Calibration with a Spyder 3 Elite - results

EdinburghGary

EdinburghGary

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Gary
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Original thread:
http://www.talkphotography.co.uk/forums/showthread.php?t=219502

The results:
caibrationtest.jpg


Conclusions? I am amazed at the difference in the overall look of the monitor now....it appears much, MUCH warmer.....it has a definate tint which is never had, switching back and forth between the calibrated profile and the default, is a bit crazy.

I am worried I may not have done it properly however based on the current profile chosen by the Spyder, these are the results.

Can you give me any feedback on the three exposures esp from a colour point of view. These have ONLY had CURVE processing to change the blue channel slightly.

Gary.
 
I was amazed at how 'out' my monitor was too when i ran Spyder3 too. The colours look so much better now.

I don't know if it's my eyes or what, but your none calibrated version looks 'warmer' than the calibrated versions lol. There's certainly a lot more yellow in there anyway. Could just be me though? :/
 
HybridUK said:
I was amazed at how 'out' my monitor was too when i ran Spyder3 too. The colours look so much better now.

I don't know if it's my eyes or what, but your none calibrated version looks 'warmer' than the calibrated versions lol. There's certainly a lot more yellow in there anyway. Could just be me though? :/
Click to expand...

No, the yellow is the reason for the test - it has been mentioned a few times, I never saw it prior to calibration, it's the problem I am trying to solve.

G.
 
Uncalibrated looks a lot warmer on mine too, Gary. The far right version has the best whites.
 
Gary
It's hard to say what skin tones in the image are correct because the image is so bright and the reds are clipped.

Again colour picker. In your second edit the greens look higher than the blue values saying that the image is way too blue.

I took your first image. Added a little cyan to reduce the red and added a little yellow to bring the blue back down

Skin tones roughly R = 230 at the brightest G lower at 212ish and blue should always be lowest in a white skin (because skin has yellow in it) so B at around 190!

Those are in the bright forehead and seem better although still a little too bright.

Untitled-18.jpg
 
EOS_JD said:
Gary
It's hard to say what skin tones in the image are correct because the image is so bright and the reds are clipped.

Again colour picker. In your second edit the greens look higher than the blue values saying that the image is way too blue.

I took your first image. Added a little cyan to reduce the red and added a little yellow to bring the blue back down

Skin tones roughly R = 230 at the brightest G lower at 212ish and blue should always be lowest in a white skin (because skin has yellow in it) so B at around 190!

Those are in the bright forehead and seem better although still a little too bright.

Untitled-18.jpg
Click to expand...

My problem with using the colour picker to determine the final outcome - and please tell me if I am wrong - but if I reduce the values to ensure the colour picker sees a maximum of 240 (for example) - then all I am doing is darkening the photo, which if I want a bright image, would mean I would to then process it brighter?

For example, the edit you have posted to me feels overly dark, I would not say under exposed, just mid exposed - which has always bored me. I love shooting bright, I like brighter than average with higher saturation than average. Am I better shooting for a maximum of 240 if I end up processing the clipping back in?

G.
 
AlicePalice said:
I used the Spyder too and I was/am so amazed at how warm my screen was previously! A lot of pics I see online now from people without calibration look really yellow.
Click to expand...

I think I had the opposite problem, my screen was cooler as opposed to warmer, which took the yellows out of my pics - meaning I was unable to see the yellow cast...

G.
 
Every screen is different - ambient light makes a difference, your wall colour makes a difference and your background can make a difference!
 
EdinburghGary said:
My problem with using the colour picker to determine the final outcome - and please tell me if I am wrong - but if I reduce the values to ensure the colour picker sees a maximum of 240 (for example) - then all I am doing is darkening the photo, which if I want a bright image, would mean I would to then process it brighter?

For example, the edit you have posted to me feels overly dark, I would not say under exposed, just mid exposed - which has always bored me. I love shooting bright, I like brighter than average with higher saturation than average. Am I better shooting for a maximum of 240 if I end up processing the clipping back in?

G.
Click to expand...

Gary does my small edit really look much darker? I thought the colour was better. My view is you are looking at this the wrong way. Your starting point should be a well exposed image with good skin tones and correct colour.You don't quite have that at the moment as you are over exposing your image.

I appreciate though you like the brighter images. Don't get me wrong the way I edited your image is not how I would send to a client. I too like bright images. But maybe not as bright as you do.....

