Digital Photographers -- Monitor Calibration

[J M O N]

There are more expensive 4k versions also, but this one is just fine for photographers at your level. Or so my professional photographer friend told me so, when I asked him in reference to this post.

 

EDIT: my friend also pointed out that calibration of your monitor and/or your printer is exclusive to you. Meaning that while your setup will be in 'tune,' if you have prints done somewhere else, you are at their mercy for calibration.  For us 'audiophiles,' that means that while you may have recorded the music from your meticulously set of chosen amp and speakers, it isn't going to sound the same on someone else's radio shack setup.

 

In those instances, choose a reputable service for reproduction accuracy.

 

You may also want to read here for more information on the subject:

 

http://www.dpreview.com/forums/thread/3374743

 

And here for some additional resources:

 

http://www.makeuseof.com/tag/5-online-tools-calibrate-monitor/

 

First off, appeciate you taking the time to reach out to your pro friend!!

 

Yes, I've wondered if the 4K monitors will be the next "must have" for photo processing.  I'm hoping I can avoid that expense, at least until the prices come down quite a bit.

 

Thanks also for your tips and links -- I'll definitely read up on them.

Edited December 19, 2015 by JMON

[J M O N]

I calibrate my monitor once a month and let the software keep track of the final numbers. That way I can tell if my monitor is changing over time. Most people keep the brightness settings way way too high on flat panel monitors so when they print the first reaction is "my prints are too dark". 

 

I did see that X-rite i1 Display Pro does track the monitor characteristics so you can see how it fluctuates over time.  That seems like a helpful feature.

[J M O N]

My photographer friend asks what gear you are using to take your photos with. He's wondering if you are putting too much effort on the back end, and not the front end, of the process. Only, he says, because of your stated status (not professional). In other words, are you using a Rebel t5 with a kit lens, or do you own professional level gear to warrant professional level processing. It starts there, he says, not at post.

 

The answer is kind of both -- I use pro-gear but my camera is so old that it probably does not have the same performance of a current Rebel.  I have a Canon EOS 1Ds (the original version) and use mostly L-series lenses.  I'm a bit of a cheapskate (in both audo and photo equipment) so I bought a lot of my gear used, including the camera.  The camera was only a few years old when I got it but it was in excellent shape --- practically not used at all by the prevous owner.  I waited to get a digital camera until I could find a full-frame version in a price I was more comfortable with.  Vintage equipment is generally not a negative with audio equipment, but with digital cameras I do realize there is a disadvantage to vintage.  I am looking into the possibility of upgrading my camera to a newer version.  It must be full-frame and I have really gotten to like the pro-bodies (aside from their size and weight).  The price of a new pro body is not something I can justify unless it was a source of income for me.

 

One other thing I should mention is that I was a slide shooter prior to going digital and have a lot of slides I need to convert.  I have a nice slide/film scanner to use where I will also be processing these scanned images.  I don't believe this changes my need for a calibrated monitor -- just enforces it.

[J M O N]

We use a Spyder3 on one of the computers in our art lab. The man who does all of our publication editing and photo placement uses another tool, but has a special monitor that he bought for the job. He also sits in a room with no windows and turns the lights off when he is doing the initial editing and corrections, as the daylight will throw off your color balance.

 

They have many newer models, and they really aren't too expensive.

 

Yeah, I've also thought about the lighting conditions of my room.  Fortunately, if it becomes that critical, i should be able to control the lighting within the room fairly consistently as there is only one small window and it doesn't get direct sunlight.

[J M O N]

You don't need an expensive pro monitor, but there are consumer monitors that are better suited for photo editing vs ones that are better suited for gaming.  my samsung is at least 8 years old and needs an update, but I haven't really dug into this yet.  I'm sure if you google search "best monitors for photo editing" you will get some choices at B&H.

 

That's good to get additional confirmation on that.  I hope I can at least get by for a while longer with the inexpensive monitor I currently own.

[JL Sargent]

The human body is an amazing machine. You can calibrate your work as you go to some degree. I think this is especially true for exposure. I have learned that my setup usually under develops my photos when printing. Therefore in Lightroom I usually over develop a shade or two to end up where I started.   

[Marvel]

I made a template in PS to do passport/id card type pics, add upload them to my local Walgreens. Doesn't take much time at all. First time I left everything white, but their exposure on their lab equipment brought the white level down and the pics were too dark. I put a grayscale strip under the images and made a gray frame around the rest and now they come out fine.

 

Once you learn how to adjust for whatever lab you send to, it's all pretty quick.

 

Bruce

[cincymat]

Some photo services allow you to tell them not to color correct your photos. I use Smugmug and just tell them not to correct my photos since I've already done it to my tastes. 

 

Mark

[Jim Naseum]

I use the Spyder and it's totally easy. I make prints for show, and they come out perfect. 

[J M O N]

Just thought I'd share that the X-Rite i1Display Pro is now on sale at B&H for $149 with free shipping and no sales tax.  This is a great price as it is $100 off.  Hurry as the sale is only for today and ends at midnight Eastern time.

 

http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/798930-REG/X_Rite_EODIS3_i1Display_Pro.html

[twk123]

Some photo services allow you to tell them not to color correct your photos. I use Smugmug and just tell them not to correct my photos since I've already done it to my tastes. 

 

Mark

 

This is extremely important to do when you print at Costco. My laptop does not have monitor calibration but I have always been happy with the prints there. Just know to bump up the exposure a little when you print as they are not back lit. Also, learn to read the 'language' of the histogram, its pretty much a frequency response chart of your photograph and will allow you to see what the exposure is looking like regardless of monitor settings and can give you an idea on white balance as well. A cool trick in Lightroom is to hold the 'alt' key when using the "Blacks" and "Whites" slider as it will put on an overlay to see when you are clipping so you can make sure you have full range without blowing out pixels.  Also, always print in TIFF and make sure you are a least 300 dpi for whatever size you are printing so an 12x18 print should be a 3600x5400 pixel TIFF file. If you are printing larger than your camera's sensor MP, do the enlargement in Photoshop or Lightroom rather than go under the 300 dpi as the software is good at filling in pixles rather than losing print resolution. Anyway, I have been a pretty serious hobbyist photographer for the last few years and those are just some tips I have picked up.

 

In reading your other posts, you might want to upgrade your body if you want to get into serious printing. The original 1D is very old and only 4.48 MP (2464 x 1648) so if you are wanting to print anything large you are going to miss a lot of detail. Even an 12x18 print over almost double what your camera is capable of. Depending on your budget and if you want to keep full frame, the 5DMkii is an awesome body and the used ones can be found cheaper now that people are upgrading to the new Mkiii. I have the 7D and although its a crop sensor, its an awesome workhouse and I swear by it.

[J M O N]

I do want to get a newer body at some point and prefer the full-frame cameras.  My camera is actually the 1Ds which has 11 MP which is actually quite a bit and isn't the limiting factor.  Only when I'm doing significant cropping do I have the desire for more pixels.  More pixels are better of course with all else being equal, but you don't get a huge increase in resolution until you really multiply the pixel count.  Rather the limiting factor of this camera has more to do with low-light conditions.  It can't really go above ISO 400 without noise becoming noticeable.