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View Full Version : pantone huey vs spyder Express



reaction
29-03-2009, 9:54pm
pantone huey vs spyder 2 Express cost about the same

pantone huey has ambient and takes 1min
spyder 2 Express doesn't and takes 7min

reviews don't say much, but somehow advise spyder 2 Express over pantone huey. Why?
And also what's the diff, pantone huey and pantone huey pro?
just the software?

HappySnapper
24-04-2009, 3:29pm
FWIW.....I have a Huey, Works....Ok............

But I got my rig professionally calibrated, the dude used a Spyder Pro.

Probably doesn't help answer your question, but I think you get what you pay for.......

HappySnapper.

reaction
22-05-2009, 7:04pm
Got the huey, works great. 3 LCDs now matching. For the price it does what I need. When I go pro, I'll buy a pro thing.

davwhite
22-05-2009, 7:18pm
Had the Huey didn't think it was professional enough, now have the Spyder 3 Pro. A little difference but not worth the extra I reakon.

Seesee
27-05-2009, 11:49am
Have seen a few mobile computer repair businesses around lately, anybody used someone like this to calibrate their monitors from time to time.....and wonder how the price of a twice yearly calibration by a computer pro compared to purchase of your own calibration gizmo would go ?

Lani
27-05-2009, 11:59am
How much is a spyder these days Col? vs how much for the pro?
I reckon they are worth every penny, finally got some pro lab prints back today and they are spot on. Yay!!!! I have the spyder 3pro, really easy to use.

Kym
27-05-2009, 12:08pm
Have seen a few mobile computer repair businesses around lately, anybody used someone like this to calibrate their monitors from time to time.....and wonder how the price of a twice yearly calibration by a computer pro compared to purchase of your own calibration gizmo would go ?

The main advantage of your own is dealing with ambient light changes.

Where your computer is the light varies during the day and has artificial light at night.

Any unit with ambient light adjustment that is connected all the time gives you near constant colour and brightness.

Do the mobile repair people do calibration? - the ones I know mainly do hardware fix/upgrade and virus removal.

Seesee
27-05-2009, 1:00pm
The main advantage of your own is dealing with ambient light changes.

Where your computer is the light varies during the day and has artificial light at night.

Any unit with ambient light adjustment that is connected all the time gives you near constant colour and brightness.

Do the mobile repair people do calibration? - the ones I know mainly do hardware fix/upgrade and virus removal.


Not sure how many do the calibration...but just yesterday I seen a car with a sign indicating computer repairs as well as calibration, but that is the only one I've seen admittedly, I thought maybe it was a standard practice ...taa Kym

reaction
28-05-2009, 9:38am
I'll do calibration for you in Syd for a small price :)

Colcam
19-07-2009, 3:33pm
I feel that monitor calibration is critical if you want consistent colour throughout your workflow over a period of time. I calibrate fortnightly and ALWAYS have to adjust something and that is on a $3,000 EIZO monitor! My wife's Viewsonic shifts noticeably too and has to be calibrated regularly as well. Your eyes adjust to the swing over time, so it is important to keep it nice and tight.
I am not going to rubbish any brand of unit, but the critical work appears to be done by folk who choose X_rite calibration tools (I have an eye-one display 2) and for the money concious the Huey. You should look at the ColorMunki , also from Xrite which will calibrate your monitor, scanner, projector and possibly camera. http://www.des-pl.com.au/products/products.asp?pd=PD00297 It is not all that expensive. See this prevoius post http://www.ausphotography.net.au/forum/showthread.php?t=25966
I have known a few who have not been happy with the Spyder. Any thoughts on that?
Col

arthurking83
19-07-2009, 4:05pm
....
I have known a few who have not been happy with the Spyder. Any thoughts on that?
Col

There was a link to a review in another thread somewhere on AP, and the guts of that review was that not all calibrators work as well on every model of screen. Mind you this was specific to LCD screens, and none of the review was done on a CRT screen.
The best of the best were rated so on some screens, but then middle ground on other screens, and while the Spyders were about average, they seemed to top out on at least one model of screen. So what does that say about the review results?

Unless they test every screen ever made, the choice of calibrator is basically pot luck.
The end result is something along the lines that Joe Average sees above excellent results on his ABC LCD screen with the Spyder, and Fred Nurk sees terrible results from the Spyder on his XYZ LCD screen.

There is no real way to tell (apart from test results already done) if your screen is going to calibrate well with any particular calibrator.

