How to tell if spyder 4 calibrator is working?

I'm using a spyder 4 express with dispcalgui and argyll on Dell U2410 and U2412m monitors. Running win 7 ultimate, and all software is the latest version.

I'm been getting some terrible calibrations results so I decided to reset both monitors to defaults with the u2410 set to the srgb preset. Then I took uncalibrated measurements.

I got
For the U2410 I get:
Uncalibrated response:
Black level = 1.19 cd/m^2
White level = 217.92 cd/m^2
Aprox. gamma = 1.99
Contrast ratio = 183:1
White chromaticity coordinates 0.3303, 0.3293
White Correlated Color Temperature = 5597K, DE 2K to locus = 7.1
White Correlated Daylight Temperature = 5597K, DE 2K to locus = 10.5
White Visual Color Temperature = 5821K, DE 2K to locus = 6.8
White Visual Daylight Temperature = 5976K, DE 2K to locus = 10.1
Effective LUT entry depth seems to be 8 bits

For the U2412m I get:
Uncalibrated response:
Black level = 1.18 cd/m^2
White level = 254.47 cd/m^2
Aprox. gamma = 2.18
Contrast ratio = 215:1
White chromaticity coordinates 0.3067, 0.3178
White Correlated Color Temperature = 6963K, DE 2K to locus = 0.8
White Correlated Daylight Temperature = 6967K, DE 2K to locus = 3.9
White Visual Color Temperature = 6929K, DE 2K to locus = 0.8
White Visual Daylight Temperature = 7153K, DE 2K to locus = 3.7
Effective LUT entry depth seems to be 10 bits

The black level seems to be totally wrong. I posted this on the displcalgui forums, but that forum is mainly for the software bugs.

Does anybody else here happen to use this combo? Am I doing something wrong?
I warmed up both monitors for a hour and left the calibrator on the screen to get warmed up too.

Why are you using dispcalgui and argyll? Just use the Spyder software.

well it's the spyder4 express so the included software is somewhat limiting, and it doesn't support two monitors.

though I'm going to try it and see if works better.

Express works fine for me, and I like that it's pretty much automatic. If you have two monitors just consider one calibrated, one not, if that works for you. If not then just upgrade the software to pro.

tim wrote in post #14697945
Express works fine for me, and I like that it's pretty much automatic. If you have two monitors just consider one calibrated, one not, if that works for you. If not then just upgrade the software to pro.

If you are going to calibrate two monitors and want a "colour match" then you will need to get the Spyder4 Elite version. The Pro version will calibrate two monitors, but it will not colour match them, so if all you need is to calibrate two monitors without a "colour match" then the Pro will do fine, otherwise you will need the Elite. HTH.
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WesternGuy

Getting two monitors to match is pretty tough, unless they're the same make/model/age, or so I hear.

tim wrote in post #14700414
Getting two monitors to match is pretty tough, unless they're the same make/model/age, or so I hear.

It can be, particularly if they are not the same "technology", e.g., if one is an IPS monitor and the other is a TN. If they are both IPS, then it depends a bit on how well they display the various colour spaces. You are right to some extent, in that it is a lot easier to colour match if they are the same make and model, but I don't think age is a factor unless it is a number of years apart. At least Mkggg has two Dell monitors, but the fact that they seem to have different sets of characteristics may make a studio match tricky, but will most likely provide a better match than just calibrating them separately, provided, of course, he needs both of them calibrated.
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WesternGuy

Mkggg wrote in post #14694292
The black level seems to be totally wrong.

Yeah, it should be about ten times lower.

What happens if you lower the backlighting?

Is the spyder connected straight to the computer (not via hub)?

I use Argyll/Displcal to calibrate my 2nd monitor. Does a fairly good job matching the cheap Acer TN to my Eizo. (within the screens limitations). Better then Monaco Optix does, using the DTP-94 puck. Takes more then an hour however, do the 2nd screen doesn't get calibrated all too often

René Damkot wrote in post #14700723
Yeah, it should be about ten times lower.

What happens if you lower the backlighting?

Is the spyder connected straight to the computer (not via hub)?

