Hi this is Jay P Morgan and today on The Slanted Lens we’re reviewing a new product from Datacolor. It’s called the Spyder5PRO.
The Spyder5PRO is a monitor color calibrating software. It’s made so you can calibrate your monitor to help you get a consistent image, to know if your images are exposed correctly, and if they’re going to print correctly. This software will allow you to create a workflow that will standardize your color, standardize your exposure, so that the images you’re taking will match what you’re showing and printing.
If you’re going to look at your images or if you’re going to share your images, either on the internet or in print, you’ve got to have some way to create a standard that will help you to know that the exposure and color you’re getting are acceptable. That they’re going to look correct, and that other people are going to view them the way that you do.
The wizard will lead you through the setup process, it makes it really easy. First you’re going to make sure the Spyder5PRO is plugged into a direct USB port on your computer. Select your computer and monitor from the list. The wizard will instruct you to place your calibration device on your desktop. This will help you understand what you need to do to work according to the brightness of your room. It’s not an ideal situation to work in a bright room. It doesn’t allow you to see your monitor the way that you should. It really should be in a darker area.
After that we’re going to put the unit on the screen. Use the cap on the unit as a counter balance to help keep it in place. Hit next and it will begin the process. First the Spyder5PRO will look at your image brightness. Then it’s going to go through a complete calibration of your monitor. It takes about 2-6 minutes to get it done.
They do have a version of the product, the Spyder5EXPRESS. It’s a little more slimmed down, it’s really made for if you just want to calibrate your monitor and do a couple things. It doesn’t tell you the brightness of the room. If you’re a professional photographer or moving in that direction spend the extra few dollars. Get into the Spyder5PRO. It really is worth it.
They have the Spyder5ELITE, which is the next step up. That lets you calibrate projectors and opens up a lot of avenues for things you can calibrate. I think the Spyder5PRO is a great product for someone who just wants to get good calibration, and be able to have a good sense that their monitor is working right. That what you see on the back of your camera is going to match your monitor.
So we’re finished. It says they recommend calibrating once a month. I think that’s a good idea. If you do it once a month your monitor will stay consistent. More importantly, you’ll get used to your calibrated monitor. Right now you’re probably looking at a monitor that’s just too bright. It’s going to affect the way you shoot. Because you’re now going to take a picture that looked great on the back of your camera, and you’re going to look at it on your computer and think it looks way too dark. You’re going to realize that the screen on your camera is probably set too bright as well. So you’re going to bring the screen on the back of your camera down, and then it will feel more comfortable when you get on your monitor. You get predictable results that way, and that’s really what you’re after. That’s what this is, helping you to refine and define your work flow.
For more information and to get your own Spyder calibrating software visit them at http://spyder.datacolor.com/introducing-spyder5-n/?afftid=70116000000wZtd.
Thanks for watching. Keep those cameras rollin’ and keep on clickin’.
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