GFY Photography & Video Producers - Favorite Monitor Calibration Tools

[AmeliaG]

Here is a question for all of you who work with processing photographs and/or video:

What are your favorite monitor calibration tools?

Do you use any special hardware or software or do you just go to one of those sites with a black/gray/white spectrum on the page and fiddle with your knobs and switches?

[iwantchixx]

Originally Posted by AmeliaG

Here is a question for all of you who work with processing photographs and/or video:

What are your favorite monitor calibration tools?

Do you use any special hardware or software or do you just go to one of those sites with a black/gray/white spectrum on the page and fiddle with your knobs and switches?

I'm just using an Xrite ColorMunki Display (Lite)
It's a good machine but it lacks ambient light sensors and profile selection between day/night uses. it also doesnt do white-ballance so when possible, one of our main producers uses a white-balance card and I just let Lightroom do the magic. Another main producer already corrects his finished work, which is nice, but its still smart to keep my monitors calibrated so when I output, they stay as accurate as possible.

If you get one, get one of the higher-end Xrites so it does All the calibrations.

Edit: Before getting the tool, I was using those web-based sliders, too, the difference once using an xrite was night and day.. those tools are kinda useless considering your monitor needs to be already tuned for the full effect

[nickey1952]

If your a good shooter none of that matters. light it properly and shoot it right..

[marcop]

I use the X-Rite iProfiler every two weeks to calibrate my monitors, and the ColorChecker Passport on every shoot for white balance and a color target. Here's a link: http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/produc...orChecker.html

[marcop]

Originally Posted by nickey1952

If your a good shooter none of that matters. light it properly and shoot it right..

I beg to differ, Nick. Now digital imaging technology has matured it makes life so much easier to have profiled and calibrated hardware.

[AmeliaG]

Originally Posted by marcop

I use the X-Rite iProfiler every two weeks to calibrate my monitors, and the ColorChecker Passport on every shoot for white balance and a color target. Here's a link: http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/produc...orChecker.html

Interesting that B&H has it for less than Amazon

[AmeliaG]

Originally Posted by iwantchixx

I'm just using an Xrite ColorMunki Display (Lite)
It's a good machine but it lacks ambient light sensors and profile selection between day/night uses. it also doesnt do white-ballance so when possible, one of our main producers uses a white-balance card and I just let Lightroom do the magic. Another main producer already corrects his finished work, which is nice, but its still smart to keep my monitors calibrated so when I output, they stay as accurate as possible.

If you get one, get one of the higher-end Xrites so it does All the calibrations.

Edit: Before getting the tool, I was using those web-based sliders, too, the difference once using an xrite was night and day.. those tools are kinda useless considering your monitor needs to be already tuned for the full effect

What difference do folks see between the Xrite Display and Display Pro? Like what calibrations does the Pro do that the regular does not?

[marcop]

Originally Posted by AmeliaG

Interesting that B&H has it for less than Amazon

In my experience, that's often the case with photographic equipment, film, etc.

[johnny o]

Originally Posted by nickey1952

If your a good shooter none of that matters. light it properly and shoot it right..

spoken like someone who's too much of a nOOb to use a monitor calibrating tool.

[Grapesoda]

Originally Posted by AmeliaG

Here is a question for all of you who work with processing photographs and/or video:

What are your favorite monitor calibration tools?

Do you use any special hardware or software or do you just go to one of those sites with a black/gray/white spectrum on the page and fiddle with your knobs and switches?

that's a pretty interesting subject... BECAUSE 99% of your customer base doesn't use calibration, so factory specs is the way to go... however this is a pretty good one from my experience http://spyder.datacolor.com/display-calibration/

[AmeliaG]

Originally Posted by johnny o

spoken like someone who's too much of a nOOb to use a monitor calibrating tool.

[Grapesoda]

Originally Posted by johnny o

spoken like someone who's too much of a nOOb to use a monitor calibrating tool.

like your profile pic?

