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DPChallenge Forums >> Current Challenge >> Calibrate your monitors
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 06/28/2004 05:26:49 PM · #1
...or buy a decent LCD. I'm getting far too many "too dark" comments where they're not justified (I'm using an Apple display, so I suppose I have an unfair advantage, but it's still a bit frustrating).
 06/28/2004 05:29:34 PM · #2
Originally posted by Malokata:
...or buy a decent LCD. I'm getting far too many "too dark" comments where they're not justified (I'm using an Apple display, so I suppose I have an unfair advantage, but it's still a bit frustrating).


Mine is calibrated, thank you. As far as buying a decent LCD I would love nothing more but funny thing happens everytime I think about it. I have to pay the power, water and buy food for those dumb kids! Go figure!

Deannda
 06/28/2004 05:31:47 PM · #3
Mine is as well.

Deannda...I understand...kids do expect to be fed fairly regularly, don't they? Wish someone woulda told me that... LOL ;o)
 06/28/2004 05:37:54 PM · #4
Meh, you can switch 'em to once a day and unscrew all the lightbulbs. It's all in the interest of photography.
 06/28/2004 05:37:59 PM · #5
Originally posted by laurielblack:
...kids do expect to be fed fairly regularly


You're supposed to FEED them! Oh my!, No wonder mine look so pale! LOL~!
 06/28/2004 05:40:38 PM · #6
Have you calibrated YOUR monitor? Just because you're using an Apple display doesn't mean everything is going to be hunky dorey right out of the box.

Just a suggestion, from one Mac user to another ;-)
 06/28/2004 05:41:22 PM · #7
Finally someone said something :)
 06/28/2004 05:43:57 PM · #8
hows about you buy me a new LCD =)

06/28/2004 05:50:31 PM · #9
Originally posted by Malokata:
...or buy a decent LCD.

Funny that you would recommend buying an LCD for better viewing of black level (different from contrast ratio), when LCDs are still generally quite far behind a good CRT in terms of ability to render accurate blacks.

There are exceptions, of course, but I believe most CRTs still outperform even the fanciest LCD in this regard. Anyone found an LCD monitor yet that can compete with CRT for black level (I'm in the market for just such an item)?
 06/28/2004 06:00:41 PM · #10
From CNET:
Advantages of LCD displays
The biggest advantage of an LCD monitor is its compact size. Compared to CRT monitors of the same size, LCD panels take up less than half the desktop space. This allows it to be used in places where space is a constraint and where a CRT monitor won't fit. For those who attend LAN (local area network) gaming parties, the lightweight design of the LCD display makes transporting equipment a hellava lot easier. Physical dimensions aside, most LCD panels come in sleek-looking designs which appeal to users who want their computers to blend well with their room decorations.

In terms of image quality, LCD monitors are known to produce brighter displays, which allow them to be used in places where the ambient lighting conditions are high. As LCD displays are flicker-free, it causes less headaches and eyestrain to users, too. What's more, LCD panels draw 40 percent less power than similarly sized CRT monitors, produce less heat, and do not emit electromagnetic interference or X-rays (which CRTs do), making them somewhat safer and cheaper to use in the long run.

Verdict: You should consider an LCD monitor if you are using it for Web surfing, simple office applications or where desktop space is limited.

Advantages of CRT monitors
CRT monitors may be relatively bulky and use more power than an LCD display, but their low price point makes them a popular choice among most computer shoppers. A 17-inch display easily costs less than half that of a 15-inch LCD model. (Do take note that LCD panels reflect the true viewable display size of the screen but the actual viewable screen on CRT monitors is usually 1 or 2 inches smaller than the rated number.)

Size, however, is not the main reason most gamers and graphic designers are still sticking to CRT monitors. Rather, it is the superior image quality. CRTs can not only display more colors than an LCD, the former can offer various different resolutions and produce more contrast in images. CRTs also have a wider viewing angle and faster response times, making them useful for videos and moving images.
 06/28/2004 06:28:44 PM · #11
Your supposed to calibrate a monitor?
 06/28/2004 06:31:21 PM · #12
Yes you are. You can get a nop notch monitor and place it in a bady lit rooom. You can't expect it to display accurate results.
 06/28/2004 06:33:33 PM · #13
CRT's have (or have had) color advantages. The brightness advantages seem to lie with LCD.

Edit:

That's the fanciest I can talk about it; I don't think i know enough about the comparison to even semi-authoritatively BS. I have, however, seen a noticeable difference between LCDs and the typically-calibrated CRT in the range of dark values that are lost, and that's where I was speaking from in recommending an LCD. And, whenever I've seen graphic design folks set up a display, if it's an LCD, it's almost always an Apple, and I think they have a pretty good reputation in the industry for accuracy, viewing angle, etc. Which is probably why they cost an arm and a leg more.



Message edited by author 2004-06-28 18:37:42.
 06/28/2004 06:42:27 PM · #14
Originally posted by bledford:
Originally posted by Malokata:
...or buy a decent LCD.

Funny that you would recommend buying an LCD for better viewing of black level (different from contrast ratio), when LCDs are still generally quite far behind a good CRT in terms of ability to render accurate blacks.

There are exceptions, of course, but I believe most CRTs still outperform even the fanciest LCD in this regard. Anyone found an LCD monitor yet that can compete with CRT for black level (I'm in the market for just such an item)?


