X-Rite i1Display 2 Color Calibrator for LCD, CRT, and Laptop Displays
by Xrite
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Digital Cameras Photo Reviews of X-Rite i1Display 2 Color Calibrator for LCD, CRT, and Laptop Displays
Customer Review: Quick and easy to use, but dual monitor use is not straightforward for Windows users
Summary: 5 Stars
I have been increasingly more interested in my photography hobby and came to the eventual realization that monitor color and luminance calibration was necessary. It just did not make sense, spending sometimes hours post processing a photo on my computer, only to have it show up with different colors on somebody else's screen or printer.
I have never before calibrated any monitors or TVs and considered, in addition to this product, the Spyder 3 Pro and LaCie Blue Eye. I finally decided on the Eye-One Display 2.
I have now calibrated my dual LCD monitor setup (Dell 2405WFP and 2408WFP) and Dell XPS 17" laptop with complete ease and great, consistent results. Because I actually have 2 separate PCIe video cards, calibrating dual LCD is as easy as calibrating one with Windows Vista 32 bit.
PROS:
1. Cheaper than LaCie Blue Eye, which is highly regarded by certain website reviewers (although more expensive than Spyder 3 Pro)
2. Same hardware to the well regarded LaCie Blue Eye
3. Better ability to reproduce black on LCD as per a website review than Spyder 3 Pro
4. Ability to measure and calibrate luminance
5. Very simple easy mode for those who want speed and to not have to understand the complexities of color calibration
6. An advanced mode, which was actually fairly easy for even me to use (and I have no prior detailed knowledge of color technologies)
7. Software allows you to see the before and after effects of your calibration effort by showing a color chart and a small portrait of a woman.
8. Install CD contains very easy to use complete video tutorials on how to calibrate.
CONS:
1. On Apple Macs, dual monitor calibration is supposedly easy. But with Windows XP/Vista, it is not a straightforward task. Because I actually have TWO separate PCIe video cards, calibrating dual LCD was as easy as calibrating one under Windows Vista 32 bit.
A dual monitor setup with a SINGLE video card can be calibrated individually under Windows XP with a workaround solution, as per suggestions I've found from a Google search. I am not sure if the workaround works under Vista, but it seems plausible.
2. More expensive than Spyder 3 Pro (although cheaper than LaCie Blue Eye)
TIPS:
1. On the Dell 2405WFP 24" LCD panel, the monitor will not allow user customizable contrast control if you choose a DVI input for that monitor. I am not certain why this is since my 2408WFP allows this. The only downside of this, is that you cannot use the advanced mode for the Dell 2405WFP, since that mode requires the user to manually change some monitor settings, which include contrast.
2. Consider whether or not you need the more expensive Eye-One Display 2 version vs. the cheaper "LT" version. If you do not need a customized white balance or different gamut or even know what I'm writing about, then you might be completely fine with the "LT" version. I am not 100% certain if the "LT" version will measure and calibrate luminance, however. This could be an important difference.
3. If cost is an issue, I would also research the Spyder 3 Pro system. Although I chose the Eye-One Display 2, I realize now since seeing the vast differences from my pre-calibrated images to my post-calibrated images, that color calibration is essential. It is probably better to calibrate with almost anything vs not calibrating at all.
4. Also realize that the Eye-One Display 2, Spyder 3 Pro, and LaCie Blue eye hardware can be utilized with 3rd PARTY SOFTWARE! A Google search will show that there are indeed even FREE 3rd party software that you can use to drive the hardware. Some forum members seem to write positive results with some of this software.
5. If cost is no object, serious consideration should be given to the more expensive LaCie Blue Eye. A Google search shows that this is a very well regarded system. (The Eye-One uses the same hardware as this Blue Eye.)
6. Go the X-rite website and look at the current version numbers of the software and compare it to what your installer disk has. Instead of using the install CD, I downloaded the newest versions from the website. I believe only 1 or 2 out of approximately 5 files I downloaded were newer from the website, but this is always a good idea. Some of the files are very large and you will definitely need a broadband connection. Burn these files to your own DVD, so that you can then install the software on each of your computers or laptops to use the calibrating hardware. The install CD is still very useful as it has the really useful tutorials.
I hope this review was helpful as it is certainly confusing as a novice to determine which calibrator to use!
Customer Review: I should have purchased it sooner.
Summary: 5 Stars
Color management is one of those things that you think, "I should definitely do that... some day". After countless "some days" you find yourself continuing to struggle with a monitor that fails to provide an accurate, objective color scheme for your photos or web graphics. You figure out some poor workarounds and say to yourself, "I should really get a calibration device... some day".
Well, I'm embarrassed to say that it took me a long time to invest in a color management device and I can safely say it will be the best investment I've made in my Macbook Pro. I have always operated under the assumption that a Mac has superior built-in color management compared to a PC so it should be "close enough" to do everything but the most critical work. As it turns out, that was a really bad assumption. My Apple Cinema Display is definitely a whole lot more accurate out of the box than my laptop display, as this little device showed me all too well.
I work mostly in Lightroom and Photoshop on my computer when I do printing and I've always complained about using my laptop to proof my images. I now have nearly complete faith that what I am seeing on the monitor is an objective, accurate representation of the actual colors and tones of the image I am working on. Gone are the days where I've had to do countless test prints to dial in the color of an image.