Perhaps it's all just don to personal taste but I remember the fabulous image you took of the young black girl with amazing curly hair. If you remember all the comments at the time were that the image was just too over exposed. This seems to be the norm but I think you could hold back a little on the exposure and add what you want in PP when you edit the clients selection.

Obviously mine is only an opinion and everyone has their own. I just think they could be better than the excellent they already are.....
 
The23rdman said:
Uncalibrated looks a lot warmer on mine too, Gary. The far right version has the best whites.
Click to expand...

The far right is too blue - skin tones green and blue values are the same.
 
EOS_JD said:
Gary does my small edit really look much darker? I thought the colour was better. My view is you are looking at this the wrong way. Your starting point should be a well exposed image with good skin tones and correct colour.You don't quite have that at the moment as you are over exposing your image.

I appreciate though you like the brighter images. Don't get me wrong the way I edited your image is not how I would send to a client. I too like bright images. But maybe not as bright as you do.....

Perhaps it's all just don to personal taste but I remember the fabulous image you took of the young black girl with amazing curly hair. If you remember all the comments at the time were that the image was just too over exposed. This seems to be the norm but I think you could hold back a little on the exposure and add what you want in PP when you edit the clients selection.

Obviously mine is only an opinion and everyone has their own. I just think they could be better than the excellent they already are.....
Click to expand...

I'm keen to get it right, but my own dilemma I think is simply trying to get it the way I want it in camera, which means if I do want it brighter than would be considered a mid exposure, I will technically have to over expose. I am 100% grateful to you though for pointing it out, as I had the blinkers on the last few weeks. I moved my lights in the studio and introduced a forth light and merely relied on what I perceived to be nice bright images. As a direct result of your posts, I am now back to obsessing - trying to solve the last few remaining problems. I just wish I could do it in cam! :D

G.
 
Gary really glad I'm making you think about it. I suppose if you want to over expose that's fine and use of the light meter will allow you to control that additional exposure you want.

I'm a learner too when it comes to this. The theory is all inmy head and when it comes to applying that theory it all goes t!ts up!!

If I was your client, I'd like to see a nice properly exposed image and then let you add an action or tweak to make your image how you want it. Takes the same amount of time to add .25 stop as it does to add 1 stop in PP :) Just one click in an action or droplet.

Hope I've helped in any small way mate - and I will at some time drop by for that coffee :)

EDIT : Actually it will be for a diet Irn Bru as I don't drink tea or coffee lol
 
The23rdman said:
That just shows I need to calibrate. :D
Click to expand...

i didn't want to spend money on a daft calibration meter that didn't show me something I didn't already see! Now I think it's fabulous - even with a hint of colour blindness i see differences. I do use the colour picker a lot to check RGB values and looking at the colour histogram and am seeing the colour casts there more than in the images themselves.

I still make mistakes. Am prone to missing small casts in images like eyes too red and things klike that but so long as i take care I'm seeing that before I used to now.

If you work with imagesm, calibration is not a choice - it's a muust have item in my book. My laptop is totally changed too!
 
shame you could not save mutiple calibrations into 1 as in blending mode in photoshop

uncalibrated. looks ok for me but jeans shadows look to dark skin little yellow red

cal 1. looks to light above the jeans but shadows look good and jeans look good

aggressive. jeans shadows to dark colour cast of green in them top half looks tad to light also a red cast to skin

as viewed on calibrated 22" by spyder pro II
 
Last edited:
Colour management makes my head hurt, whenever I get annoyed with B&W film I just think about colour management and how I can't get to grips with it like you boys and suddenly everything is calm again.
 
EOS_JD said:
i didn't want to spend money on a daft calibration meter that didn't show me something I didn't already see! Now I think it's fabulous - even with a hint of colour blindness i see differences. I do use the colour picker a lot to check RGB values and looking at the colour histogram and am seeing the colour casts there more than in the images themselves.

I still make mistakes. Am prone to missing small casts in images like eyes too red and things klike that but so long as i take care I'm seeing that before I used to now.

If you work with imagesm, calibration is not a choice - it's a muust have item in my book. My laptop is totally changed too!
Click to expand...

It's on its way.:)
 
EOS_JD said:
If you work with images, calibration is not a choice - it's a must have item in my book.
Click to expand...

