Luminous Landscape Forum

Raw & Post Processing, Printing => Colour Management => Topic started by: pco98 on October 02, 2012, 03:49:40 pm

Title: recommended calibrator dealer
Post by: pco98 on October 02, 2012, 03:49:40 pm
Hello all

I have a new RMBP and am now looking for a monitor calibrator. In the past I have used the i1display 2 and am probably going to invest in the i1Display Pro, though am open to suggestions and experiences with such a combination.

In the past when looking for one I remember coming across an online dealer who personally checked each one to make sure they were accurate before sending out to customers but I can't remember who this was. Do any of you know such a place which does this? I am living in Europe so would prefer to order from this part of the world but am not averse to ordering from the US if need be.

Many thanks

Ross
Title: Re: recommended calibrator dealer
Post by: digitaldog on October 03, 2012, 10:09:35 am
In the past when looking for one I remember coming across an online dealer who personally checked each one to make sure they were accurate before sending out to customers

Check how, against what reference? With what instrument? How do you know they actually did this?

Frankly it sounds like BS to me. Just buy the i1Display-2, set the software to get a visual match and if you have issues, well maybe you can decide to get another unit although I suspect the likelihood of the hardware being an issue is quite low.
Title: Re: recommended calibrator dealer
Post by: Scott Martin on October 03, 2012, 12:19:56 pm
Frankly it sounds like BS to me. Just buy the i1Display-2, set the software to get a visual match and if you have issues, well maybe you can decide to get another unit although I suspect the likelihood of the hardware being an issue is quite low.

I suspect Andrew meant to say "Just buy the i1DisplayPro" here. The i1Display2 was wrought with problems - there were many bad units and good units eventually went bad over time, thus the need for excessive examination of each unit as you describe. The actual problem with this device (and with colorimeters from other brands) was with an internal film they were getting from Kodak. Not only were some batches of this film defective, the good batches proved to not have have the long term stability that they claimed.

The new i1DisplayPro device is fantastic, has had no such QC issues, and has proven itself to work incredibly well with a  variety of displays. I'd get it and move on.
Title: Re: recommended calibrator dealer
Post by: pco98 on October 03, 2012, 03:47:22 pm
Thanks for the clarification on past issues. Got impatient for replies and went ahead and ordered. Seems like I made the right choice.

Cheers

Ross
Title: Re: recommended calibrator dealer
Post by: DLpres on October 03, 2012, 04:12:29 pm
I think the OP is referring to something like this
http://www.curtpalme.com/ChromaPure_EyeOneDisplay3.shtm (http://www.curtpalme.com/ChromaPure_EyeOneDisplay3.shtm)

Any measuring instrument, whether it's a colorimeter, CCD sensor, or the science instruments on the Mars rover, needs to be calibrated to be of any use. X-Rite obviously does a good job of QC'ing their i1DP's. Yet, some vendors think they can improve on that.

Check how?
By measuring the characteristics of the probe in a known-good, calibrated chain and adding a meter correction matrix to the user's calibration/profiling software.

Against what reference?
Expected CIE and XYZ values, test charts... besides, they calibrate the probe, they don't profile it.

With what instrument?
That web page mentions a 5nm reference spectroradiometer. They don't say which one. Hopefully something like a Photo Research PR-730, but might just be an X-Rite Hubble.

How do you know they actually did this?
I suppose you get tangible matrix correction files with the product. Otherwise you rely on Curtpalme's word and reputation, of which I'm neutral.


I have no connection to Curtpalme and never bought or used any of their products, I just found out about them in my extensive research of CMS's. Personally, I ended up buying a retail i1 Display Pro because I didn't know if I might use X-Rite's own i1Profiler software or something else. i1Profiler only comes and only works with the retail version, and not Curtpalme or other companies' OEM variant. (I ended choosing dispcalGUI as my computer monitor software so I could've gone either way.)


Frankly it sounds like BS to me.
Andrew, I owe much of my knowledge about color management to experts like you, which is why your response baffles me. Am I missing something major?

Title: Re: recommended calibrator dealer
Post by: pco98 on October 03, 2012, 04:32:44 pm
Thanks for the informative response. Not something I would have been able to have done myself in relation to Andrew's post.

I don't think it was this company but another one and my gut feeling was that they were genuine and knew what they were talking about. They also weren't charging any extra. Would have liked to have supported them but it probably did relate to issues that Onsight raised from that time period more than anything else.

Sure the new one will be fine.

Thanks to one and all who posted.
Title: Re: recommended calibrator dealer
Post by: DLpres on October 03, 2012, 04:44:53 pm
...and I just stumbled upon a thread by Graeme Gill about the exact same thing:

http://www.freelists.org/post/argyllcms/Compatibility-with-i1-Eye-One-Display-Pro-3-retail-and-OEM,14

In short: "is Curtpalme's extra-calibrated version worth it?" "Maybe."

Title: Re: recommended calibrator dealer
Post by: digitaldog on October 03, 2012, 07:03:59 pm
Andrew, I owe much of my knowledge about color management to experts like you, which is why your response baffles me. Am I missing something major?

You are using said instrument do do exactly what to what final goal? What would a small non visible 'error' or difference such calibration provide do for you assuming you are dealing with  maybe a few displays all in the same environment? Now if you want to conduct science or you want to measure lots of displays and come up with some conclusions, or you are testifying in court as an expert on some kind of measurement, get the thing certified regularly from the manufacturer. You get the idea. What does extra step buy the guy who just wants to calibrate and profile his display to match his prints? Now if there are errors to the degree this isn't possible, I'd be as concerned as the next guy and would expect to test with a replacement instrument. Hopefully that fixes the issue then one has to decide if they personally want to take the time to figure out WTF happened with the first unit.