BetterPhoto Q&A
Category: New Answers

Photography Question 

Christopher A. Shaw
 

Monitor Calibration


I've bought the Spyder2 express and calibrated my dekstop monitor (Samsung 226BW) and my laptop (which I use quite often away from home for my photos). Now, the photos look great on the laptop but when I get them back to my desktop monitor they are way too dark. I've also checked the photos on my wifes laptop (non-calibrated) and they look fine also. Just the desktop is giving me problems with dark images. Any suggestions on why the same photo's would be so different on 2 calibrated screens?


To love this question, log in above
August 26, 2008

 
- Carlton Ward

BetterPhoto Member
Contact Carlton Ward
Carlton Ward's Gallery
  Hi Christopher,
The lighting you have in the room when you calibrate a monitor will make a big difference. If you change the lighting in the room, the montor will look different. I only use my laptop as a hard drive and try to do all my editing on my desktop where I keep the room lighting the same as when I calibrate. Laptop photos are also very subject to the angle you are viewing the screen. If you tilt the laptop just a little, colors & contrast of images change dramatically.
You also need to let the desktop monitor warm up an hour or so before calibrating.
I dont know your specific monitor, but you may need to adjust brightness a bit and follow the Spyder instructions as close as possible.
I used to use an NEC 19" CRT and Gateway 19" flat panel monitors and they were OK (not spectacular) and every day the aged, they seemed to get a little less vibrant. Real pro monitors like Eizo ColorEdge are very expensive and would be a real luxery to me. I have been much happier with my 24" Imac since changing from PC to MAC and calibration has been easy and consistent.
I also calibrate every 30 days and every 7-15 days when I am editing a lot. I try to do all my editing at night with the same light I calibrated with and if I do decide to edit during the day,(because my room lighting differs from day to night) I re-calibrate it right then for the lighting at that time and then calibrate again when changing back to night-time editing.
Pantone Huey is supposed to be able to measure the ambient light and adjust the calibration as you go but I have heard some negative things about the Huey, so I have stuck with the Spyder2Pro calibration.
my .02 - Carlton


To love this comment, log in above
August 26, 2008

 
Log in to respond or ask your own question.