Datacolor Spyder 2 Colorimeter suite

2008-09-23T21:00:00

I got this to calibrate my monitor, for the price, it does what it says it does. After calibrating the monitor, I ordered some prints and they came out exactly as i had expected. I would recommend this to someone that is wanting a good price for the performance. The calibration can take a while, and having to manually set the RGB, brightness and contrast can be a drag. However it does pay off with the difference in the monitor's display of colors.

Nick

2008-08-23T21:00:00

I tried to use it to adjust the monitor on my laptop, but it did not function. On power up I get a message that says the image is too large. I will reinstall the software and try again when I have more time to spend on running and troubleshooting.

bill

2008-01-22T19:00:00

Spyder2 does a great job calibrating any monitor and is a clear step up from the original Spyder. The one fault is that it requires a step where you have to repeatedly adjust (manually) the RGB settings until they're equal and that requires some time and patience.

David

2007-09-26T21:00:00

Easy to set-up... Need to download latest software from website

Joe

2007-09-25T21:00:00

Effective and efficient, just what I needed to correct color problems

JOHN R.

2007-07-09T21:00:00

It was easy enough to calibrate the monitor, except the only way to know that is to see if the printer output matches the monitor. Unfortunately there aren't too may printers supported, and mine wasn't one of them.

Dirtlawyer

2007-05-07T21:00:00

Works well right out of the box

BVA

2007-04-18T21:00:00

The product is great. Though the documentation is somewhat sketchy, I was able to calibrate quickly. The before and after results showed a marked improvement.

Robert S.

2007-04-08T21:00:00

This item is so similar to the previous product, Color Plus that I wonder if it is really better. Having only a LCD, the results seem the same, but more printing will tell. The Pro 2 may have been a better choice

digitally c.

2007-03-26T21:00:00

Product works and calibration is obvious after set up. There is a before and after view so you can see the adjustments that were made. If this is the first time calibating the results may surprise you. Fairly simple to perform and a reminder can be set to prompt you to recalibrate on a routine basis weekly, monthly or never. Recommended

Mikeybhere

2007-03-26T21:00:00

Hardware and color software are good. Have used it on both a CRT and LCD screen. Documentation is poor to non-existent. At the end of the calibration cycle, the newly recognized profile was not recognized by the operating system. Had to go to Windows color management to associate the profile with the monitor, and had to discover this by myself. After that, Spyder2 worked fine. Tip: As installed, there is a default period after which Spyde2 wants to re-do the calibration. The choice of the period is only offered the FIRST time the software is run. Afterwards, the choice is hidden. The way around this is to start the calibration program without plugging in the sensor. At that point the choice appears. One caution: Once installed, there is no documented method to operate without the Sypder2 software. Again, Windows color management is needed; an Uninstall does not do the job. Finally, installing Spyder2 will blow away the OEM simple color management software under the video card driver. There is no way back, unless the user has taken active steps to reinstall some software.

Harvey

2007-03-25T21:00:00

It greatly improved the quality of my photographic images on my computer screen. They now look and appear more natural.

MichaelHead

2007-03-25T21:00:00

An excellent accessory for profiling Epson printers-maybe others, but I have no experience there. Takes 20-30 minutes to set up and calibrate your monitor. When that is completed, the excellent Colorvision profiling software displays test images on your calibrated monitor. Print the first test image and compare the printed version with the monitor display. Go back to the previous page and make any indicated adjustment. Go forward and print the test image again. After 2-3 iterations like this, a virtually perfect printed image can be made that is valid for the exact ink and the paper that was profiled. If ink and/or paper is changed, a new profile can bed generated without re-calibrating the monitor.

Kent

2007-03-25T21:00:00

The spyder 2 was pretty simple to use. It calibrates quickly and has simple step-by-step operations. It seems very accurate, too. The help feature is pretty much useless, so use a photo internet forum to ask for help, or try to figure things out yourself. It says that dual monitor calibration is supported, but no directions or help could be found regarding this topic. I finally found a way to calibrate my second monitor (I switched my second monitor to be my main monitor in system preferences, calibrated it, switched it back, then assigned the proper profile to it), but directions/help from the manufacturer would've been better.

janikphoto

2007-03-25T21:00:00

Great for advance amature, professionals need the 'Pro' version software and the ambiant sensor

Nxmillennia

2007-03-08T19:00:00

found out after buying that it doesn't work on my hp zx5000 w/ ati mobility radeon 9600. spyder says on site that there are problems w/ laptop ati drivers and to download newest driver from computer manufacture. tried that, there are none. be sure if you have an ati card that this will work. good luck finding any info.

lost m.

