Monitor calibration - Brightness & Contrast

zedbra

zedbra

Messages
219
Name
Geoff
Edit My Images
No
Hi everyone. After replacing my graphics card, I've noticed how all my previously edited photos lack contrast. I've taken a long time accurately adjusting them when using my last graphics card, so it's frustrating that now I know I may have got them all wrong. I've opted not to buy a calibration device like the Spyder in the past, as I thought I could do a good enough job using my eye and the various websites with reference photos. I guess I was wrong!

I've been researching the Spyder3 and for what it does it seems very expensive, so I want to just go with the cheapest express version. Some people say that's good enough, others insist that you must buy the most expensive Elite version if you're serious. Well I am serious as I try to sell my images (just sold my first one on Alamy by the way! Yipppeee!). However, from what people are saying about the Spyder, it only calibrates for colour but won't help you set brightness and contrast. It seems to give you guidance by displaying various bars and tells you to adjust your monitor so the right bars are displayed correctly, just visible, or whatever. Well I've done similar tests using several different websites and also some software, but I could choose almost any brightness and contrast setting and still get these bars to display as the instructions say! For example, you're often supposed to set things such that you can see the difference between the background and darkest spot, but still see the difference between all the other spots. Well ALMOST any setting does that for me! So what I've done in the past is a mixture of doing my best with that, plus looking at reference photos and adjusting things so it looks the best possible.

So this is more of a problem with me than the colouring is, so I wonder if the Spyder is really what I want? If I'm going to end up having no clue what the correct brightness and contrast should be, I'll be no better off.

I know that either the Elite version of Spyder (maybe the Pro too) lets you adjust for luminosity, whereas the Express doesn't. I'm not sure what the difference is between luminosity and brightness, but could that be what I need in order to get the brightness and contrast correctly set? I know there are other monitor calibrators on the market but the Spyder seems most talked about, which is why I've only investigated that so far.

Any thoughts/suggestions/opinions will be very much appreciated!
 
Elli said:
I recently got a Sypder 3 pro from here, http://www.morrisphoto.co.uk/ProductDetails~productID~7573~categoryid~272.html best price I could find. It doesn't sort luminosity but the difference it has made to my images is unbelievable. Have just had some prints back and they are a perfect match both in colour and brightness.
Click to expand...

Thanks for that Elli. I agree about the price, it's the best I've found too for the pro.

How did it go about sorting out the brightness and contrast? Did you have to do it by eye using the black and white bars before it did it's calibration thing? Or didn't it mention that side of things when you used it?
 
I did it with the bars, but the colour still looks 'right' with both bright and dull levels. If that makes sense? I've mentioned it on another post already, but I found that I had to download the software from the site even though it came on CD. The CD version just made my screen very green tinted.
Very happy with it now though and would never look back!
 
Second here for the Spyder 3 Pro. I use one on my iMac and I print using DSCL using their own print profiles.

The prints have always come back looking exactly as I see them on the screen.

I think I paid around £80.00 and it was well worth it.
 
As far as I am aware the hardware that is supplied is the same regardless which Spyder package you buy. It is the software that is different, eg Spyder Elite will support multiple profiles and hence monitors whereas the basic one will only do one. Also I believe the license is for more seats as you go up the product range.

I have used the Spyder for a couple of years and the difference it makes is significant. Recommend it.
 
Spyder lover here too.

Got mine from Morris Photo via Amazon as they are listed on Amazon too. The price was also a little bit more attractive. However the disc was faulty when it arrived and Morris Photo arranged for a swap out the very next day. Their service is truly first class.


Cheers all

a010.gif


H
a035.gif
 
Ive just bought a spyder3 elite.

The results on my new monitor are great, but the other one and my laptop still have a conisderable difference., I dont know if this is down to the screens or if Ive not set something right.

The new monitor is an IPS, and the laptop and other screen are TN, so maybe that makes a difference for calibrating. The laptop has a distinct green hue, and the 2nd PC monitor a blue hue. My iMac wouldnt let me do it as the serial wouldnt work on it for some reason.

Oh, 2 screens on 1 PC are the future, awesome having so much space to play with!!
 
TCR4x4 said:
Ive just bought a spyder3 elite.

The results on my new monitor are great, but the other one and my laptop still have a conisderable difference., I dont know if this is down to the screens or if Ive not set something right.

The new monitor is an IPS, and the laptop and other screen are TN, so maybe that makes a difference for calibrating. The laptop has a distinct green hue, and the 2nd PC monitor a blue hue. My iMac wouldnt let me do it as the serial wouldnt work on it for some reason.

Oh, 2 screens on 1 PC are the future, awesome having so much space to play with!!
Click to expand...



Some laptops are very difficult to calibrate effectively.
 
Last edited:
Oh wow lots of replies! A big thank you to all of you for taking the time to recommend the Spyder3 to me, and to answer my queries on it. I'm still a little unsure about some details of the brightness and contrast, to be honest, but from what you are all saying it'll be a big improvement anyway. So I'll trust that and, after reading other forums on the subject too, will go for the Spyder3 Pro version. I'll have to wait a week or so to get the money tho!

Thanks again, you've been a big help.
 
I would've said x-rite colormunki over spyder anyday. That said if you get the spyder pro I believe you can upgrade the software to the Elite version which would give luminosity settings which the pro lacks.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top