A collection of the best fun-yet-functional products out there for photographers
ACCESS RIES
Your computer monitor is a critical tool
in your photographic workflow. It enables
you to assess your images and gauge the
adjustments that you make to the white
balance, colour and contrast of your images.
If it’s not calibrated, it may show you an
inaccurate view of your images, and any
adjustments could make your shots look
worse rather than better. Instead of making
the sky in a landscape look a deeper blue,
for example, you may make it cyan, while
skin tones may be shifted from natural to an
unhealthy pallor. But you won’t know it until
you share your images with others or start
making prints.
Without an accurate view of your image,
it’s pretty much impossible to adjust your
images, and you can waste a lot of money
making prints that look terrible.
The Datacolor SpyderX Pro is an easy-to-
use monitor calibration device that ensuresyou see a true picture of your images. It
also uses new hardware with greater light
sensitivity and a more accurate way of
measuring colour than the previous model
(the Spyder5 Pro).
Before you use the SpyderX Pro, it’s
important to allow your computer monitor to
warm up for at least 30 minutes. Then, once
the software is installed and started, you just
need to plug in the calibrator’s USB cable.
You’ll see an instruction to lay the calibrator
on your desktop so that it can measure the
light in the room. Then when you’re ready to
proceed with the calibration, it will show a
guide to enable you to position the SpyderX
correctly on the screen, with its lens cap
acting as a counterweight that hangs
behind the monitor. When you’re happy,
set the software rolling and keep an eye on
the monitor as the coloured screens are
displayed. During the calibration process theSpyderX Pro checks the brightness of the
screen and asks you to make adjustments
until it’s in the right zone.
Once the calibrating is complete, you can
compare the impact of the process. Even
with a new iMac, it’s surprising how much
difference it can make.DATACOLOR SPYDERX PRO
Calibrate your monitor for perfect image colour and reliable adjustments
datacolor.com
£158 / $169.99Whether you display images online, make
prints at home or use a top-end lab, monitor
calibration is essential for photographers,
and the Datacolor SpyderX makes it a quick,
uncomplicated task with visible benefits.Overall
Ease of use
Value for money
Features
Quality of resultsSummary
Left
Fast calibration
The Datacolor SpyderX Pro is
around four times faster at
calibrating monitors than
the Spyder5 Pro, so it takes
less than two minutes to go
through the process and
ensure that colours look
their bestLeft
Room light monitoring
If you leave the SpyderX
connected to your computer it
can monitor the ambient light
throughout the day, so you can
adjust the display brightness as
necessary. It can also warn you to
recalibrate or do it automaticallyREVIEWS
Acollectionofthebestfun-yet-functionalproductsoutthereforphotographers
ACCESS RIES
Yourcomputermonitorisacriticaltool
inyourphotographicworkflow.Itenables
youtoassessyourimagesandgaugethe
adjustmentsthatyoumaketothewhite
balance,colourandcontrastofyourimages.
Ifit’snotcalibrated,itmayshowyouan
inaccurateviewofyourimages,andany
adjustmentscouldmakeyourshotslook
worseratherthanbetter.Insteadofmaking
theskyinalandscapelookadeeperblue,
forexample,youmaymakeitcyan,while
skintonesmaybeshiftedfromnaturaltoan
unhealthypallor.Butyouwon’tknowituntil
youshareyourimageswithothersorstart
makingprints.
Withoutanaccurateviewofyourimage,
it’sprettymuchimpossibletoadjustyour
images,andyoucanwastealotofmoney
makingprintsthatlookterrible.
TheDatacolorSpyderXProisaneasy-to-
usemonitorcalibrationdevicethatensuresyouseeatruepictureofyourimages.It
alsousesnewhardwarewithgreaterlight
sensitivityandamoreaccuratewayof
measuringcolourthanthepreviousmodel
(theSpyder5Pro).
BeforeyouusetheSpyderXPro,it’s
importanttoallowyourcomputermonitorto
warmupforatleast 30 minutes.Then,once
thesoftwareisinstalledandstarted,youjust
needtopluginthecalibrator’sUSBcable.
You’llseeaninstructiontolaythecalibrator
onyourdesktopsothatitcanmeasurethe
lightintheroom.Thenwhenyou’rereadyto
proceedwiththecalibration,itwillshowa
guidetoenableyoutopositiontheSpyderX
correctlyonthescreen,withitslenscap
actingasacounterweightthathangs
behindthemonitor.Whenyou’rehappy,
setthesoftwarerollingandkeepaneyeon
themonitorasthecolouredscreensare
displayed.DuringthecalibrationprocesstheSpyderXProchecksthebrightnessofthe
screenandasksyoutomakeadjustments
untilit’sintherightzone.
Oncethecalibratingiscomplete,youcan
comparetheimpactoftheprocess.Even
withanewiMac,it’ssurprisinghowmuch
differenceitcanmake.DATACOLORSPYDERXPRO
Calibrateyourmonitorforperfectimagecolourandreliableadjustments
datacolor.com
£158/$169.99Whetheryoudisplayimagesonline,make
printsathomeoruseatop-endlab,monitor
calibrationisessentialforphotographers,
andtheDatacolorSpyderXmakesitaquick,
uncomplicatedtaskwithvisiblebenefits.Overall
Easeofuse
Valueformoney
Features
QualityofresultsSummary
Left
Fastcalibration
TheDatacolorSpyderXProis
aroundfourtimesfasterat
calibratingmonitorsthan
theSpyder5Pro,soittakes
lessthantwominutestogo
throughtheprocessand
ensurethatcolourslook
theirbestLeft
Roomlightmonitoring
IfyouleavetheSpyderX
connectedtoyourcomputerit
canmonitortheambientlight
throughouttheday,soyoucan
adjustthedisplaybrightnessas
necessary.Itcanalsowarnyouto
recalibrateordoitautomaticallyREVIEWS