Good Calibration hardware + software?

[Concorde Rules]

Im looking to buy a calibrator for my Mac Pro and Macbook Pro and I was wondering which is best for sub £100?

If its hugely worth it then more up and over £100 is ok.

Recommendations? (Don't mind second hand!)

Cheers

[ChasP505]

Recommendations? (Don't mind second hand!)

Search for a lightly used EyeOne Display 2, Spyder3 Elite, or Monaco Optix XR Pro. I bought my Spyder3 Elite used and saved about 40%.

[Concorde Rules]

Found a EyeOne Display 2 for £75, £140 new...

Spyder3 Pro is £89 new, why is the elite so much better? (Im not that hard core user, I'd just like my screens to be slightly better calibrated than they are now :p)

[René Damkot]

I wonder whether the Monaco Optix XR Pro software will work under a newer OSX?

I use it on 10.4.11 and I think it will run on 10.5. Not sure about 10.6 though.

It's a pretty decent calibrator though. As is the iOneDisplay2.

[ChasP505]

Found a EyeOne Display 2 for £75, £140 new...

Grab it!

Spyder3 Pro is £89 new, why is the elite so much better?

Because the Elite version competes feature for feature with the EyeOne Display 2. The so-called "Pro" version software lacks certain desirable features, like being able to specify a custom target luminance value.

[Concorde Rules]

Ok got a Eye-One Display 2 for £90 in the end :)

However now im confused by the color temperature I want to head for?

6500K looks incredibly blue (but according to the checker the best dE value of a tad over 1 but the native of about 6k is more out, about dE of 1.2 but looks much more natural.

As a photographer who wants to print and post on the net going for native or 6500k or what?

Cheers!

[ChasP505]

6500K looks incredibly blue (but according to the checker the best dE value of a tad over 1 but the native of about 6k is more out, about dE of 1.2 but looks much more natural.

As a photographer who wants to print and post on the net going for native or 6500k or what?

On a laptop, whether Mac or PC, I'd stay with the Native setting and not worry so much about the dE. The proof will be in whether your prints match the display. Make sure you do the calibration in a dim room with no light projected onto the screen. Allow the screen to warm up for at least 30 minutes.

[RDKirk]

Ok got a Eye-One Display 2 for £90 in the end :)

However now im confused by the color temperature I want to head for?

6500K looks incredibly blue (but according to the checker the best dE value of a tad over 1 but the native of about 6k is more out, about dE of 1.2 but looks much more natural.

As a photographer who wants to print and post on the net going for native or 6500k or what?

Cheers!

If you're using a good printing lab, they can tell you what setting to use for their printing processes.

[Concorde Rules]

On a laptop, whether Mac or PC, I'd stay with the Native setting and not worry so much about the dE. The proof will be in whether your prints match the display. Make sure you do the calibration in a dim room with no light projected onto the screen. Allow the screen to warm up for at least 30 minutes.

LED Based Macbook Pro was my test subject in a dark room.

Got the Luminance to 122.2 and black to 0.19.

So happy there atleast!

[ChasP505]

...Got the Luminance to 122.2 and black to 0.19...

Important to not force the Brightness all the way to 0 to achieve a target luminance. If the display is at say 140cd/m2 at 5-10% Brightness, I'd live with it. And don't force the Black point either. Just let it fall where it falls relative to the white luminance, as long as the ratio of white to black is at least 400:1.

120 / 400 = .30.

[Concorde Rules]

Important to not force the Brightness all the way to 0 to achieve a target luminance. If the display is at say 140cd/m2 at 5-10% Brightness, I'd live with it. And don't force the Black point either. Just let it fall where it falls relative to the white luminance, as long as the ratio of white to black is at least 400:1.

120 / 400 = .30.

Ohhhh ok.

Yes when I was calibrating my 24" here it said 120 cd/m2 was the recommended value for a LCD.

I might up that again, although it looks very nice and conformable at 120 cd/m2.

6500k and 2.2 gamma.

Am I wrong in thinking that paper white should equal screen white?

White has a tint to it at 6500K... maybe its the screen *shrug*

[ChasP505]

Am I wrong in thinking that paper white should equal screen white?

The important thing is how your prints match the screen when viewed under appropriate lighting.

White has a tint to it at 6500K... maybe its the screen *shrug*

Maybe you should try Native...