2007-02-16T19:00:00

Just to followup my earlier review of the Colorimeter. I've now installed the PrintFIX Plus software - it doesn't seem to want to work unless you have admin privileges. The user interface does many unexpected things, like changing file and printer names when you go back to them. Besides that, it is completely useless. You'll have equal or bettter luck adjusting color with your printer driver. There is no way to tell what is going on from the tiny preview image it shows. Profiles are created by adjusting sliders that are just like the sliders in your printer driver. And one final annoyance is that if you register for tech "support" the automatic response droid sends back your password in the clear with the ack message that tells you they got your email and are "working" on it. Use a throw away password.

Mark H.

2007-02-16T19:00:00

Well, this was disappointing out of the box - it does work to some extent. But there is almost no documentation, and the tech support site is nearly useless, contains incorrect information, and the tech support person that took my ticket continued to contribute to the misinformation. I have a dual monitor set-up - apparently colorvision doesn't want you to use this product for a dual monitor, because there are no instructions on how to use it for a dual monitor. In fact, there are no instructions at all. If you have a problem while running the program, the so-called comprehensive help will give you nearly no useful informmtion. The tech guy said that it wouldn't work from a front-panel USB port, and that I would have to upgrade to Pro for dual monitors. Neither of these pieces of information is correct. The profile chooser recognizes both monitors, so all that needs to be done is to switch the primary monitor around to run a profile for each monitor. Then the chooser lets you pick different profiles for each monitor. And it all works fine from my front panel USB port. I'm sure some ports have power problems, but probably not on most modern mother boards. No power spec is given for the device, so you'll just have to try it to see if it works. The profile is okay, once you figure out how to make everything work. I haven't use the print fix stuff, but understand that it is unlikely to be very useful from the other reviews. If you are into this just to play around, this is a cheap way to get some benefit. If you need professional level tools and support, look somewhere else.

Mark H.

2007-02-12T19:00:00

Although I am chalking some of it up to user error....I found this product a little hard to get it right. After 6 calibrations, I'm still not printing 100% accurate...I'm a photographer who is just starting out and use my lab for the most part, but I do need a reliable way to print here too. I have a Canon i9900...and it still doesn't print as well as my old Canon ip6000D even after the monitor/printer calibration.

MTL

2007-02-12T19:00:00

Really did the job

tigeraroo

2007-02-11T19:00:00

ColorVision makes a simple product that gives great results. Why spend $[...] for something that you rarely use? Because it prevents you from wasting hours editing images that end up looking different when printed. Now, after calibrating our monitors with a Spyder2, our printed output matches the onscreen image. And when printing 8x10 and larger, the cost savings add up quickly. [...]

PraguePhotoPro

2007-02-11T19:00:00

An excellent piece of equipment. I wish I had purchased the next level of software with unlimited color temperature settings as the fewer settings are a bit limiting. However, for all but the most demanding graphics color matching, it is superb.

Hollywood S.

2007-02-05T19:00:00

Finally solved matching the colors on my monitor to my photo output after endless tweaking via my nvidia video card and monitor controls failed to get the job done. The print fix software that's included is pretty much useless, however, unless you buy an upgrade to the full pro version for hundreds of dollars.

Don

2007-02-05T19:00:00

this is an expense that should be covered by computer/printer manufacturers. there are far too many variables to make this "gadget" truly reliable. its like buying an expensive Mac then having to buy a good book from an outside source on how to use it. insult.this piece of plastic should cost half. the results are not that great and does not guarantee good print results.

larr d.

2007-02-04T19:00:00

It has helped but not to a great extent, yet it is the little things that set one photo apart from another. I am pleased though in knowing for sure that my workflow will be consistent.

Photo A.

2007-02-04T19:00:00

Made my printed photos match the ones on my screen.

Unwritten B.