Monitor Calibrating tool

[prdtr101]

Hey guys, I have a samsung 226bw and a samsung F2380.
i am also getting a wacom cintiq, either the 12 or the 21.
I am in school for video game art and design so i dont only have those for games.
I was thinking of getting a monitor calibrating tool and dont think i saw any threads on it. I saw some on amazon under $100

http://www.amazon.com/Datacolor-DC-...55LC/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1287502220&sr=8-2

http://www.amazon.com/Pantone-MEU113-huey-Pro/dp/B000OFC1YY/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1287502220&sr=8-3

so what do you guys recommend, im not looking to spend too much but i need something so i can use for years. thanks you.l

 

[WaTaGuMp]

Hey guys, I have a samsung 226bw and a samsung F2380.
i am also getting a wacom cintiq, either the 12 or the 21.
I am in school for video game art and design so i dont only have those for games.
I was thinking of getting a monitor calibrating tool and dont think i saw any threads on it. I saw some on amazon under $100

http://www.amazon.com/Datacolor-DC-...55LC/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1287502220&sr=8-2

http://www.amazon.com/Pantone-MEU113-huey-Pro/dp/B000OFC1YY/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1287502220&sr=8-3

so what do you guys recommend, im not looking to spend too much but i need something so i can use for years. thanks you.l

I bought the Spyder 3 Express and its great.

 

[Elledan]

Avoid the Spyder. It's sub-par. For about the same price you can get the X-rite i1Display2 and use either the provided software which is fine for calibrating or use other software with it if you want to get more detailed calibration results or so. The iD2 is the best sensor you can get unless you move into the 'very pricey' range of colorimeters

 

[DarkCloud]

I got the Spyder 3 Express yesterday for my samsung t260hd I have to say for the money I am very happy. This is the first one I have used/bought and it was quick and easy and made a huge difference in color!

 

[prdtr101]

the X-rite i1Display2 seems like a nice choice but its almost 2x the price of Spyder 3 Express...so ill probably go with the Spyder 3 Express. Thank you everybody

 

[Elledan]

the X-rite i1Display2 seems like a nice choice but its almost 2x the price of Spyder 3 Express...so ill probably go with the Spyder 3 Express. Thank you everybody

It's also more than a 2x decrease in quality of the sensor. The S3 Express is the Spyder 2 in new packaging and is mediocre to say the least. It will give you better results than an uncalibrated screen, but that's all you can say about it.

For the much more expensive Spyder 3 Elite: http://www.tftcentral.co.uk/reviews/spyder3elite.htm

Only moderate colour accuracy after calibration

http://www.tftcentral.co.uk/reviews/eye_one_display2.htm

Obviously the device itself is capable of some high end results and so buying the i1 Display 2 (aka Eye-One Display 2) package is certainly a more cost effective way of getting the hardware colorimeter tool ($249 USD) than buying LaCie's Blue Eye Pro package ($369 USD). For users wanting some good calibration performance, and a more affordable price, the X-Rite device is certainly worth a look. For the purposes of our monitor reviews here, it is extremely useful for us to have test and report functionality of LaCie's software, and DeltaE results are very handy. This is the only main thing missing from X-Rite's software package and as such, it is not as useful for a reviewer or someone wanting to verify the calibration results. You could always consider purchasing the device at X-Rite's reasonable price, and then pairing it with alternative software from another provider. This is one option, but for many, the packaged Eye-One Match software will suffice.

So you get an awesome colorimeter with the i1D2, can later pair it with the LaCie software if you need more features, but even with the provided software it's already very accurate. What more do you want?

Of course, I do use my monitors for professional graphics purposes, so it's essential for me to have the best possible colour accuracy. If your needs aren't as stringent it probably won't really matter that much.

I got my i1D2 for around 100 Euro.