calibrating an X-rite 810/Stouffer step tablet

[Gray Mitchell]

Just got an X-rite 810, no step tablet included. I need to calibrate so i just ordered a 21-step tablet from stouffer. just to get a head start, has anyone calibrated the 810 with this tablet??? any advise would help. -gray

[Richard Moon]

Gray,

I too recently puchased a X-rite 810 without cal standards. You need to go to the X-rite web site and order a reflection plaque, $70 and a transmission calibration standard, $30. Otherwise you would need to have someone with a calibrated densitometer read the step tablet for you but it would likely not be as accurate or repeatable.

cheers,
R. Moon

[Jorge Gasteazoro]

Did you buy the calibrated versions? You can buy both the transmission and reflection step wedges from them and use them with the x rite, I have done so with mine. While it is nice to have the x rite standards, they are ridiculously priced.

[Gray Mitchell]

I did not buy the calibrated version. I bought the step tablet that was available at ViewCameraStore.com

[Jorge Gasteazoro]

Should have gone straight to stouffer, call the viewcamera store and ask if they have a calibrated densitometer to read the values for you. You will still need the reflection standard get it from Stouffer.

[Gray Mitchell]

I guess i will have to find a calibrated densitometer around here, they have already shipped my items.....So do i need to just get readings on all the steps of the tablet in order to calibrate my own machine? I got this densitometer for free and i am not too familiar with these processes. thanks for the feedback.

[resummerfield]

The X-rite 810 calibrates transmission at about 3.0, so you only need to use the 3.0 step on the stouffer. But... you must program into the 810 the VISUAL reading, and the RED, GREEN, and BLUE readings. On my 810 standard, the visual is 3.01, red is 3.08, green is 3.05, and blue is 3.09, for example.

You need to find a good color densitometer to calibrate (in visual, r, g, b) your stouffer tablet first. Try a local one-hour photo. And while you're at it, have them calibrate a step around 0.3 and one around 1.5, in all 4 colors, for checking purposes.

And like Gray said, you'll need the X-rite reflection plaque in order to calibrate the reflection part of the 810.

[resummerfield]

One more idea...

Go to the X-rite website (xrite.com) and download an 810 manual.

[Jorge Gasteazoro]

Eric makes a good point, but if you are doing B&W you dont need to do the RGB channels. Just do the VIS calibration. A 1 hour lab, even if they are doing digital should have a densitometer since they still have to do QC on the print developer. Go to one and ask them to read your step tablet.

[John Berry ( Roadkill )]

I didn't get the calibration standards with my X-Rite 310 either. I ordered from stoffer the CALIBRATED transmission and reflection 21 step tablets. You gan go to their website and download the manual. It will give you instructions on how to manually enter the high and low values from the tablets you have. If I had it to do over I would have ordered the color calibrated reflection step tablet, although it's probebly not necessary. If you use a staining developer you will be reading the blue channel.

[phil sweeney]

The 810-68 transmission standard's price is around $30-40. I think it is a must. For reflection cal I printed white and max black prints, mounted and read with a calibrated densitometer and use for my standard. Another cheap route for reflection cal is Stoufer's R1215 (Cameraman's Sensitivity Guide) - cal the RGB channels to same as visual - result should be fine for most work.