Datacolor Spyder 2 Express, CRT & LCD Monitor Calibration Hardware & Software

2009-11-01T19:00:00

Cheap calibrator to get accurate colors. The actual process was bit confusing first, but after figuring out how adjust lightning etc. it works fine. Takes a bit of time, but as it isn't daily thing, the speed isn't show stopper. The Mac software is really outdated, but makes accurate profiles.

ville

2009-10-15T21:00:00

I use the product every 2 weeks on my macintosh system to keep a check on my color output. It is a simple and straight-forward product. It takes about 15 - 20 minutes to calibrate. zzzz wake me when its done. Overall it is much better than the guess and hope it works consideration of color management. It is actually for the money a good product.

Mark C.

2009-08-08T21:00:00

Just installed - I had to download a newer version so it would work with my 64 bit computer. Setup was perdirections, reset monitor back to factory default, no light reflection onto the monitor, and it did the rest. It may not be a pro version, however after calibration, I quickly saw where some picture programs autocorrect might overcorrect some pictures. Could not ask for easier setup.

MELVIN S.

2009-07-21T21:00:00

The thing I like the most about this Calibration System is that I really noticed a difference in my monitors. The blacks are blacker...The Grays are truer.... and the Whites are whiter! I have been waiting for a long time to buy and use one of these but the prices were way too high.... not anymore. If you read the reviews.... this doesn't have a lot of the features the more expensive units do but it will be enough for most people. Glad I bought it.

RICH L.

2009-07-07T21:00:00

I have been looking at monitor calibrating devices for about a year, but price always kept me from taking the plunge. The Spyder 2 Express was easy to use and did what I expected. For the price, you can't go wrong!

WOLFGANG S.

2009-05-03T21:00:00

I don't see it making much of a difference in how photographs look on my monitor. And it does not help them printing more accurately.

Nick321

2009-03-14T21:00:00

Easy and quick to use. Photos look better.

KEITH K.

2009-03-05T19:00:00

This worked as advertised. My intent was to tweak the monitor so that printed pictures would be similar in color to what was on the monitor. The pictures from the lab are much better while my home computer shows only slight improvement.

Dales

2009-03-05T19:00:00

Needed a calibration device for my growing photography business without breaking the bank... The Spyder 2 Express is simple to setup, simple to run and it works!

Mike P.

2009-03-05T19:00:00

Very easy to use & it produces dramatatic results. No matter how close you think that your screen colors are to correct you will see a significant improvement

JEFFREY A.

2009-03-05T19:00:00

The Spyder2express works as advertised, but the software really has no configurable options. You can't even choose the color temperature to use, which is unfortunate if you have less-than-ideal lighting conditions. If price is critical, and all you want to do is calibrate a single monitor to 6500K and gamma 2.2, it will do the job. I got a bit frustrated with its limitations and returned it for the Spyder3 Pro.

RandomS

2009-02-19T19:00:00

I use Adobe Lightroom to process RAW images taken using a Nikon D300. The pictures looked bright on the monitor but dark when printed. This issue was 90% resolved by using this product. The only issue is that the monitor has to be recalibrated every three to four weeks. However, that is a function of the monitor not the product.

charlton c.

2009-02-19T19:00:00

Once I got the hang of the thing everything fell into place. Good tool for the average photographer looking for color correction of a monitor. Still must adjust picture for final best appearance.

Henry e.

2009-01-22T19:00:00

This is an easy-to-use, low cost solution for color management. It is ideal for the beginner or amateur-on-a-budget digital photographer who wants the colors on their computer monitor to correspond with what prints out at the photo lab. This system worked wonders for my laptop. Don't expect a lot of options or features; it is an entry level system, but it does the job.

GBL

2009-01-20T19:00:00

This product was really easy to use and perfect for home use.

kfont

2009-01-13T19:00:00

Seems to do a great job - my prints match up with my monitor perfectly. The software does run an annoying popup that sets your color profile when logging into XP, however. It only takes a second, but its still annoying. Other than that, it does everything I needed it to do.

Super_B

2009-01-13T19:00:00

I thought my monitor was good on calibration until i used the Spyder 2 Express. My digital images now have that WOW factor that was missing.

WAYNE K.

2009-01-01T19:00:00

Perfect for learning about color profiling your monitor for use with your photo editing program.

