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Thread: Colorvision vs. Gretag monitor calibration

  1. #1
    tim atherton's Avatar
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    Colorvision vs. Gretag monitor calibration

    What's the thoughts on Colorvision Spyder II vs the Gretag i1 Display 2?

    I've always used the Spyder, but it's time to upgrade and I thought I'd look at both

    thanks
    You'd be amazed how small the demand is for pictures of trees... - Fred Astaire to Audrey Hepburn

    www.photo-muse.blogspot.com blog

  2. #2
    Kirk Gittings's Avatar
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    Colorvision vs. Gretag monitor calibration

    The Greytag works great for me but I have nothing to comoare it to.
    Thanks,
    Kirk

    at age 73:
    "The woods are lovely, dark and deep,
    But I have promises to keep,
    And miles to go before I sleep,
    And miles to go before I sleep"

  3. #3

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    Colorvision vs. Gretag monitor calibration

    Question: how is it that so many people do very nicely, even publishers, without using a monitor calibration device?

  4. #4

    Colorvision vs. Gretag monitor calibration

    they pay for expensive hard copy proofs.

  5. #5
    tim atherton's Avatar
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    Colorvision vs. Gretag monitor calibration

    They have/had a closed loop system. Traditionally, colour was managed by standardising the capture and output devices and running test images through the workflow, which could then be compared with the original. Adjustments were made and the test redone. By this iterative process the colour could be reliably controlled within the ‘closed loop’ approach to colour management.

    Especially so when scanning, design and printing were/are all either done in house or on a regular basis with a particular shop. There are a smaller number of variables to control - but still lots of testing and tweaking to be done

    You can still do it like that and match your monitor to your printer (and maybe match you scanner to your monitor to some exent). But then you couldn't so easily have more than one printer, not could you so easily send files out to be printed on say a Chromira. And if you send files out to clients - who knows what they will be getting?
    You'd be amazed how small the demand is for pictures of trees... - Fred Astaire to Audrey Hepburn

    www.photo-muse.blogspot.com blog

  6. #6
    Michael E. Gordon
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    Colorvision vs. Gretag monitor calibration

    The "customer service" I experienced with Colorvision was lousy at best. I will not use their product again nor can I endorse it. Moreover, unless they've updated it, Colovision's method for setting the black point of your display is visual, not hardware/software based. Two persons could calibrate using identical systems and displays and arrive at two different results based on the quality of their eyesight.

    I recommend Gretag MacBeth.

  7. #7

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    Colorvision vs. Gretag monitor calibration

    Tim,

    I've used the previous version of Spyder (not 2), but was not very happy with it. I never managed to get entirely neutral profile - no matter what I tried, there was always a slight warm shift, and on one of my monitors (NEC LCD) I could not even adjust the black point.

    I will be looking toward upgrade soon too and I think I'll go with Monaco Optix XR (http://www.monacosys.com/) this time. I have two reasons for this:

    1. I've heard only good things being said about it

    2. It is compatible with the EZ Color profiling software bundled with Epson 4990 Pro scanner (that I also plan on acquiring soon)

    There are two versions, XR and XR Pro. The XR version is comparable to the other two you mention, the Pro is more expensive and comes with many more options, such as monitor drift trending, workgroup display matching and calibration curve editing.

    I am running exclusively LCD monitors - your requirements may differ and your mileage may vary, as the saying goes. I am not recommending you buy this one, I am simply recommending that you consider this along with the others before you make your decision.

    Regards,

  8. #8
    Michael E. Gordon
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    Colorvision vs. Gretag monitor calibration

    btw, in case you haven't seen this test: http://www.drycreekphoto.com/Learn/monitor_calibration_tools.htm

  9. #9
    Jack Flesher's Avatar
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    Colorvision vs. Gretag monitor calibration

    >> Question: how is it that so many people do very nicely, even publishers, without using a monitor calibration device? <<

    View-only is one thing, printing to match what you view is another...

    An of course, ignorance is bliss
    Jack Flesher

    www.getdpi.com

  10. #10

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    Colorvision vs. Gretag monitor calibration

    An of course, ignorance is bliss

    Funny. Our magazines have been running in the black, on ignorance for years without those devices.

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