[AmeliaG]

Originally Posted by Grapesoda

that's a pretty interesting subject... BECAUSE 99% of your customer base doesn't use calibration, so factory specs is the way to go... however this is a pretty good one from my experience http://spyder.datacolor.com/display-calibration/

For exactly the reason you mention, for web work, I always try to test on a fairly new low to mid-priced monitor. Over time, those factory specs shift. I can get an idea of beginning specs on what my users browse with, but not how old their monitor is or whether they have calibrated it since purchase.

For print, I find calibration is more crucial.

I had someone I worked with who would periodically use a Spyder on all my systems, but they moved away, and I found myself a little boggled by the choices of different Spyders and other brands.

[SGS]

Originally Posted by Grapesoda

that's a pretty interesting subject... BECAUSE 99% of your customer base doesn't use calibration, so factory specs is the way to go... however this is a pretty good one from my experience http://spyder.datacolor.com/display-calibration/

I use one of those and it works very well

[iwantchixx]

Originally Posted by AmeliaG

What difference do folks see between the Xrite Display and Display Pro? Like what calibrations does the Pro do that the regular does not?

The white balance and ambient light measurement.

[iwantchixx]

I believe some of the higher end versions also work on smartphones and have a color picker sensor.

[iwantchixx]

http://www.colormunki.com/product/sh...gner_type=true

i think that one would be fine for your purposes. It does color and white-balance. Ambient is nice but not necessary. The idea is, with different lighting in the room, it reflects off the monitor and alters colors, but if you always use the pc in room that has stable lighting.. no need for the extras. Just color and white balance are the important parts.

[JimmyStephans]

I use the ColorMunki model named "Display". Its a two year old model that they don't seem to offer these days. It has been a good tool. Easy, and I like the results better than the Color Eyes Display Pro I used previously.

[AaronM]

I've been using Pantone Huey Pro for several years. It seems to work fine. At the time, it was one of the few that worked with dual monitors.

[JustDaveXxx]

Originally Posted by iwantchixx

I'm just using an Xrite ColorMunki Display (Lite)
It's a good machine but it lacks ambient light sensors and profile selection between day/night uses. it also doesnt do white-ballance so when possible, one of our main producers uses a white-balance card and I just let Lightroom do the magic. Another main producer already corrects his finished work, which is nice, but its still smart to keep my monitors calibrated so when I output, they stay as accurate as possible.

If you get one, get one of the higher-end Xrites so it does All the calibrations.

Edit: Before getting the tool, I was using those web-based sliders, too, the difference once using an xrite was night and day.. those tools are kinda useless considering your monitor needs to be already tuned for the full effect

Good solid advice. You know what your talking about.

Originally Posted by nickey1952

If your a good shooter none of that matters. light it properly and shoot it right..

Yes to a point if your good and shoot JPG. But not if you shoot RAW and implement your own color profile as I do.

Originally Posted by marcop

I use the X-Rite iProfiler every two weeks to calibrate my monitors, and the ColorChecker Passport on every shoot for white balance and a color target. Here's a link: http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/produc...orChecker.html

Thats exactly what I do. You absolutely can't go wrong with that work flow.

Originally Posted by Grapesoda

that's a pretty interesting subject... BECAUSE 99% of your customer base doesn't use calibration, so factory specs is the way to go... however this is a pretty good one from my experience http://spyder.datacolor.com/display-calibration/

99% of my customer base may not have calibrated monitors, but also keep in mind that same customer base are not working with exact color profiles that need to be graded with extreme accuracy.


Look at it like this: When you shoot RAW, there is no color profile. You must make your own in post production.

So If your monitor is more blue than it would be calibrated, and you try and warm up a photo, when your clients get it; he is going to think that you suck as a photog. Why Because the pic is going to be way to orange. And that happened because you over compensated for the uncalibrated Blue you saw in the monitor.


It happen to me 9 years ago with a one client. And I have had good friends get fired because they made color corrections based on uncelebrated monitors.

I run two 27 inch monitors, they are both calibrated and look identical. But the settings that make them match are not the same. Why? Every monitor is different and they all shift with in a month to one color or another. Thats why they need to be calibrated regularly.


If you shoot jpg, white balance, and light very well; you don't have to sweat monitor color calibration. Why? When shooting jpg, you can choose to have your color profile baked into the file and when your done shooting, your done. Down side; 8 bit color, less room to fix if you fuck up.