I use Argyll/Displcal to calibrate my 2nd monitor. Does a fairly good job matching the cheap Acer TN to my Eizo. (within the screens limitations). Better then Monaco Optix does, using the DTP-94 puck. Takes more then an hour however, do the 2nd screen doesn't get calibrated all too often

Nothing really changes. It drops by like .2. For awhile I thought this was a different measurement type vs the values others are getting, but that doesn't make any sense.
During calibration for 120 cd/m² brightness, I have to lower both monitor brightness levels to ~10. Every calibration report on the net I found has it going from 20-35. None going down to ~10 for 120cd/m².

Yep, I connected it straight to a usb port on the back of my desktop.

I'm not trying to really match the two monitors, just get one calibrated as my main, and try to get the other one close. But even calibrating each one seperately, I get really really poor results. The u2410 is very very cool, everything is blue tinted. The u2412 is better but it lacks contrast. The blacks are grey.

From looking at the black level it looks like the calibrator is bad. But being so far off I kinda thought I screwed up.

WesternGuy wrote in post #14700438
It can be, particularly if they are not the same "technology", e.g., if one is an IPS monitor and the other is a TN. If they are both IPS, then it depends a bit on how well they display the various colour spaces. You are right to some extent, in that it is a lot easier to colour match if they are the same make and model, but I don't think age is a factor unless it is a number of years apart. At least Mkggg has two Dell monitors, but the fact that they seem to have different sets of characteristics may make a studio match tricky, but will most likely provide a better match than just calibrating them separately, provided, of course, he needs both of them calibrated.
_______________
WesternGuy

yea, I just really need one to be right, and the other to be kinda close.

Both are ips monitors. The u2410 is a "10-bit" h-ips ccfl backlit that goes into the adobe rgb, while the u2412 is a srgb monitor e-ips with led backlighting.

Mkggg wrote in post #14701018
Nothing really changes. It drops by like .2. For awhile I thought this was a different measurement type vs the values others are getting, but that doesn't make any sense.
During calibration for 120 cd/m² brightness, I have to lower both monitor brightness levels to ~10. Every calibration report on the net I found has it going from 20-35. None going down to ~10 for 120cd/m².

Yep, I connected it straight to a usb port on the back of my desktop.

I'm not trying to really match the two monitors, just get one calibrated as my main, and try to get the other one close. But even calibrating each one seperately, I get really really poor results. The u2410 is very very cool, everything is blue tinted. The u2412 is better but it lacks contrast. The blacks are grey.

From looking at the black level it looks like the calibrator is bad. But being so far off I kinda thought I screwed up.

I had to lower the brightness to close to 10% for my Dell eIPS monitor when it was new and it was still a tiny bit bit too bright. Your contrast ratio looks ok but the black level and luminance are way too high.

When you try 10-12% brightness what does that calibrator show for luminance? Does the black level also reduce to something more reasonable? For a luminance of 110 cd/m^2 the black level should be around 0.45 cd/m^2.

well, I found the problem. The sypder4 express that I have is defective.
The replacement is giving me much better black levels, and everything looks better. Heck, the two monitors are close to being dead on calibrated to each other.

yep, with the new calibrator I'm getting roughly 0.4 for the black level with luminance at 120. Probably going to lower that once I get my test prints back.

Mkggg wrote in post #14730565
well, I found the problem. The sypder4 express that I have is defective.
The replacement is giving me much better black levels, and everything looks better. Heck, the two monitors are close to being dead on calibrated to each other.

yep, with the new calibrator I'm getting roughly 0.4 for the black level with luminance at 120. Probably going to lower that once I get my test prints back.

120 should be close depending on how bright your workspace is. Mine runs between 15 and 32 Lux, so targeting a luminance of 110 cd/m^2 seems good for me.

My NEC is currently calibrated at 109.5 luminance and 0.46 black point for a contrast ratio of 237:1. I was at around 320 for contrast ratio but it bothered me to see a huge drop in contrast when I soft proofed so I went for a ratio that was closer to lustre prints (200 to 250).

Wish I knew why the contrast ratio target for my NEC Spectraview II seems to only be a suggestion If I target 250 it calibrates to 185 ... when I target 350 it calibrates to 237 (which is about what I want). Luminance is always close to spot on and my Delta E is 0.18, which is very good.