Spencer

2008-12-29T19:00:00

My monitor needs monthly calibration, and the Spyder does it quickly

HARRY J.

2008-12-28T19:00:00

After taking a CC photo class with the fancy Mac calibrated monitors, I knew I needed help with my PC monitor. After checking online reviews I got the Spyder Express. My monitor was significantly toward the blue end. No wonder my prints looked bad. Easy to install and use. It's a little slow, but still calibration under ~5 minutes. Its easy to move so now I've done my laptop and the PC at work too. Not top end, but good value.

Wally

2008-12-28T19:00:00

This is the first color calibration product that I've used and it's been a fantastic experience. No problems encountered. Instructions are clear and easy to follow and the color calibration process is automatic and well integrated.

CK

2008-09-26T21:00:00

i'm not a pro but for me works i calibrate a MacBook Pro and the display look awsome

EDWARD R.

2008-09-07T21:00:00

I've Used The Spyder2Express On Both My Mom's Laptop, And My Dad's Computer. I Also Plan On Using It On My Macbook That's On It's Way. It Really Couldn't Have Been Simpler. Just Install The Software, Plug The Calibrator In, Adjust It On The Screen, And The Rest Is Fully Automatic. The Difference Is Stunning! On Both The Computer, And Notebook I Had A Pretty Bad Blue Tint On My Screen. My Colors Were Also Very Washed Out. But After Calibrating, Colors Really Pop, And Everything Looks Much More Vibrant, And Sharp. I Was Also Getting A Really Bad Tint On All My Files In Adobe Bridge. After Calibrating, I No Longer Have This Red Tint, And It's Making It Much, Much Easier To Adjust My RAW Files. All In All, I Love This Product. It's At A Great Price, It Was Very Simple To Set Up And Use, And It's Made A Huge Difference In Color Quality, And Accuracy On My Monitors. HIGHLY RECOMMENDED!

twitch77

2008-09-03T21:00:00

At first i really didn't see much difference by just looking at my monitor. After editing some pictures and having them printed, i noticed a big difference in the colors.. I now use the spyder to recalibrate monitor every month.

jim

2008-08-05T21:00:00

The software for OS X is buggy and confusing. 2 screens doesn't work. I had to mirror my 2 screens, make 2 profiles and apply them separately to the different monitors because the software doesn't work right on OS X 10.5. I did get it to work but it's not smooth.

ncowger

2008-02-22T19:00:00

Although it's the cheapest version of the Spyders it works great. By checking the before and after comparison after the full automatic calibration you can inspect the results. For me it has done small wonders - now my monitor actually conforms to my prints. The UI is relatively basic, yet it's very easy to set up. If you need an elementary way to get your colors right the Spyder2Express is a fine choice. But if you have more than one monitor to sync or if you want to tweak different parameters you want to look into the Pro version.

Jacob

2008-02-20T19:00:00

I calibrated my home computer and laptop and was amazed at the difference it made. Instructions were clear and easy to follow. Start to finish took about 20 minutes. Express is a good value as is, although adding the automated luminance adjustment for blacks and whites would make it a terrific value. Still, if you do any adjusting and printing of photos at all, this is a must have!

Rex99701

2008-01-29T19:00:00

It could be better for the price, is a very basic calibration tool and it doesn't show any extra features of medium or advance calibration

Don D.

2008-01-20T19:00:00

If you don't type well getting updates is slow as you have to enter the serial# for each update. After it's set up repeat usage is extremely simple with good results.

PhotoGrizz

2008-01-20T19:00:00

The Spyder 2 appeared to be both easy to setup and a good value from all of the reviews I read here. While my case may be different since I run Windows x64 Pro, I had trouble installing and setting it up. After installing the software, I had to manually install the hardware through the Control Panel. The really tough thing about this install was that I had to try different things, each time unplugging the hardware. What made it worse was that each time I unplugged, my computer automatically shutdown. I finally got the hardware recognized and then things started working well. I am now able to easily calibrate my monitor. This tool has made a huge difference in my prints. I use a cheap Canon Pixma 6310D but the pictures before calibration were washed out. The colors didn't pop and well, it just wasn't worth printing pictures. Now I get much better color rendition and I don't feel like I took a bad picture once I see the print. My far-away relatives can now see our family without waiting for processing and mailing. I think this tool is a good value despite my difficulties.

rad64