For people who work in the design industry, a monitor calibration is indeed an essential tool. among those many colorimeter out there, Datacolor offer many good tool while still in an affordable range of price. If you are in need of a colorimeter, in this article we will introduce you two of Datacolor colorimeter, which are Spyder5PRO and Spyder5ELITE.
In this article we will give you information about:
– What is Spyder5PRO and Spyder5ELITE
– What Spyder5PRO and Spyder5ELITE can offer to you
– Spyder5PRO vs Spyder5ELITE
About Spyder5PRO
Spyder5pro is a Display Calibration System that was produced by Datacolor. This tool will help you maintain the consistency of your monitor since the post part until the delivery phase. The Spyder5PRO is designed to be used by serious or professional photographer and designers who are currently seeking a solution for a full featured and advanced color accuracy. You can use the tool to calibrate multiple screen at once, from desktop monitors to laptops. Comes with the tool, you can use the PRO software that has an advanced calibration features to set gamma, white point and gray balance, the PRO also allow you to choose between 16 choices of calibration settings. If you are interested in other similar tool, you can read our previous article here.
Spyder5PRO Features
To calibrate your screens, there are two parts of the system. One is the colorimeter sensor itself that you can plug into your computer with a USB port. When in use, you should hang the sensor over the top of the monitor and place it at the center of your screen. The second part is the software that you have to install in your computer. The Spyder5PRO software doesn’t come in a CD inside the package, so you have to download it from the Datacolor site, you also have to activate it using a serial number before you can use it. The software has an interactive help and will provide you with a calibration wizard.
The Spyder5PRO colorimeter comes with 7-detector optical engine feature. The sensor is very compact and portable, it is also lightweight so you can hang it in the top of your screen without weighing your monitor down. The tool will require 5 minute in initial calibration time, while recalibration will take half of it. The Spyder5PRO will also re-calibrate your screen once in a month to keep your screen stay calibrated. You can have three ambient light setting, before and after evaluation, and basic analysis with the Spyder5PRO, so you can say that this is a powerful tool to have in your set up.
About Spyder5ELITE
The Spyder5Elite is another colorimeter by Datacolor. The package is minimalist, inside the box you can find the colorimeter tool, a card with a web address to download the software, a user manual on the internet and the last is sticker with the serial number that you can use for the software activation located at the bottom of the box. Before you throw out the box, make sure you write down the serial number. The appearance of the sensor is said to look like a hockey puck with three shallow curves carved into its side.
Spyder5ELITE Features
To compare it from its predecessor, the Spyder5Elite has a few other upgrades to its predecessor, the tool includes and enhanced optical engine that will give you improved gamma response, it also has a smaller baffle to help reduce ambient light. Common complaint about the Spyder5Elite is that the cable is too short, especially if you place your PC on the floor under the desk.
Taken from pcmag, the software contains a wizard that will show you through each of the step of calibration and also offer you help along the process. When first opening the software you will also given a choice to choose between the studio match option, which will help you achieve consistency in all of your screens, if you use more than one and the other is expert control, which will provide manual control over things, such as luminance, values, gray balance and white-point settings.
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The software will need around 5 minutes to do the calibration and the process will begin with selecting your display type, such as desktop, laptop or projector. After that, you are asked to enter the manufacturer and model number and if the monitor has brightness control and White point presets. However the Spyder5Elite does not automatically adjust the brightness of your screen, so you have to do it manually.
Comparing between the two of them, you can notice that Spyder5Elite is pricier than the Spyder5PRO. The Spyder5Elite able to offer you a higher level of control to ensure you will have the most accurate monitor color. This tool gives you unlimited settings for gamma, white point and advanced great balancing to optimize your workflow. While the Spyder5PRO only adapt to your display based on room brightness in 3 ambient levels, the Spyder5Elite is able up to 5 ambient lights.
Spyder5PRO vs. Spyder5ELITE
Spyderx Pro Presets Review User Manual Software
Conclusion
If you are a professional or work in the design industry, in our opinion it is good to opt for the Spyder5Elite. Because if your business is reliant on the quality of design, the color accuracy is very important. The Spyder5Elite will assist you with everything you need when calibrating your screen.
Related Posts:
The situation is very easy to understand: before version 4, I would never recommend to buy the Express version as I found the results pretty random and, at best, just barely correct. How about this fifth Express version? A hint: the sensor is finally the same as Pro and Elite versions...
Datacolor's low-cost solution for calibrating monitors for beginners or small budgets has therefore just been replaced. Datacolor announces the release of the Spyder5Express (Spyder 5 Express) - sold for less than 130 dollars - this is a simplified version of the Spyder5Pro and Spyder5Elite versions under test on this site. You will not find any options to choose your target values for example, not even brightness/contrast?!
However, until version 4, Datacolor sold the Express version with an equally simplified sensor and it must be admitted that the result was... very average to such an extent that I preferred not to recommend it. Well, this is the most interesting new feature of this new Spyder5Express version: the sensor used is the same as for the Pro and Elite versions! Yes, you read it right...
Important new feature! The Spyder5Express uses the same colorimeter as the Pro version and the expert Elite version. It is obviously a token of good quality, and above all a first in this price range!
Let's not waste anymore time and start reviewing it right away because even if many of you like to choose their target values and will thus choose a more 'professional' version, even more of you want to be able to trust the sensor...
Spyderx Pro Download
In a few words...
For the first time, a range access colorimeter uses the same measuring instrument as its large Pro and Elite sisters, a guarantee of quality. The big difference is in the measurement of the brightness of your monitor, which is not included in this sensor - Read my conclusion | |||
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Spyderx Pro Presets Review User Manual Download
Introduction to the Spyder5Express - Datacolor
Spyderx Pro Presets Review User Manual Free
This Datacolor range access monitor calibration sensor is in its fifth version. It continues to address a rather amateur audience that is new to the field or does not want to hear about target value settings because the possibilities for adjustments are non-existent and the procedure is simplified to its maximum.
The calibration kit and its box
Datacolor's Spyder5Express display colorimeter is sold with a new seven-channel RGB colorimeter that is very well manufactured and has a much larger reading window. It is therefore worth noting or even repeating because it is a striking innovation: the sensor is the same as in the Spyder5Pro and Spyder5Elite kits. The kit contains very simply the colorimeter and its long USB cable and... the serial number. Gone are the days when you also found the software on a CD. You will need to go directly to the manufacturer's website to download the latest updated version directly. Well done because this way we are sure to install the latest version and it's more ecological!
Very well manufactured, the new Spyder5Express sensor is sold in the same packaging as Pro and Elite version.
Spyderx Software
Main features
Spyderx Pro Software Download
- Last generation Spyder5 colorimeter: same as the Elite version!
- Software made as simple as possible; no settings adjustment.