Monitor Calibration: Hello All I was wondering is there a way to calibrate my monitor without having to spend hundreds on a device that attaches to the monitor face. I'm concerned with...

shstrang98

Hello All

I was wondering is there a way to calibrate my monitor without having to spend hundreds on a device that attaches to the monitor face.

I'm concerned with brightness and color accuracy and my pics can vary wildly from monitor to monitor.

thanks a bunch

rmbanas Loc: Michigan

That's about the only way you can truly calibrate your monitor. Before you spend the money make sure you can adjust the brightness, contrast, and RGB settings on your monitor.

traveler90712 Loc: Lake Worth, Fl.

You might try going to MS and do a search on "display color calibration" You'll find instructions on how to do it, before you spend a bunch of money

rmbanas wrote:

That's about the only way you can truly calibrate your monitor. Before you spend the money make sure you can adjust the brightness, contrast, and RGB settings on your monitor.

Photomistic

I'm not a techy person, but I have calibrated my Mac monitor with Apple's settings. I have also calibrated according to my printer's settings. And I have also calibrated according to the printing company I use. Whatever place you use will probably let you do a test run on 5 prints or so. These all help and are definitely the cheapest way to start. But like most everything else, you get what you pay for. I'm about to break down and purchase calibration software myself.

sodapop Loc: Bel Air, MD

How much does the software cost and where?

Photohacker Loc: Temecula, CA

I would try the suggestions above and see if your happy with the results. The bottom line is the human eye is a terrible colorimetric tool since your brain is constantly correcting color balance which makes it very difficult to calibrate with any accuracy. If your not happy with the results and still don't want to spend hundreds of dollars, I would suggest looking on Ebay. I remember seeing the Pantone Huey for under sixty bucks. I bought a Huey for my location laptop since it adjusts the monitor for ambient light changes. It does a very good job, but for my post production monitor, I have the Gretagmacbeth i1 display.

OnTheFly Loc: Tennessee

I'm not sure what you're asking. So I don't know if this is what you mean.
With windows 7 you do have a calibration setting.
1)Right click on screen.
2)Go to "personalize" at bottom.
3)Go to "display" at bottom left.
4)Go to calibrate color.

This may not even close to what you're talking about and if not I apologize.

shstrang98 wrote:

Hello All

I was wondering is there a way to calibrate my monitor without having to spend hundreds on a device that attaches to the monitor face.

I'm concerned with brightness and color accuracy and my pics can vary wildly from monitor to monitor.

thanks a bunch

ntonkin Loc: western Upper Peninusla of Michigan

Just be sure that the system you buy will do the job. I just bought the x-rite color munki - - spent $169 and after a couple hours with their support folks, find that it doesn't work with my Panasonic plasma monitor. I'm still trying to get my money back from B&H as I don't have the packaging.

PhotoGator Loc: Florida

Eugene wrote:

I'm not sure what you're asking. So I don't know if this is what you mean.
With windows 7 you do have a calibration setting.
1)Right click on screen.
2)Go to "personalize" at bottom.
3)Go to "display" at bottom left.
4)Go to calibrate color.

This may not even close to what you're talking about and if not I apologize.

''

Easy to follow, thanks, I learned something new.

OnTheFly Loc: Tennessee

Hope it works. Good luck.

PhotoGator wrote:

''

Easy to follow, thanks, I learned something new.

rpavich Loc: West Virginia

Unfortunately if you really want your monitor calibrated accurately, there is no cheap way out of it.

Spyder is a relatively inexpensive method also...that's what I use cause I'm a cheapie too.

It is what it is...pay the man and do it right.

Severums Loc: London, England

Spyder 4 allows you to calibrate your monitor without manual input.

rmbanas wrote:

That's about the only way you can truly calibrate your monitor. Before you spend the money make sure you can adjust the brightness, contrast, and RGB settings on your monitor.

Tim Stapp Loc: Mid Mitten

one of the advertisers on this forum rents calibration equipment. might be a low cost solution.

http://www.lensrentals.com/rent/nikon/accessories/calibration

JJ Imagery

Been meaning to calibrate my monitor for a long time now... Windows 7 seems to cover all the bases and it doesn't cost a penny extra.... Don't know if it's my imagination, but the monitor output on my Samsung looks great!

shstrang98 wrote:

Hello All

I was wondering is there a way to calibrate my monitor without having to spend hundreds on a device that attaches to the monitor face.

I'm concerned with brightness and color accuracy and my pics can vary wildly from monitor to monitor.

thanks a bunch

OnTheFly Loc: Tennessee

Like your avatar.

rpavich wrote:

Unfortunately if you really want your monitor calibrated accurately, there is no cheap way out of it.

Spyder is a relatively inexpensive method also...that's what I use cause I'm a cheapie too.

It is what it is...pay the man and do it right.