Absolutely 100% agree. How on earth anyone can sell an image edited on an uncalibrated monitor is beyond me. How do you know that the colours you see on your screen are accurate? When you edit an image so you are happy with it, and then you send it to be printed, and you get back something which bears little resemblance to the image you were expecting...well, doesn't that drive you insane?
 
Hi - Ive been looking for info on calibrating my monitor as Im pretty sure what I see on the screen is WAY off to what i get in print, even though Im happy with my prints. I feel though I should be taking things a step further and calibrating so here i found this thread. Can I ask though I have found Spyder 3 Elite, Spyder 3 Pro & Eye-One. Do they all do the same job or would you recommend one over the other. Bearing in mind I am really rubbish with computer technology but fine with PS & LR, anything else just baffles me. Is it really technical setting up the calibration or should I have someone do it for me to make sure Im doing it correct? Also, would calibration make a difference on my laptop? I dont edit on it but I like to look at my photos often when Im mobile. Also my editing station is a Dell set up I bought new 5 years ago, is this fine for calibration or would it be troublesome - after reading the replies earlier on in this thread? Sorry for all the questions but I really am needing to calibrate but terrified I muck up the installation process. Cheers Jen
 
I've got an eye one Jen and it's easy peasy. :)

Some of them do different jobs though so it is worth spending some time investigating the features and getting the one best suited to you.

There is one of the eye one models that allows you to sample colours. Now that might seem a bit daft but if you were trying to match a border round a print to someone's interior decor then that could actually prove to be very useful :)

My little eye one gets dangled over the screen and hit one button and it measures, recalibrates and just asks if I want to accept. Job done and it reminds me every 30 days :)
 
He Spyder 3 I think is similar although not sure what's quiker.... Some allow you to calibrae a multi monitor setup - I have a dual monitor setup and can install profiles for each. THe Syder3 Pro only allows one profile to be use although thee are other ways around that.

I actually fancy the Eye One!
 
Gary I have to ask, what colour is the cushion he is sitting on ?

I ask because it appears a different shade in every pic posted. In no1 it appears almost grey then goes bluer as you go across. If it is greyish and not blue in real life then your uncalibrated one would appear to be closer, at least on my monitor. :)
 
OlyPaul said:
Gary I have to ask, what colour is the cushion he is sitting on ?

I ask because it appears a different shade in every pic posted. In no1 it appears almost grey then goes bluer as you go across. If it is greyish and not blue in real life then your uncalibrated one would appear to be closer, at least on my monitor. :)
Click to expand...

THat's a shadow of his blue jeans on the perspex floor you see :)
 
This is all looking very different now my screen is calibrated. Like you, Gary, I simply cannot believe how warm my screen looks. My monos look like mud!
 
AliB said:
I've got an eye one Jen and it's easy peasy. :)

Some of them do different jobs though so it is worth spending some time investigating the features and getting the one best suited to you.

There is one of the eye one models that allows you to sample colours. Now that might seem a bit daft but if you were trying to match a border round a print to someone's interior decor then that could actually prove to be very useful :)

My little eye one gets dangled over the screen and hit one button and it measures, recalibrates and just asks if I want to accept. Job done and it reminds me every 30 days :)
Click to expand...

Thanks Ali - this was recommended on another forum too which was why i asked. I will certainly have a look at them all and do a bit of research.(y)

EOS_JD said:
He Spyder 3 I think is similar although not sure what's quiker.... Some allow you to calibrae a multi monitor setup - I have a dual monitor setup and can install profiles for each. THe Syder3 Pro only allows one profile to be use although thee are other ways around that.

I actually fancy the Eye One!
Click to expand...

Thanks EOS - You seem to know your calibration stuff from what im reading here. What is it about the Eye One that you like....just out of interest.?
 
I just wonder if it might calibrate one of my monitors better? The Spyder is great with my main monitor but I can't get a decent calibraion of my cheaper one..... Nothing too technical in my reasoning Jen. I don'tknow that much about colour management at all! Just read a few things and because I've a slight red/green colour blindness, I've taken to getting things right more so I don't need to rely on my eyes.

The colour picker in Ps is my friend.
 
bit late on this one but i use the spyder 3 pro and the aggressive edit looks just fine to me...simple to use and it also has the reminder to prompt you

one thing i would say is that monitors should have been on for a minimum of 30 mins before calibration to allow it to get up to working temperature
 
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