The installation of the software is a bit archaic on my Macbook Pro (10.6.4). There is a standalone program on the installation CD along with two other applications that don't quite provide an easy way of determining their function or whether they're required to run the calibration. I simply double-clicked to install each of them and found I only needed one of the three (time wasted and almost solely due to poor installation instructions). Apparently, X-Rite decided a generic installation guide with pictures and multi-platform installation steps would suffice. Well, for the initial installation, it didn't. The Flash-based and PDF-based install instructions were a great addition, however, if you are the type who likes sitting through them. Fortunately, I am, so I was able to determine the majority of what I needed from those two sources.
The software that runs the device is very straightforward and walks you through the simple process of calibrating your display. I had to play around with the white point settings just a bit to get rid of a green cast resulting from using the Native White Point of my laptop and Cinema displays. I reverted to 6500K with a 2.2 gamma and the results were much better! I'd recommend this to anyone complaining of a green cast. There's nothing in the software to indicate that this will fix it, but I've read a few online forums discussing the default settings of the Eye-One Display 2 and they each recommended using 6500K and 2.2 gamma for a Mac.
Overall, this device, albeit a bit pricey as a one-time purchase, will produce reliable, high-quality color for a long time to come. I am planning on upgrading my computer next year and this will be the first change I make to the machine after getting it set up. It's simply that good. I give this product 5 stars and highly recommend it to anyone doing their own printing who wants reliable results.
Customer Review: It works great!
Summary: 5 Stars
I used this to calibrate a three year old 19" Viewsonic LCD with a TN panel, a Hanns-G HX-191DPB 19" LCD, a Dell D400 and a Dell D410 laptop. Each one took about a half hour to set up the software and calibrate. All screens look amazing. I did, however, find the need to employ a 3-foot USB extension cable for my desktop, being that the box is rather far from the monitor. Most people will not need the extension.
I chose to do the "easy" method and the "advanced" method to see the difference. After viewing both, I have to say that I find no need to do the "advanced" method again. In the future, I will use the "easy" calibration choice.
NOTE: At the end of the process, be sure to un-check the box that states it will remind you daily or weekly to recalibrate your monitor. That sure is annoying.
The colors on my monitor are now warmer and more true. Being that I have TN panel on all screens, I am very happy that I have the colors I do, for I am only seeing about 72% gamut.
Before the calibration I used the Color Index 2: Over 1500 New Color Combinations: For Print and Web Media: Cmyk and Rgb Formulas to see how far out my colors were. I chose a brown-blue-orange-red mix and typed in the numbers from the page. I wasn't even close! After calibration I typed in the same numbers and held the book up to the screen: now I was very close on all but the brown, which was only slightly out. Not bad for a 30-minutes process that required little to no input from me.
Now, the other reviewers that complained about the instructions are right: it expects a lot from you as a user. You must have a general understanding of what you are doing in order to make it happen. That's not to say it is completely lacking or impossible to figure out, but I could see where some people may have a problem or two. The manual is very basic. VERY basic. Ultra-minimalistic is a better way of putting it.
I highly recommend this product to everyone that has a monitor and USB port.
Customer Review: X-Rite Eye-One Display 2
Summary: 5 Stars
The i1D2 is a good device. After a few attempts to get some of the settings just right (there's a small learning curve in the software on the advanced settings and not a lot of information in the manual), I got it to work the way I wanted it to. The issues I had were selecting the luminance level I wanted to target for my specific monitor. It made definite improvements over the default monitor contrast, RGB, and luminance levels set by the MFR. I highly recommend this to anyone who is even a little serious about digital photography or any kind of computer graphics. I set it to remind me to recalibrate every 2 weeks and it has made adjustments on that schedule... In other words, its a good idea to recalibrate from time to time as your monitor will fluctuate slightly over time.
If things go well for me, I'll be upgrading to one of the x-rite packages which allow full system calibration (printer, camera, scanner, monitor etc etc...) but they are CONSIDERABLY more expensive. There's a rebate/coupon included in the packaging for an upgrade which will help with the cost.
In conclusion, this is a good device for photographers, print graphics professionals or anyone else who uses their computer for imaging. There are other competitor's products out there and some lesser models by x-rite, but honestly, I can't recommend them over the i1D2 - especially since the cost difference just isn't worth the difference in quality. The i1D2 is slightly more expensive, but worth it.
FYI - if you've never adjusted your contrast/luminance (brightness) and RGB settings, you're likely looking at a monitor set to look "good" on a big-box showroom floor with funky green metal halide lights and 50 other monitors side by side. They trick you by pumping up the contrast and brightness settings to make theirs stand out... but in your studio or home office, you don't have that kind of lighting, and you really are interested in accurate color rather than "BUY ME! BUY ME!" obnoxiousness!
Customer Review: Excellent Product Up Until Now . . . Read On
Summary: 5 Stars
I'll keep this brief because everyone else has said all there is to say.
I've used this device for over two years on CRT, LCD, and laptops, and it has performed fabulously.
But, and I only learned this a few days ago after pressing customer support at x-rite, this device CANNOT be used to calibrate the new wide-gamut monitors. They tell you that to do so you need their i1Pro starting at $995, or their ColorMunki at $500.
So, let the buyer beware. Do not buy this device if you want to calibrate a wide-gamit monitor. I've read elsewhere that the same problem exists with the Spyder 2 but that the Spyder 3 can be used on wide-gamut monitors. I've never used the Spyder products so I have no comment about them.
Someone said that x-rite is resting on its laurels and so it seems with regard to the i1Display2. They got the product when they merged or bought out Gretag McBeth and they appear to be content continuing to market it as is without being concerned that it is now essentially obsolete. Whether they intend to come out with an i1Display3 to compete with the Spyder3 remains to be seen, or perhaps they don't care about the "low-end" market. In other words if you can't afford their alternative products at either $500 or $995 you can take your business someplace else.
Respectfully submitted.