Calibrator recommendations.

Jim Everiss

Jim Everiss

Suspended / Banned
Messages
141
Name
James Everiss
Edit My Images
Yes
I have just ordered a new monitor Dell (U2415) and would like your recommendations as to the best calibrator I could get for no more than £120. Also, if anyone out there has already using the U2425 I would like to know if you have had any problems or found any foibles whilst using it.

On completely a different subject I would appreciate advice on RAW processing software. I have the full Adobe suite including photoshop but was wondering if I would perhaps benefit by buying Lightroom for initial process of the image. It seems to me that a great many of you go down this route and only use photoshop for final tuning on the image. I am a novice at processing I would add and am just starting to get into it so any advice is always appreciated. Thanks.
 
Last edited:
Lightroom uses the same RAW processing engine that is in Photoshop, however the user interface is far more user friendly and easier to use, plus there are a couple of controls in Lightroom that are not in Photoshop. If you are starting out I think Lightroom is the easier one to use. Download the trial from the adobe site and see what you think. Might be a good idea to view some of the video's that Adobe have produced on Lightroom first. You'll get more out of the trial.

As far as the screen calibration i concerned, I'll leave that up to others to comment on . I use the X-Rite i! device which is outside you budget, Although there are several good ones within your budget, but don't have any recent experience of them
 
For around £120 you could get a colormunki display, had one previously and found it very good - I now use the i1 display pro as I can h/w calibrate with that one.
 
I use the colormunki and it works very well. I have twin monitors (same make and model) and it matches them very well. I also have an HD TV which I use occasionally as a third monitor. It also calibrates that and although not exactly identical to the other two it does a far job of calibrating the three.

Not too expensive especially if you can find one second hand.
 
I use the xrite i1 display pro with my dell 2209 wa's and am happy with it compared to the spyder 3 pro I had before this.

It is a bit over your budget.
 
Chappers said:
Lightroom uses the same RAW processing engine that is in Photoshop, however the user interface is far more user friendly and easier to use, plus there are a couple of controls in Lightroom that are not in Photoshop.
Click to expand...

Do you mind telling us what those controls are? Thought Photoshop CC would have all the bells & whistles?
 
Thanks for everyone that has replied, much appreciated.

I am now looking at the Spyder4 pro or Colormonkey smile and wondered what your views are on those two ?
 
I use a spyder 4, and while it's decent at general calibration it's not perfect. It's better at calibrating gamma than it is colour.

For example, calibration between CCFL screens is reasonably consistent - skin tones tend to end up the same between screens. When it comes to LED backlit screens it's another story, and I've never managed to get it to calibrate my LED screen to match the CCFL skin tone wise, which makes me wonder which is actually the correct tone (as the Spyder is supposed to work with both).
 
Mad Badger said:
Do you mind telling us what those controls are? Thought Photoshop CC would have all the bells & whistles?
Click to expand...

I'm comparing Lightroom with CS5, and noticed that there were some differences between Photoshop and Lightroom. Can't remember what they were , but they were minor .Lightroom tended to get it's ACR engine upgraded before Photoshop, but that was probably due to the different upgrade cycle. However the CC model may have changed that.
 
Jim Everiss said:
Hi Brian, this is one that I am looking at but I heard somewhere that it may be a problem with a Dell Ultrasharp monitor ! Any views on this ?
Click to expand...
Before I bought the ColorMunki Display I was using the much simpler Pantone Huey calibrator, which I believe has now been discontinued.
The sensor on the Huey attaches to the screen with rubber suckers, and although it worked OK and seemed to calibrate OK, I was concerned about using it on my new Dell U2412M Ultrasharp monitor, so I got the ColorMunki to replace the Huey.
The sensor of the ColorMunki just rests against the monitor screen, so there's no possibility of marking the screen surface.
I'd already calibrated the new Dell screen with the Huey, and when I re-calibrated using the ColorMunki the changes were very small, insignificant I'd say.
The ColorMunki software goes through a lot more calibration steps and seems more thorough than the Pantone Huey did, although the end results seem very close.

So in answer to your concern, I have absolutely no problems using the ColorMunki with my Dell Ultrasharp U2412M.
 
I use a Spyder4Pro myself which is in this budget. A lot better than a Spyder3Express that I had before. I just need to get the same color on my prints than I see on my screen, and this work's so far when ordering prints online.
 
Thanks to everyone who took the trouble to answer my questions. It has been a great help and hopefully I am now decided which way to go.

:ty:
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top