Best Calibration method or software?

Nikon AF Nikkor 50mm f/1.8D

03/04/2008 01:19:18 PM · #1

PLease help. All this time I thought everything was good. I liked the colours I saw on my monitor and went from there. The odd time I would play with the gamma setting on my monitor to see if had missed something or tried to get the best possible image for all settings to accomodate for those with different settings.

I have just now noticed that what I see on my camera screen is not the same as when I upload to my computer. The images look fine for exposure on my camera but when I upload they are dark and seem under exposed.

How do I get my camera in sync with my computer?

Message edited by author 2008-03-04 13:20:23.

_eug

Nikon D50

03/04/2008 02:06:18 PM · #2

You camera is fine it's your monitor that needs calibrating. Stop futzing with the controls and such. ;)

The BEST way is hardware such as the Pantone Huey/Huey Pro, MacGregor EyeOne, etc. Software alone relies on your eye to make the determination on what is right and you've already found out how ineffectual that is.

03/04/2008 04:29:16 PM · #3

thanks for the reply. I will look into that.

Canon EF 17-40mm f/4L USM

03/06/2008 05:28:29 PM · #4

OK Ijust received my Huey Pro and installed and everything works fine. Just one problem everything looks flat and pinkish now. Is there something that i am missing or is it just my eyes that are used to seeing more vibrant colours. It doesn't look as good is it did before. Or is it that it should match my camera colours and thats what counts. CRAP I'm all messed up.

Or is it that my eyes haven't adjusted yet.

Somebody help!
I should mention that I went into my RGB settings and had to dial down the red to get rid of the pinkish tint. Is this going to affect how my shots look from my camera?

I just spent $100 and I am not pleased with the results.

everything just looks pale to me now.

Prof_Fate

03/06/2008 05:33:46 PM · #5

Did you turn off/uninstall the adobe gamma loader thing?
Are you using LCD or CRT? Did you use the Huey properly (most can be used on either monitor type, but getting a CRT setting on a LCD will make it all way too pink)

I use a Spyder2 Pro and the last thing it does is give me a before/after sample that I can toggle between and it's usually quite obvious that the corrected one is better.

rex

Canon PowerShot SD780

03/06/2008 05:35:35 PM · #6

Originally posted by LVicari:

OK I just received my Huey Pro and installed and everything works fine. Just one problem everything looks flat and pinkish now. Is there something that i am missing or is it just my eyes that are used to seeing more vibrant colours. It doesn't look as good is it did before. Or is it that it should match my camera colours and thats what counts. CRAP I'm all messed up.

Or is it that my eyes haven't adjusted yet.

Somebody help!
I should mention that I went into my RGB settings and had to dial down the red to get rid of the pinkish tint. Is this going to affect how my shots look from my camera?

I just spent $100 and I am not pleased with the results.

everything just looks pale to me now.

Give your eyes a few days to adjust. I had the same problem when I installed my Huey and posted in the forums the same as you. After a few days I realized my eyes were screwed up from looking at an uncalibrated monitor.

soup

Canon EOS-30D

03/06/2008 05:36:42 PM · #7

what was the lighting in the room like when you ran the calibration.

a calibrated monitor should show colors like you'd expect to see them in sunlight. pretty much anyway.

you also need to make sure there are no other color profiles loading when the computer boots. ie: Adobe Gamma. to fix is as simple as start>programs>startup and drag adobe gamma out of the folder.

you also should check that the 'calibrated' profile is loading on restart. not sure how a huey works, but the spyder2 has a splash screen that tells you whether or not the profile was loded properly.

Canon EF-S 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6 II

03/06/2008 05:45:07 PM · #8

If it wasn't loaded it's usually because it couldn't assign the profile at the end of the calibration process. You can assign it manually by going into your monitor setup. Once you assign it as the default it will load automatically the next time you boot the computer.

Message edited by author 2008-03-06 17:45:49.

surfdabbler

Canon EOS-5D

03/06/2008 05:57:12 PM · #9

I feel the same way. I recently bought a calibrator, and not only are the results significantly tinted, they are also tinted different colours on each of my 3 screens! This was using a Spyder2Express.

I don't know why. In the end, i did the same as you. I used the calibration to get the gamma right, and then adjusted the RGB controls manually to fix it all up. I also did some tests calibrating through a 1/4 CTO filter, but still no consistency between monitors. In the end, I now have one monitor that's good, and I don't waste my time trying to get the others to match. With a lot of manual adjustments, the good monitor is better than without the calibration, as the gamma is now closer to right I think.

