Colour and light measurements using portable Android platform

[Iliah]

Now you can connect your spectrometer or colorimeter to an Android portable to obtain measurements, including:

incident illuminance
reflected luminance
flash measurement
Exposure Value (EV) (includes Interactive Exposure Calculator)
Color Temperature, Delta Color Temperature, Black Body or Daylight, Correlated or dE2000, Kelvin or Mired
Color Rendering Index (CIE 1995)
More details here: http://www.argyllcms.com/pro/

For supported hardware, http://www.argyllcms.com/pro/cmdoc/requirements.html

[Damon Lynch]

There is a write-up on it here: http://libregraphicsworld.org/blog/entry/introducing-argyllpro-colormeter-for-android

[Some Guy]

I have a 10.1" Samsung Table 3 and an i1 Display Pro and just tried the demo.  It does a lot!  Much more than most any spectrometer software that comes with the hardware.

However, the demo is just a means to see if your gear will play nice with each other and the demo measurements may be canned or close approximations.  If you want the full tomato and real readings, its $99. (My outside daylight Kelvin was around 4,951.5K on the demo, and it's really about 5,450K.).

I don't know if it will work with flash though.  I've written to the maker so we'll see as it would be a lot cheaper than a Sekonic color temperature meter (By half!  Even with a tablet, spectrometer head, and software.).

SG

[GWGill]

I don't know if it will work with flash though.  I've written to the maker so we'll see as it would be a lot cheaper than a Sekonic color temperature meter (By half!  Even with a tablet, spectrometer head, and software.).

You can measure flash color temperature and exposure value using an i1pro, i1pro2 or ColorMunki spectro, either incident (using the Ambient mode) or reflected (using Emission mode).

I will look at adding flash support to one of the colorimeters in a later release, although I'm not sure yet if it's technically possible.

[Some Guy]

You can measure flash color temperature and exposure value using an i1pro, i1pro2 or ColorMunki spectro, either incident (using the Ambient mode) or reflected (using Emission mode).

I will look at adding flash support to one of the colorimeters in a later release, although I'm not sure yet if it's technically possible.

Okay.  Would be nice if it does work with electronic flash.  I know with the Sekonic C-500 it sometimes needs a remote trigger in conjunction with the flash to sync it all up.  Ambient and the brief flash seems to trick it.  I shoot sometimes with PF-330 flashbulbs and they burn longer and it get confused with those too unless I shoot in total darkness to get a reading.  Those have a ramp up and ramp down and the color may change in that 2 second burn time.  Has to be some timing issue with flash and ambient - maybe.

I did note one thing in the ArgyllPRO write up.  The ColorMunki Photo will most likely not work with most Android devices as it pulls a lot more juice than most tablets and phones supply.  It will not even light the ColorMunki Photo LEDs up at all (I got one.).  x-rite said at first it would, then they backed off with their ColorTUNE software working with the ColorMunki Photo and I had to go buy the i1 Display Pro for it to work on the tablet.  Won't work with a x-rite i1 Photo Pro 2 head either (Got that too.), but that is a whole lot of power consumption too than the ColorMunki.  It has to be a very low-power consumption device for the spectrometer on most battery-powered Android devices.

Also, for some reason I do not fully know about, Sekonic put two red channel reading devices in their C-500/R color temp. meter: One for digital, and second for film.  Something about different readings for Kelvin or something for the two formats.

SG

[GWGill]

Would be nice if it does work with electronic flash.  I know with the Sekonic C-500 it sometimes needs a remote trigger in conjunction with the flash to sync it all up.

Flash measurement isn't as convenient as I'd like it to be - you have to hold the instrument button down and trigger the flash, but it certainly works, as long as there is the ambient is constant, and there is sufficient difference between it and the flash.

I shoot sometimes with PF-330 flashbulbs and they burn longer and it get confused with those too unless I shoot in total darkness to get a reading.  Those have a ramp up and ramp down and the color may change in that 2 second burn time.  Has to be some timing issue with flash and ambient - maybe.

I don't know is something that takes 2 seconds will work or not. Most electronic flashes are extremely short.

I did note one thing in the ArgyllPRO write up.  The ColorMunki Photo will most likely not work with most Android devices as it pulls a lot more juice than most tablets and phones supply. 

That's not been the experience so far, but it is early days. Low powered USB2 devices are allowed to draw 100mA, and most of the Colorimeters fall into this group. The spectrometers capable of reflective measurement fall into the USB2 high power category, and are allowed to draw up to 500mA, which they only do when the illumination source is on. If a device isn't prepared to supply 500mA, it is meant to reject it completely, not half work. Certainly none of the tablets or largish phones I tried it on, reject the ColorMunki Spectro. But there may well be some that have OTG and won't work with it - that's why ColorMeterDemo exists. I know for sure that the Nexus 7 has no problems.

[Klami85]

Hi, I have tested demo version of ArgyllPRO with colormunki design and Efi es1000. Both instrument were recognized by the software on LG G3 and G2. Can I be sure that both instruments will work propertly with full version of argyllpro?

[GWGill]

Hi, I have tested demo version of ArgyllPRO with colormunki design and Efi es1000. Both instrument were recognized by the software on LG G3 and G2. Can I be sure that both instruments will work propertly with full version of argyllpro?

Yes, you can be sure - the instrument driver code is identical. You can also return your purchase from Google within 2 hours, no questions asked.

