Looking for a colorimeter

It was suggested to me that I buy a colorimeter instead of going for a professional display calibration, as the colorimeter would be very cost efficient.
I was looking into the Datacolor Spyder 5( link), but after reading some negative reviews about this, I am not so sure anymore about this product.
I was told that backlight needs calibration after 90 days so I would need to use it multiple times and I read that the cheaper versions of the Spyer5 don't let you use it more than once or twice. Is that the case?
What are your opinions on this product and what would you recommend?
I'd be using this mostly for laptop screens, but possibly for a monitor screen as well.
TIA!

 

If you are not a professional, then the Spyder 5 will be just fine. There is not a limitation on the number of devices you can use, that I am aware of.

Sent from my SM-G935V using Tapatalk

 

Can always use DisplayCAL

 

That's what most people suggested as well, from the info I found.

Apparently, the hardware is the same across the Spyder 5 Basic / Pro / Elite / etc. The only difference is software features they turn on for you. But most people suggested getting around that by just using DisplayCal. That seems like the way to go for non-professional use.

Sent from my SM-G935V using Tapatalk

 

So I should buy a Spyder5 and use the DisplayCAL software instead of their own?
Also as the h/w is same so it would be okay going for the cheapest version, right?

 

pretty much


also make sure you buy from a store with good return policy

 

Okay thanks!

 

Have an old spyder 2 laying around somewhere but no software, might check out displaycal if I can find it.

 

Thank you so much! That'd be great if you could test it. It'd really help me befote buying!

 

I'll look for it tonight.

 

Couldn't find it, may have sold it.

 

Ah, that's sad.
Thanks for your help anyways!

 

First of all, X-Rite's i1 Display Pro is generally considered superior to Datacolor's Sypders. But ultimately, you might be better off with the Spyder 5:

As kent1146 alluded to, the pucks themselves are pretty much all $5 cheap plastic Made in China devices regardless of what you get. What you're really paying for is the software.

And therein lies the complications. Unlike, say, a keyboard or a USB stick, where your Windows XP-era devices still work with your new Windows 10 laptop, these colorimeter packages are targeted towards professionals/enterprises who have deep pockets.

Did a new version of Windows just come out? Well, Datacolor and X-Rite probably aren't going to release updated drivers for the new OS - they're just going to sell you a new package.

Or did you upgrade from a standard gamut to a wide gamut display? Well, I hope you purchased a sufficiently high end package to cover that, otherwise you'll have to pay for a new package. And of course, there's always the risk that your next monitor will have some kind of technology that simply doesn't exist today - for instance, everyone had to buy a new colorimeter when LED backlighting first replaced CCFL about a decade ago.

There *is* open source software out there that's compatible with multiple pucks, but I've heard it's not very good.

As you can see, there's a lot of planned obsolescence at work here, so you might be best off just buying the package which minimally meets your requirements today, and buy a new package further down the road if those requirements change.

 

The thing is, I'm spending way over my budget of $2-2.2k for my new laptop (and some accessories) and I need the equipment to be as cost efficient as possible, so that I can save the most money. As long as a colorimeter will be more cost efficient down the line than a professional display calibration for my laptop, I'm fine with it.
But thanks anyways, because I didn't know all this stuff that you just mentioned. Now I know that I'll have to go buy new colorimeters down the line, but that's fine with me.

 

Actually, what's your motivation for calibrating your screen? It probably won't improve your general computing experience by very much if at all, so if your budget is limited, upgrading your laptop to a better/higher-quality screen will provide a much more visually pleasing experience.

Of course, it's a completely different story if you're being paid for professional imaging/graphics work, in which case most professional display calibrations are pretty bad and you should go all out and profile with a spectrophotometer after calibration to double check the colorimeter's own accuracy - remember, these are cheap $5 devices, their manufacture has *wide* tolerances for quality.

Now, I hope I haven't been too negative, but as you can probably tell, I'm pretty frustrated by the whole color industry myself.

 

OK this is brand new knowledge to me.
In a lot of reviews I have read that laptop displays dont come with a good color quality from factory(like 65% SRGB color gamut) and after calibration can get upto 96% SRGB.
Isn't that a significant difference(like a 50% increase)?
I have never owned such a high-end laptop and it is the first time I've researched about color gamuts and a variety of other things, so I just thought that a color calibration would be necessary.
I'm sorry to sound like a noob in this department.
And no, I'm not being paid to do any graphics work, or any kind of work that requires extremely crisp colors. Just want a good display, that's all.

 

You will only be capable of calibrating the up to what it is capable of doing. Calibration will give you better color accuracy, but it will not improve by much if you have a low end display to begin with. You have some displays that are only capable of covering 60% sRGB no matter the calibration because that the physical limit of the hardware.

What peon means is that if you have a crappy display to begin with, you are better off spending money on getting a laptop with a higher quality display. Even uncalibrated, it will look much better that a low end display. Get good hardware before you even think of getting a colorimeter.

As an example, the displays on my XPS 15 and M6700 look good even uncalibrated. They have that distinctive blue hue associated with LED backlights when not calibrated, but even then, they look pretty darn good. The XPS calibrates close to full aRGB, the M6700 covers 98%sRGB. My Elitebook has a meh display that is in the 55% sRGB range, regardless of calibration, the colors will not look as vibrant and a bit washed. There is nothing I can do about it because the display can't go past the physical limits of the hardware.

Be careful, they may not all have the same hardware. I know that the Spyder 4 Basic doesn't have the exact same hardware than the Pro and Elite. The Pro 4 and Elite 4 however share the exact same hardware and only the software differs. Back when I looked into it, the Basic seemed to have some pretty limited options while I saw no reason to go for the Elite over the Pro.

Where I found my Spider to be most useful is in getting my multiple monitor setups to look consistent between multiple monitors. It's a "minor annoyance" to move a window between displays only to see the colors shift, but it can be pretty distracting.

 

Thank you for the info!
I'll get the laptop first and then decide if a colorimeter is worth getting.
I think this is the right way to go now.


Thanks to everyone that has helped me with this! @kent1146 @Mobius 1 @Tanner@XoticPC @Peon @tijo

 

The 17" 4K MSI models typically have a high Adobe RGB, as do many of the ASUS models.

 

I already have my mind set on a P650HS-G, though! Have almost finalized the purchase too!

 

Still a good machine.

 

I hope you don't mind me using your thread.
I found a deal on a used Spyder4Pro for about 70€. Is it a good deal?
I heard these types of colorimeters use a gelatine lens (or something like that) and it can deteriorate over time. How long do these things usually last?
I want it to calibrate my Acer XB270HU and an Alienware 120Hz QHD TN laptop panel.

In the Acer I think all calibrations are made in the monitor's own overlay menu and they should stick no matter the application.
How does it work on a laptop? Is it just a display profile? If so, it won't work in games and certain apps right?

Thanks!

 

Hi
Its depend on your budget
Digital Colorimeter warranty 12 months
its arroundRs.4,000/- somthing.and its really durable product.

 

Dont buy an Huey Pro, they are old and give a green cast to the screen, lots for sale on feeBay, (I wonder why)

John.

 

I'm an amateur photographer. I got a good deal on a colormunki smile a few years ago. works great. The thing is you cannot adjust the temperature yourself. No fine tuning out of the box. But if you wanted to fine tune with it you could use the argyll driver. I used it a few years ago worked great and allowed greater control of the screens temperature. I'm on a fresh install of Win10 and am very happy they finally came out with a win10 driver that didnt exist a year or 2 ago for my colorimeter.