Forums > Photography Talk > Monitor Color Calibration -- advice please

Photographer

DarioImpiniPhotography

Posts: 8756

Dallas, Texas, US

What are people using for color calibration these days?  Anyone bought anything for their monitor recently and are happy with it?  There seems to have been a significant shift in what's available since I last bought one several years ago.

Jul 04 21 12:23 pm Link

Photographer

WCR3

Posts: 1414

Houston, Texas, US

I'm interested in what others have to say.

I have an older X-Rite Colormunki. The software for it is no longer supported, but you can use software for the replacement, the i1Studio. I thought this was great when I had only one monitor. I would calibrate it, look at the before-and-after samples, and think I was well calibrated.

When I added a second monitor (both mine are Dells, not one of the higher end brands), I found that when I calibrated them one right after the other, they didn't look the same. Each looked OK on its own, but they didn't match. So which one is more accurate? I just don't know. I'll be interested to see what others are recommending, especially if they use two monitors.

Jul 04 21 01:06 pm Link

Photographer

DarioImpiniPhotography

Posts: 8756

Dallas, Texas, US

WCR3 wrote:
I'm interested in what others have to say.

I have an older X-Rite Colormunki. The software for it is no longer supported, but you can use software for the replacement, the i1Studio. I thought this was great when I had only one monitor. I would calibrate it, look at the before-and-after samples, and think I was well calibrated.

When I added a second monitor (both mine are Dells, not one of the higher end brands), I found that when I calibrated them one right after the other, they didn't look the same. Each looked OK on its own, but they didn't match. So which one is more accurate? I just don't know. I'll be interested to see what others are recommending, especially if they use two monitors.

Yeah that's what I have as well.  I've always been a little suspicious of it as when it calibrates the colors seem off to me but I assumed it was my own eyes that were suspect. 

But as I read commentary about the new i1 stuff, it's as you said -- the consistency is simply not there.  If the system is not consistent within itself, how can you possibly trust it?  That's precisely why I'm asking what people are using.  I'm unable to find a clear choice in the market at this point and am confused as to what people are doing about color. 

I'm being pressed into service to offer consulting guidance about a custom photography system for a commercial client and color consistency is important in this application, yet I'm not finding a strong contender for a supplier here.

Jul 04 21 01:44 pm Link

Photographer

Modelphilia

Posts: 1028

Hilo, Hawaii, US

*i1 Display Pro* seems to be the best in the medium price range. Works well, has many pro features (+ an EZ-mode) and is accurate.

Jul 04 21 03:45 pm Link

Photographer

DarioImpiniPhotography

Posts: 8756

Dallas, Texas, US

Modelphilia wrote:
*i1 Display Pro* seems to be the best in the medium price range. Works well, has many pro features (+ an EZ-mode) and is accurate.

Are you using it on a Windows OS and if so, which one?

Jul 04 21 05:31 pm Link

Photographer

Modelphilia

Posts: 1028

Hilo, Hawaii, US

DarioImpiniPhotography wrote:
Are you using it on a Windows OS and if so, which one?

No, I'm on a late-2019 iMac, Catalina OS. However,  I'd bet that the software runs equally well on Windows. I'm sure you could find reviews to tell you whatever you need to know about it.

Jul 05 21 05:30 pm Link

Photographer

Studio Allure

Posts: 2186

Columbus, Ohio, US

I have the i1Studio coming from the Colormunki. Had to upgrade since I couldn't get it to work on my M1 Air

Jul 08 21 05:52 pm Link

Clothing Designer

GRMACK

Posts: 5436

Bakersfield, California, US

Fwiw, x-rite sold off photo division to some investors and is now Calibrite.  https://calibrite.com/us/

I have several Spyders when I started and moved to x-rite as the Datacolor (Spyder) wasn't getting rave reviews on the Luminous Landscapes and Northern Lights sites.  The x-rite ColorChecker Passport seemed to be the better one for photographers too than the DataColor one.

If you ever get into printing, I'd look at the ones that can also read prints as well as your monitor, otherwise you pay twice.  Helps to bring the two into agreement too.  Something like the Colormunki Photo which is now superseded by the Calibrite ColorChecker Studio (Which also took a huge price hike since the takeover up to $569.).  So far, it seems the only thing happening is the new name change of the software and devices.

Jul 08 21 06:56 pm Link