Reddit mentions of Datacolor Spyder4Pro S4P100 Colorimeter for Display Calibration

Since your monitors are not the same model, it's going to be very challenging to get them to look the same.

You should probably get a color calibrator if you actually want them to look the same.

If you can't afford that, there are cheaper calibration tools. Just look around. You can also, of course, just tweak the color settings manually until they look the same using Nvidia Control Panel / Catalyst Control Center. You can also try to just use the built in Windows color calibration, which I find very hard to be consistent with. What models are your screens? Somebody may have made color calibration profiles for them. They won't be perfectly tailored to your screens, but they should come pretty close.

$3000 computer for a videographer... only spends $180 on a 21" monitor? ಠ_ಠ No. No. Nope.

SLI is pretty much useless for video editing (very hit & miss depending on the software) and only adds unnecessary heat and cost to the rig. Drop one of those 780s and focus that money on a quality 24-27" IPS screen and hardware color calibration! (stay the hell away from those budget 4k TN screens)

Edit: Also, if OP is used to their MBP keyboard, I'd recommend picking up a wired Apple keyboard. Personally, I find them much less fatiguing on my fingers. It makes for a seamless transition (if you're still using the MPB) and goes a long way to make your Hackintosh feel more native.

Edit 2: After some very surface level searching, here are some much better monitors the OP should put their money towards: HP 24" z24x P-IPS ,Dell 27" U2713HM P-IPS and Asus 27" PB278Q P-IPS. If it can't come close to 100% sRGB, it's shit. Oh and the monitor color calibrator.

Just because you have a decent monitor doesn't mean it is showing anything in the correct colors, saturation, or anything else. If you want it right, you need to calibrate your monitor. People constantly buy these expensive monitors and leave the settings at default, or worse fiddle without knowing what they are doing.

You can use one of these or hire someone.

Datacolor Spyder4Express:

http://www.amazon.com/Datacolor-Spyder4Express-S4X100-Display-Calibration/dp/B006TF3746/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1342633794&sr=8-1&keywords=spyder4express

The pro is 50$ more but may be worth it as it does a better job (Slightly) and can configure multiple displays:

http://www.amazon.com/dp/B006TF37H8

I believe the best one is the Sypder4Pro, they're $150 new. You might be able to buy a used one off eBay for around $100.

http://www.amazon.com/Datacolor-Spyder4Pro-S4P100-Colorimeter-Calibration/dp/B006TF37H8/

Do you have an IPS monitor? If not, you should think of investing in one of those as well, especially if you're printing a lot.

Here's a good range to look at, in USD:

$2600

$1400

$800 + $170

$400 + $170 The monitor's not in stock yet, but they also have a $500 one available with a few more bells and whistles, but without the new enclosure.

The most important piece of a good calibration is a monitor with even backlighting and great color range, gradation, and accuracy at different luminance levels.

To get a real good calibration you're going to need a colorimeter. They are pretty expensive. Most IPS monitors claiming to be good for design work are factory calibrated, which makes it mostly unnecessary to do it yourself.

Some computer shops will have a service offered to calibrate the colors; quality varies.

The cheapest way is to use the built-in calibration that Windows has. If you have a good eye and some good color swatches, you can get a halfway decent calibration.

>In your subjective opinion, is a hardware-calibrated monitor significantly more beautiful than a software-tweaked one, and is it worth the $150 or so it'd cost for a colorimeter?

Yes, absolutely. Having spent the money I consider it worth every penny. Once you know calibrated reference color, you can't go back. Our eyes will readjust and compensate for a lot of differences over time. Those who like using f.lux, for example, often comment on not noticing it's effects after a while.

This is because f.lux is basically an automated color profile changer. It goes from a higher color temperature (7K/6500K or so) down to a very low color temperature as it approaches night time. This makes sense, since the human eye tends to view colors a bit cooler under lower lighting conditions.

While f.lux can feel pleasing, it's does result in inaccurate colors. If you wanted an f.lux like experience with accurate color, you would create a profile for each lighting condition your room has. Primarily an 'overhead lights on' profile calibrated for 6500K 2.2 gamma, and a 'lights off' profile that might be something like 5500K 2.2 gamma.

I consider this a bit overkill though, I stick to one daytime profile, and I have a fluorescent bulb in my overhead that is more of a 'daytime' color temperature. Photo studios go to extremes and use high end monitors with hoods to reduce direct light from hitting the screen, and they have accurate color temperature bulbs of a known brightness.

