color that I see on my screen. In other word what I see on the screen is not what I get on the print out.

my printer is canon ip4200.

Cheerz....

The elegant solution would be to get both the monitor calibrator and the printer profiler... but that costs a bunch of $$$. So it depends on how accurate you need the pictures to be.

The simple solution would be to calibrate the monitor by eye, such that your printout pictures look like your monitor output. However, if your printer's calibration is off, your pictures will probably look a bit strange if viewed on other people's monitors, or when they are printed by a professional printing lab.
 

Personally, I can't be bothered with the printer. I just use the Spyder2Express to calibrate my monitor... and then send my printing to PhotoHub.
 

yup...i second this...

i juz download the KT colour profile online and use it to proof my images for print...and if the screen is profiled correctly...it aint tt far off.. :D
 

yup...i second this...

i juz download the KT colour profile online and use it to proof my images for print...and if the screen is profiled correctly...it aint tt far off.. :D

I am using KT's services too. However, I find the color profile for thier lustre paper is a bit off, especially in the reds and yellows.

I did bring up this issue to Lily, and she said she is working on it.
 

Monaco Optix is a dying breed....

Yeap... get The Monaco Optix XR Pro while you can. The last time I checked with Chromix; it was back ordered.
 

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