Yeah the Apple cinema display is quite as good or even better than most CRT monsters ....
Also Lacie has a new professional line of LCD´s that are said to be of very high quality.
I´m getting tired of all those comments about CRT´s beein so much superior to LCD´s, its 2004 for crying out loud. c," )

Message edited by author 2004-06-28 18:46:35.
 06/28/2004 06:49:45 PM · #15
Originally posted by Malokata:
...or buy a decent LCD. I'm getting far too many "too dark" comments where they're not justified (I'm using an Apple display, so I suppose I have an unfair advantage, but it's still a bit frustrating).
Been there, done that. Things that look just great on an Apple will look darker on a PC monitor because they are displayed differently. It's not that the monitors are miscalebrated. You might want to make your images a bit lighter than usual on your Apple. They should then look better on the PC monitors. Mine always have detail on my Mac that just isn't there on the PC. I know I'm going to have that problem with the picture I submitted for the June contest... sigh. But that's how it is in multiple-architecture land. Ann
 06/28/2004 07:13:55 PM · #16
all this hostility... hmmmmm... if your monitors are calibrated then it seems obvious that the first post is not directed at you. EVERYONE knows that the majority of folks here do not have calibrated montiors and/or don;t even know what it is.

There's nothing wrong in expressing frustration for being judged on your shot when it is viewed other than how it was intended.

Put the whips away people & let's try to be a bit more considerate of the feelings of frustration we all feel when we dont do as well as we hope!

PEACE & LOVE!
 06/28/2004 07:19:16 PM · #17
Yes, LCD can give you amazing results, but you get more bang for your buck with CRT. If you want the best, you'll have to pay for it (about USD 5500).

I'm not sure what the native gamma is for typical LCDs, but CRTs are generally upwards of 2.5 (closer to 2.2 nowadays I think), so they're a good match to the PC market.

If you're on a Mac, you could proof your images to 2.2 gamma (sRGB close enough) and adjust accordingly (somewhere in the middle isn't so bad).

Message edited by author 2004-06-28 19:19:47.
 06/28/2004 07:31:58 PM · #18
ive gotten so many of these. i got a 2.1 because peoples monitors werent colaborated.
 06/28/2004 08:37:19 PM · #19
Originally posted by Malokata:
...or buy a decent LCD. I'm getting far too many "too dark" comments where they're not justified (I'm using an Apple display, so I suppose I have an unfair advantage, but it's still a bit frustrating).

An Apple display does not give you an advantage when editing for a cross-platform distribution (such as the web). The Apple displays default to around 1.8 gamma, while the cross-platform standard is 2.2 gamma. This standard is followed by the web and most PC makers, not to mention the sRGB colorspace which most cameras use internally.

So using an Apple display at its default calibration of 1.8 gamma will produce images that are darker than intended when viewed on a monitor calibrated to the cross-platform (web) standard of 2.2 gamma.

So the question I have is, what do you have your monitor calibrated to? Have you even calibrated, or just trusted the Apple display to be pre-calibrated for all your needs?

David
 06/28/2004 08:59:35 PM · #20
FWIW, the white/grey/black bar pattern at the bottom of every image page provides a nifty way to quickly see if your monitor needs adjustment. While not perfect, it can help to identify whether what you're seeing in the image is a function of the image itself or (perhaps) the monitor. If you cannot make out the brightness difference in all of the shaded areas of the pattern, your monitor/video card is likely crushing the black levels of the image.

My monitor at work, for example, terribly crushes blacks making the last 6 or so shaded squares appear as completely black. That's why I only vote from home if it all possible.
 06/28/2004 09:23:57 PM · #21
what about contrast ratio? i would imagine that the higher the ratio, the greater the "spread" (gamma??) i really dont know what i'm talking about, but i'm on a dell 1901FP (600:1 ratio) at home and when i get to my 19" trini CRT at work, my postings are really dark and "flat". to get it any where approaching my LCD, i need to crank the brightness to horrible levels (and the contrast is already at 100%). it never gets close. i was thinking i might try to dim down my LCD at home. the greys (& blacks for that matter) and white balancing of each seem to be pretty similar - i can hit deep blacks and crisp whites on both.

i dont know...any thoughts on contrast ratios?
 06/28/2004 09:31:44 PM · #22
I have the 20" Apple Cinema and out of the box was fine. I did get tthe iOne calibrator and set it to calibrate at 2.0 (figuring in the middle of the 2 would give a happy medium).
Something else to do is (with PS, anyway), I look at a soft proofing with it set to Monitor. this give s me the web colors and usually what shows up in a browser (including how bright it is). Has worked for me over and over again, without compolaints.
 06/28/2004 09:52:29 PM · #23
I'd like to Calibrate my monitor - how do I go about doing it?
 06/28/2004 10:04:11 PM · #24
Just found a website where you test to see if your monitor was properly calibrated:

Calibrate Your Monitor

My monitor seems to be just right.
 06/28/2004 10:09:40 PM · #25
Originally posted by Sammie:
Just found a website where you test to see if your monitor was properly calibrated:

Calibrate Your Monitor

My monitor seems to be just right.


that site is very similar to the bar at the bottom of every pic on dpc when you are voting. maybe people just ignore the bar on dpc.
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