Oh! and spending more money on the calibrator doesn't appear to be the answer either!

Once upon a time I printed a couple of photos.
That Canon printer went directly into the bin a while back, but the few prints it produced for various family members, were spot on with what I saw on my uncalibrated CRT screen. :th3:
(that's good enough for me ATM :))

mcdesign
22-07-2009, 8:46am
"were spot on with what I saw on my uncalibrated CRT screen" CRT's were far more accurate than LCD, so hang onto them if you have one, I firstly had the Spyder2express but it wasn't any good on the iMac or the ViewSonic so got the Eye One, seems to be pretty accurate as far as matching prints is concerned, I did have profiles made of the papers I use though.

Kym
22-07-2009, 1:24pm
Just ordered a Pantone Huey Pro of fleabay via Aussie seller - new - $136 delivered.

draco
22-07-2009, 9:49pm
when will it arrive Kym? will you be able to give some sort of review on this one?

Kym
22-07-2009, 9:51pm
As I've only manually calibrated before I cant compare. I can compare to prints . Will likely loan it to a few locals. ;) Lets see how it all goes.
I'll also use it at work.

Kym
28-07-2009, 3:28pm
The Huey Pro arrived!
Installed simply worked - calibration took 2 minutes roughly.

Calibrated - What the?
The monitor looks washed out after calibration. But it is more accurate - so it will change my PP.
Some images I've posted don't look so good as I thought hey did :D

Seesee
28-07-2009, 4:22pm
The Huey Pro arrived!
Installed simply worked - calibration took 2 minutes roughly.

Calibrated - What the?
The monitor looks washed out after calibration. But it is more accurate - so it will change my PP.
Some images I've posted don't look so good as I thought hey did :D

Hmmmm...if your monitor is now calibrated accurately why is it that only "some" images dont look as good, wouldn't they all look poorly now ?

Your images looked right on my monitor before, guess I'm not sure about other peoples though. Theoretically then when I view your images from now on on my manually calibrated monitor they should appear darker than expected...errrrr I think, or is it the other way around.

Does that sound pheasable ?

Kym
28-07-2009, 4:28pm
Hmmmm...if your monitor is now calibrated accurately why is it that only "some" images dont look as good, wouldn't they all look poorly now ?
Your images looked right on my monitor before, guess I'm not sure about other peoples though. Theoretically then when I view your images from now on on my manually calibrated monitor they should appear darker than expected...errrrr I think, or is it the other way around.
Does that sound pheasable ?

Makes sense - kind of - I'm still trying to get my head around it. Poorly is probaly the wrong word - different is a better word.

My old un-calibrated settings were darker/more saturated.
So images look lighter & less saturated now (calibrated).

This one I looked at this AM and after calibration at lunch time was obvious to me http://www.ausphotography.net.au/forum/showthread.php?t=36223

Seesee
28-07-2009, 4:38pm
Makes sense - kind of - I'm still trying to get my head around it. Poorly is probaly the wrong word - different is a better word.

My old un-calibrated settings were darker/more saturated.
So images look lighter & less saturated now (calibrated).

This one I looked at this AM and after calibration at lunch time was obvious to me http://www.ausphotography.net.au/forum/showthread.php?t=36223

That particular image is "washed out" looking, certainly is on my monitor, there are some obvious over exposed areas and it was taken in bright light.......so not sure how good a test that image is. I've certainly been tossing around the idea of a calibrator myself, but I keep reading mixed results and opinions.

My current monitor looks good to me, and my prints seem to match what's on my monitor well so I'm always a little hesitant in playing around with what already seems to work fro me, certainly be curious to hear more about it .

Kym
28-07-2009, 4:56pm
Ok, we can try it. If you don't like the results it can all be undone using the reset button !

We are talking my notebook screen which are notoriously bad - I'll calibrate my home system tonight. They are noticeably different.

I @ M
28-07-2009, 5:12pm
My current monitor looks good to me, and my prints seem to match what's on my monitor well so I'm always a little hesitant in playing around with what already seems to work fro me, certainly be curious to hear more about it .

Your point there sums it up Col, if your monitor shows you a picture that is spot on to the scene you saw and then also the prints come out the same as your monitor shows there is little need to play any further.

Where the calibrators do work best is when people are having a hard time getting all the colours lined up between the original scene, the monitor and then the printer.

I know in our case that once the calibrator was bought and used all the prints come back from the printers looking the same as the screen and regular use keeps them that way.