I think the monitor quality does affect the calibration. Poor quality monitors simply don't calibrate as well as good ones, due to viewing angle spreads over the area of the calibrator. That's my guess.

Tamron SP AF 28-75mm f/2.8 XR Di for Canon

03/06/2008 07:05:43 PM · #10

Well I have a LG Flatron monitor. I have gone thru the process again. I think its just the gamma setting that I am not happy with. The Huey Pro at the end of the calibration does show me a before and after adn the gamma setting is about 2.4 and I tried it about 3 which is what I am used to. But it wont let me set it there. I adjusted it in Adobe Gamma but then huey changed it back.

I'll keep fiddling.

Prof_Fate

03/06/2008 07:11:32 PM · #11

Shouldn't gamma, on a PC, be about 2.2?

My spyder lets me gusstimate some settings, or I can force it to do some like measuring ambient light. It wants a pretty dark room, darker than I want to work in.

rmezzo

Canon EOS-5D Mark II

03/06/2008 07:14:33 PM · #12

I have noticed the same problem with my Huey. Everything has a redish hue.
I'll be keeping an eye on this thread to see if you guys resolve any issues.

Nikon AF Nikkor 50mm f/1.8D

03/06/2008 10:37:27 PM · #13

After spending the money and playing around for hours I have come to the conclusion that my monitor is just fine. I should have realised that earlier. I ordered a print of

months ago and it looks exactly the same as it is on my monitor.

Live and learn

For sale :Brand new Pantone Huey Pro calibrator.$100 cdn
Free shipping.

_eug

Nikon D50

03/07/2008 12:09:59 AM · #14

Originally posted by LVicari:

You shouldn't even have Adobe Gamma installed. They are both competing to do the same job, i.e. calibrating your monitor. Uninstall Gamma.

Canon EF 17-40mm f/4L USM

03/07/2008 07:39:59 AM · #15

Originally posted by _eug:

Originally posted by LVicari:
Well I have a LG Flatron monitor. I have gone thru the process again. I think its just the gamma setting that I am not happy with. The Huey Pro at the end of the calibration does show me a before and after adn the gamma setting is about 2.4 and I tried it about 3 which is what I am used to. But it wont let me set it there. I adjusted it in Adobe Gamma but then huey changed it back.

I'll keep fiddling.

You shouldn't even have Adobe Gamma installed. They are both competing to do the same job, i.e. calibrating your monitor. Uninstall Gamma.

I seem to have trouble uninstalling adobe Gamma it does not give me that option.I have gone into ADD/Remove programs and it is not listed there. I have gone into the program itself and it does not give me the option to uninstall.
If someone could tell this idiot(me) how to do it that would be great.

soup

Canon EOS-30D

03/07/2008 07:59:23 AM · #16

go to start>programs>startup open the folder and you'll see adobe gamma.

click and drag it out of the folder and onto the desktop. that should keep it from loading...

i mentioned that earlier.

you may have to go into the startup folder in the windows directory and move it out of there if the start menu option doesn't work.

Message edited by author 2008-03-07 08:04:40.

Medoomi

Canon EOS-5D Mark III

Canon EF 35mm f/1.4L USM

03/07/2008 08:02:44 AM · #17

Spybot search and destroy will allow you to edit your startup programs (programs that start with the computer). Just enable the advanced options. Adobe always installs Adobe gamma, and, like the previous poster said, it competes with your calibration--so you'll need to uninstall it.
There may be another way to do it, but this is what i use.

03/07/2008 08:42:30 AM · #18

The instructions that came with my Spyder said to remove it from the startup folder. There's probably similar instructions that come with the Huey.

Medoomi

Canon EOS-5D Mark III

Canon EF 35mm f/1.4L USM

03/07/2008 08:47:56 AM · #19

That's probably all that's necessary (forget the spybot thing then). Just remove from the startup folder on your programs menu.

03/07/2008 10:54:52 AM · #20

Originally posted by cpanaioti:

The instructions that came with my Spyder said to remove it from the startup folder. There's probably similar instructions that come with the Huey.

Also, at the end of the profiling process the new profile may not be automatically assigned to the monitor. In this case you need to go into the control panel and add the profile to colour management and assign it as the default monitor profile.

03/07/2008 01:36:08 PM · #21

Thanks everyone for the help. I have tried all suggested options and I am still not satisfied. I will give it a few days for my eyes to adjust. After that if I still don't like what I see then I will post to try and sell this item.

Thx all