If you shoot RAW, color calibrated monitors are absolutely key. If you do any color calibrating or video color grading on content, color calibration is imperative. Why? RAW has no color profile baked into it and you still need to run the pics through post. Thats the downside I guess. But the upside is with RAW, even if you royally fuck up with your lighting, over expose, under expose, etc, the information is still there and you can recover and fix mistakes in post.


One last thing: jpg is 8 bit color. 10 bit color is double the colors of 8 bit. 12 bit color is double the colors of 10 bit. 14 bit is double the colors of 12 bit. 16 bit is double the colors of 14 bit.



Good cameras that I and other high end shoots are using are 14 and 16 and higher. Why would you ever want to shoot jpg?


Keep in mind when you add color or do color grading of any type, you are taking away information from the file.



I know this is a lot of info, but i thought I would share a bit about what I know about color and monitor calibration.


If its for business and you make money with it, Buy the very best Xrite color calibrating system you can buy. don't chinch out! The cheaper ones need to be replaced every 3 years or so. The good ones last a long time.


Hope that helps. I know my stuff when it comes to color and monitor calibration. Would love to hear what Dean Capture has to add. I know he knows his shit! lol



Just Dave

[DeanCapture]

Originally Posted by JustDaveXxx

I know my stuff when it comes to color and monitor calibration.
Would love to hear what Dean Capture has to add.

I think you pretty much covered it brotha'

[Grapesoda]

Originally Posted by JustDaveXxx

Good solid advice. You know what your talking about.







Yes to a point if your good and shoot JPG. But not if you shoot RAW and implement your own color profile as I do.








Thats exactly what I do. You absolutely can't go wrong with that work flow.






99% of my customer base may not have calibrated monitors, but also keep in mind that same customer base are not working with exact color profiles that need to be graded with extreme accuracy.


Look at it like this: When you shoot RAW, there is no color profile. You must make your own in post production.

So If your monitor is more blue than it would be calibrated, and you try and warm up a photo, when your clients get it; he is going to think that you suck as a photog. Why Because the pic is going to be way to orange. And that happened because you over compensated for the uncalibrated Blue you saw in the monitor.


It happen to me 9 years ago with a one client. And I have had good friends get fired because they made color corrections based on uncelebrated monitors.

I run two 27 inch monitors, they are both calibrated and look identical. But the settings that make them match are not the same. Why? Every monitor is different and they all shift with in a month to one color or another. Thats why they need to be calibrated regularly.


If you shoot jpg, white balance, and light very well; you don't have to sweat monitor color calibration. Why? When shooting jpg, you can choose to have your color profile baked into the file and when your done shooting, your done. Down side; 8 bit color, less room to fix if you fuck up.


If you shoot RAW, color calibrated monitors are absolutely key. If you do any color calibrating or video color grading on content, color calibration is imperative. Why? RAW has no color profile baked into it and you still need to run the pics through post. Thats the downside I guess. But the upside is with RAW, even if you royally fuck up with your lighting, over expose, under expose, etc, the information is still there and you can recover and fix mistakes in post.


One last thing: jpg is 8 bit color. 10 bit color is double the colors of 8 bit. 12 bit color is double the colors of 10 bit. 14 bit is double the colors of 12 bit. 16 bit is double the colors of 14 bit.



Good cameras that I and other high end shoots are using are 14 and 16 and higher. Why would you ever want to shoot jpg?


Keep in mind when you add color or do color grading of any type, you are taking away information from the file.



I know this is a lot of info, but i thought I would share a bit about what I know about color and monitor calibration.


If its for business and you make money with it, Buy the very best Xrite color calibrating system you can buy. don't chinch out! The cheaper ones need to be replaced every 3 years or so. The good ones last a long time.


Hope that helps. I know my stuff when it comes to color and monitor calibration. Would love to hear what Dean Capture has to add. I know he knows his shit! lol



Just Dave

great stuff David, I shoot jpg and have 14 years of images/jpg's online to look at if I think things are going south.... btw I shoot jpg because it's internet content. dvd's are color graded by the dvd writers. not my department. I now what I'm doing