# Calibrating monitor for photo editing



## ifi (Jun 30, 2010)

I've been searching online for a while on this and found more than one ways to calibrate a display for colors. 

All of the displays I use are LCDs, some laptops and some desktops. Operating systems in use are Windows 7, XP and Linux (Fedora). Screen sizes are from 12" to 24".

What do you guys use or recommend?

EDIT: I would like to get something that works and is not overpriced per  your standards.


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## tirediron (Jun 30, 2010)

Not really sure what "a lot" is to you in terms of money, but the only really satisfactory way to calibrate your monitor is with a colourometer; I use the Spyder II Pro; I believe they're on the 3 series now.


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## ifi (Jun 30, 2010)

tirediron said:


> Not really sure what "a lot" is to you in terms of money, but the only really satisfactory way to calibrate your monitor is with a colourometer; I use the Spyder II Pro; I believe they're on the 3 series now.



Thanks for the response. I've rephrased my question.

Does Spyder II Pro works for you and can it manage brightness as well?


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## KmH (Jun 30, 2010)

I use the i1 Display 2 colorimeter from X-Rite, and it has a feature to measure the ambient light the monitor is exposed to, so it is setting the monitor brightness to an optimum value.

X-Rite - i1Display 2 Colorimeter Monitor Profile - EODIS2 - B&H

There are different kinds of monitor display technologies, some more profileable than others.

The least expensive desk top monitors, as well as most laptops, use a Twisted Nematic (TN) display. TN displays have the narrowest range of useable viewing angles for photo editing. Outside those limited angles you are not seeing a true representation of your image.

IPS, or In-Plane Switching type displays allow the broadest range of viewing angles and are considered the most desireable type of monitot to use for image editing.

PVA, or Patterned Vertical Alignment displays are less desireable but do offer the best black depth of the LCD monitor types.

I's also very helpful if you know the specs of your computers video card.

In the days of film, you could send a roll in, and the techs would handle everything like color correction, sharpening, and so forth for you.

In today's digital environment the photographer has to know a lot about computers and their peripheral systems, file mangement, color management, and other technical aspects not directly related to photography.

One last note: if you do your own printing, you also need to profile the printer and that requires a spectrophotometer instead of just a colorimeter, but a spectrophotometer can also be used to profile a monitor.

X-Rite - ColorMunki Photo Color Management Solution - CMUNPH -


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## SwiftTone (Jun 30, 2010)

I've been looking into calibrating my monitor with something like the Spyder. However I can justify the cost of it when I only have one monitor. I know Adorama rents out the equipment, but I can seem to find someone local that rents it out.


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## ifi (Jun 30, 2010)

KmH said:


> .............One last note: if you do your own printing, you also need to profile the printer and that requires a spectrophotometer instead of just a colorimeter, but a spectrophotometer can also be used to profile a monitor.
> 
> X-Rite - ColorMunki Photo Color Management Solution - CMUNPH -



Thank you for the links and very useful information. Seems like X-Rite is a better brand.

I do print at home some times using Canon Pixma Pro 9000 II, for myself and at times give prints to friends as gift. I am not sure if it requires calibration.


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## sovietdoc (Jun 30, 2010)

I have Spyder 2 Pro and though I paid 200 bucks for it originally, it's worth the price.  After all, it's just one of those things you buy once in a lifetime.


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## KmH (Jun 30, 2010)

sovietdoc said:


> I have Spyder 2 Pro and though I paid 200 bucks for it originally, it's worth the price. After all, it's just one of those things you buy once in a lifetime.


You wish!


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## sovietdoc (Jun 30, 2010)

Why's that?


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## table1349 (Jun 30, 2010)

Because the Spyder II doesn't measure ambient light.  The Spyder III does.  Helpful feature for lots of folks.  Kind of like camera bodies.  At some point an upgrade is desired/needed.


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## sovietdoc (Jun 30, 2010)

When I calibrate it does ask for if I wanna calibrate with ambient light compensation or without.  Is that something different from what you people are talking about?


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## Village Idiot (Jul 1, 2010)

sovietdoc said:


> When I calibrate it does ask for if I wanna calibrate with ambient light compensation or without. Is that something different from what you people are talking about?


 
I think the Spyder III actively calibrates for ambient, so you leave it on your desk and as the light adjust, it adjust the calibration.


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## ifi (Jul 1, 2010)

Village Idiot said:


> sovietdoc said:
> 
> 
> > When I calibrate it does ask for if I wanna calibrate with ambient light compensation or without. Is that something different from what you people are talking about?
> ...



There are multiple versions of Spyder III


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## pbelarge (Jul 1, 2010)

ifi said:


> Village Idiot said:
> 
> 
> > There are multiple versions of Spyder III
> ...


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## ifi (Jul 1, 2010)

pbelarge said:


> ifi said:
> 
> 
> > Village Idiot said:
> ...


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