Personally though, I think one of the better advantages to calibration is also setting the luminance level. Lots of LED backlit monitors can get REALLY bright, but brightness is only beneficial under really harsh lighting conditions, and often washes out the color. Monitors also tend to overgain the colors a bit on high lighting conditions, so you lose some accuracy.

The best way to calibrate, imo, is to 120 cd/m2. This is a nice, even brightness, and while somewhat 'dim looking' at first is quickly compensated by your eyes and brain. This also tends to reduce eye strain. In addition, lots of monitors now can go 200 cd/m2 and up, so by having the brightness significantly lower than its maximum, you often reap the benefit of more accurate color.

As far as a tool, I ended up getting the Spyder4Studio, because I knew I was going to need a printer profiler also and it saved me money.

For your purposes I would go with the Spyder4Pro since it's the same hardware as the Spyder4Elite, only limited by software license. You also get to use it on multiple monitors, vs the 1 monitor limitation of the Spyder4Express.

If you end up needing the features of the Spyder4Elite later, you can just upgrade the software package (I'm not sure if it's more expensive that way vs buying the Elite outright, though).

This one. It's not cheap but you can share it with your friends as the software seems to have unlimited installs.

You calibrate your colors and after that run flux. Flux will now take the calibrated color profile as base and then do its thing on top of it.

The default hotkeys to open display controls is:

Hold "Option" and press "F1"

(You might have to also hold down fn if you have your function keys toggled the other way)

Now click on "color", and then "Calibrate...", then follow the instructions.

If you wanted to be super serious about it, you could buy one of these...

But frankly, I wouldn't bother. As long as you edit entire photo sets on the same screen, it should be ok. If you switch screens halfway through an album, that is really bad. But if you do the whole thing on one screen, your photos should be fine, and any slight tones will just add character to your photos.

I may spend the cash. What are ur feelings on this one? (does multi monitors)

I calibrate my monitor on regular basis with the Spyder calibrating equipment/software.

It does a decent job adjusting the screen in balance with the ambient lightning. Reduced my symptoms radically.

http://www.amazon.com/Datacolor-Spyder4Pro-S4P100-Colorimeter-Calibration/dp/B006TF37H8/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1421078233&sr=8-1&keywords=spyder4

I've got a few questions about computer hardware for photography.

My father is a paper artist and needs to upgrade his computer monitor.
He has always photographed his work then edited in Photoshop elements. He is constantly struggling with color correction trying to get everything to look the same as in real life. His average size work is about 5'x5'. He shoots with a T5i with a Canon EF 50mm f/1.4 USM.

What are some recommendations for high color quality monitors. Color is the most important factor. He has been using a dell ultra sharp and was thinking of upgrading to one of Dell's higher quality monitors. I've heard good things about BenQ but not sure what to look for. I know he should be getting one with an IPS display.

We were thinking a 27" but is it worth investing in a 1440p or is 1080p still fine. Are there any recommendations for display calibrations. The best selling on amazon is Datacolor Spyder4Pro S4P100 Colorimeter for Display Calibration Is this really worth it and is worth trying on his current monitor? I heard about them on a B&H youtube video but it sounds like it's an easy fix?

He is willing to spend the money to invest in something that will last him a while. What would give him the best bang for his buck? Is there a 750 BenQ that acts like a $1200 Dell

What is the best option for $500?
750?
1000?
1250?

Thank you for any recommendations.

Yeah I bought a spyder4 pro off amazon. it's like 150 bucks but you can use it on tons of stuff.

http://smile.amazon.com/Datacolor-Spyder4Pro-S4P100-Colorimeter-Calibration/dp/B006TF37H8/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1407881831&sr=8-1&keywords=spyderpro4

I calibrate my:

MBP
Surface Pro 3,
3 desktop monitors.

It's been worth EVERY PENNY.

Angle from where the picture is taken might have an influence, but I don't think that it matters all that much.

Try looking at the original picture and compare it to the picture shown on the wall screen. Look at the colour of the floor. There is a distinct difference even though if you look at the original picture shown on only one screen there is no such thing.

I don't know how the calibration is done when it is turned on, and I can't see how you can do a proper calibration without an external measuring device to measure what colour each screen is actually producing. Basically measuring the colour which is produced and comparing it against the colour which you are trying to produce.

I only know about the consumer facing products used for this. The tool used is called a colorimeter.

Link to one such device.