[Rhossydd]

If you want the full tomato and real readings, its $99.

OUCH, I think that makes it the most expensive Android app I've seen.

[Czornyj]

OUCH, I think that makes it the most expensive Android app I've seen.

It's a bargain. Similar apps like Spectrashop or CT&A start from 95$, TV calibration apps that support reference grade sensors like K-10 or JETI Specbos 1211 can cost few thousand $. And (AFAIK) none of them are available on Android/iOS platform.

[GWGill]

OUCH, I think that makes it the most expensive Android app I've seen.

You should get out more - there are a number of specialised apps with limited market size (plus the inevitable scam apps) that cost as much or more:

http://theultralinx.com/2014/09/most-expensive-apps.html
http://www.cultofmac.com/241218/the-999-99-club-these-are-the-most-expensive-apps-on-the-app-store/

[Rhossydd]

You should get out more

I don't go out looking to see how I can waste money, but I've never come across anything so expensive before. Even Adobe's version of Photoshop on Android is only £7 ($10?).

there are a number of specialised apps with limited market size (plus the inevitable scam apps) that cost as much or more:

Well if http://www.androidauthority.com/most-expensive-android-apps-and-games-564948/ this site is to be believed, and it's just first I found in Google, that puts your app at joint 9th most expensive Android app.

http://theultralinx.com/2014/09/most-expensive-apps.html
http://www.cultofmac.com/241218/the-999-99-club-these-are-the-most-expensive-apps-on-the-app-store/

No surprise that iTunes offers some stupidly priced apps.

I know from experience that OTG can be a flaky technology and isn't worth investing much money into. If I have to carry a spectro around, a netbook is hardly much more to carry and I can use all the software I already have a licence for, plus the useful free software like i1Share, Colorport etc.
Sell it at a more normal premium app price, say $20, and I might buy it. At $100 it's far too much.

[GWGill]

I don't go out looking to see how I can waste money, but I've never come across anything so expensive before. Even Adobe's version of Photoshop on Android is only £7 ($10?).

And they expect to sell 100000's of  copies. Rather a different proposition.

I know from experience that OTG can be a flaky technology and isn't worth investing much money into.

If it works on your device, it isn't going to suddenly stop working, and the level of hardware support is increasing. Even some of the very cheap tablets now support it.

If I have to carry a spectro around, a netbook is hardly much more to carry and I can use all the software I already have a licence for, plus the useful free software like i1Share, Colorport etc.
Sell it at a more normal premium app price, say $20, and I might buy it. At $100 it's far too much.

No-one is twisting your arm - if it doesn't work for you, don't buy it. But notice most of the those "free" programs are supplied by the instrument manufacturers who have taken your money - and a good deal more than $100. How much does a ColorMunki spectro or i1pro2 cost ?

But the way some people carry on about $100 is amazing - it's dinner for two at a restaurant, filling your tank, or an hour of a professionals time. And how much did you pay for a camera, lens or flash unit ? Have you ever priced a dedicate photo color meter ?

[Rhossydd]

If it works on your device, it isn't going to suddenly stop working,

I'm glad you have that confidence. Rather a lot of my phone's functionality seems to change with OS upgrades.

But notice most of the those "free" programs are supplied by the instrument manufacturers who have taken your money - and a good deal more than $100.

Yes, but they come with the kit I need to use the app anyway.

But the way some people carry on about $100 is amazing

Really ? have you not spotted that most phone/tablet apps are cheap and very rarely more than $20 ?

[GWGill]

have you not spotted that most phone/tablet apps are cheap and very rarely more than $20 ?

I know of no mainstream phone or tablet for $20 - not unless you're completely blind to the fact that you are signing up to pay it's real cost by instalments - and in any case, they are sold in millions of units.

[Rhossydd]

I know of no mainstream phone or tablet for $20 - not unless you're completely blind to the fact that you are signing up to pay it's real cost by instalments - and in any case, they are sold in millions of units.

Try reading my comments before you reply to them. I'll add some emphasis>
"have you not spotted that most phone/tablet apps are cheap and very rarely more than $20 ?"

[GWGill]

And you in turn seem to have failed to spot that ArgyllPRO ColorMeter is not a video game, trying to suck you in with in-app purchasing, nor some other trivial, throw away gimmick app. blatting advertising at you, but instead is a technical and scientific tool intended for those with serious use, and priced accordingly.

[GWGill]

I'm pleased to announce the release of ArgyllPRO ColorMeter Version 1.1.

http://www.argyllpro.com.au

This version features greatly improved accessibility with the introduction of
application area Presets, and an accompanying demonstration Video:

http://youtu.be/ODfCoUH0euQ

There is better Android V5 (Lollipop) compatibility and numerous other
bug fixes and improvements.

[kirkt]

Terrific utility, very nicely done.  Congratulations - I do not own an Android device, but I think I may start looking around for an inexpensive one from the list.  1001 uses for this application no doubt.

kirk

[andy.k]

hi Graeme,

I'm a big fan and very appreciative of all your extremely good work and help you offer. I haven't quite mastered the Argyll suite yet, but shall in time.
Just a very innocent question: if in time Ubuntu Touch makes it to commercial tablets will you also offer it commercially for that system? I'm an Ubuntu user and a bit of an enthusiast, but when I can afford it I shall definitely be purchasing a tablet exclusively to use with your wonderful program.

thanks, all the best.