INTRODUCTION
Ever since i got my first serious gaming/professional monitor (EIZO FlexScan T966 back in 2003) i was very interested in the ways one could calibrate the colors of any screen in order to get the optimal results. Of course much like most people back then i wasn't willing to spend more money in order to get the professional tools required to perform a proper color calibration but i was always looking for other less expensive alternatives. Some software based solutions did popup from time to time but the results were less than satisfactory so after many years of looking around i came to the conclusion that using a professional tool (or a consumer oriented one) is the only valid way to calibrate a monitor. Datacolor is the very first name (Color Vision i think it was back then) I’ve heard back when i started looking for ways to calibrate my monitor and today after all these years i finally have the chance to take a look at their latest monitor calibration tool the Spyder5 Elite+.
Datacolor, a global leader in color management solutions, provides software, instruments and services to assure accurate color of materials, products and images. The world’s leading brands, manufacturers and creative professionals have used Datacolor’s innovative solutions to consistently achieve the right color for more than 45 years. The company provides sales, service and support in over 100 countries throughout Europe, the Americas and Asia. Industries served include textile and apparel, paint and coatings, automotive, plastics, photography and design. For more information visit: www.datacolor.com.
The new Spyder5 is primarily a colorimeter which means it can precisely measure the color accuracy of your screen and improve it by producing an accurate color profile. Datacolor currently offers the Spyder5 in five different versions Express (only offers 6500k as color temperature, 2.2 as gamma choice and comes without the room light measurement and recalibration features), Pro (offers 5000K/5800K/6500K/native color temperatures, 1.8/ 2.0/ 2.2/ 2.4 gamma choices and supports both simple room light measurement and quick recalibration), Pro+ (offers everything Pro does plus one click calibration, profile management and automatic room light switching - effectively adjusts the monitors brightness levels according to your room’s ambient light level), Elite (offers unlimited number of color temperature and gamma choices and also features custom calibration targets such as NTSC/ PAL/ SECAM/ ITU-R/ Rec.BT.709/ ITU-R/ Rec.BT.2020/ Cineon and L-Star, advanced room light measurement, front projector calibration, improved gray balance, gamma curve editing and StudioMatch which effectively allows the end user to tweak the profiles to match multiple displays connected to the same computer) and Elite+ (again offers everything the Elite does plus one click calibration, profile management, soft-proofing, enhanced StudioMatch and automatic room light switching) which is also the one we have here.
SPECIFICATIONS AND FEATURES
PACKAGING AND CONTENTS
Datacolor actually send us the Spyder5 Express version (plus an upgrade key for the Elite+) so that's what's printed at the front of the box right over the product picture.
The product usage is stated on the right side of the box in 10 languages.
You can read the system requirements and software download URL from the left side.
A thank you note is the first thing you see once you remove the top cover.
The product serial number is placed on a sticker located at the bottom of the box as seen above.
I don't know if the retail Elite+ version has more "goodies" inside the package but the Express version only comes with the Spyder5 unit and the welcome note.
THE SPYDER5
The Spyder5 is a small device made primarily out of hard plastic that measures 6.9cm in length, 7.4cm in width and 4.4cm in height. Compared to previous models the Spyder5 features a new 7 color matrix that according to Datacolor offers up to 55% improvement in tonal response especially in the shadows.
Both the product and company names are printed at the front of the sensor and around the room lighting sensor.
At the front of the Spyder5 we also find a tripod mounting hole (especially useful when calibrating projectors).
Moving at the base we see a round piece of rubber (acts as the feet of the Spyder5).
To use the Spyder5 you will need to open it as seen above to expose the sensors placed behind a honey comb filter.
The front goes on your screen while the rear goes behind to act as counterweight (the length is adjustable).
SPYDER5 ELITE+ SOFTWARE
You can download the latest software versions from Datacolor's download page seen above.
The software gives you a detailed list of things you can do with it prior to entering the serial number (requires online verification).
You get two primary options from the main screen, calibrate your display and softproofing.
The calibration wizard lists several steps you will need to take in order to calibrate your display.
Of course you will first need to choose the display type you want to calibrate and the kind of brightness controls it has (kelvin or percentage).
Once that's done you need to place the Spyder5 at the center of the screen as seen at the end of the previous page.
After the calibration finishes you can save the new profile as seen above and set a reminder for a recalibration.
You can check the before and after calibration results from the next screen.
As expected the software produces NTSC, sRGB and AdobeRGB color gamut results.
There are many more tests you can perform with the Spyder5 Elite+ software including tone response, brightness and contrast, white point, screen uniformity and color accuracy.
CONCLUSION
The Spyder5 colorimeter by Datacolor simplifies monitor calibration to a point that anyone can do it so although this is a must for professional photographers even casual users can benefit greatly from it. The device is compact and of high quality and thanks to the combination of a very detailed calibration wizard and a very thorough user guide (help topics) it's extremely easy to use. With the Spyder5 Elite+ you're of course not limited in just color calibrating any monitor, you can also measure it's gamut, brightness and contrast levels, check its uniformity and much more. Honestly the only thing that somewhat felt strange is that we needed to have the Spyder5 connected with the computer at all times in order to automatically adjust the brightness levels of the screen according to the ambient lighting conditions of the room (only applicable to the Pro+ and Elite+ versions). We do realize that this couldn't have been possible any other way (bundling a standalone lighting sensor would obviously up the cost quite a bit) but still having the device plugged into the computer 24/7 feels a bit off (not to mention it may reduce its lifespan). Still we're certain that this feature will be very valuable to some professionals so we're glad Datacolor implemented it regardless of whether or not we'd use it.
Monitor color calibration tools (colorimeters) used to cost just as much as a very good monitor and although prices have dropped to a point that even consumers can get a basic version the full-fledged versions are still not what we’d call affordable. To be more specific although the entry level Spyder5 Express version which we recommend to casual consumers currently retails for USD119 inside the USA (Amazon.com) and 101Euros inside the EU (Amazon.co.uk) the Spyder5 Elite version currently retails for USD277 inside the USA (Amazon.com) and 213Euros inside the EU (Amazon.co.uk). That’s not all however since you still need the extra key to upgrade from the Elite to the Elite+ (supplied directly from Datacolor) and that will set you back roughly another USD30/30Euros which totals to roughly USD300/240Euros for the Spyder5 Elite+ version. However although the full-fledged version is not exactly affordable it’s still a fraction of what one had to pay in order to get a good calibrator (and that would be strictly a color calibrator) almost a decade ago. Overall Datacolor has produced what might just be the best all-around monitor calibrator in the market today and that it’s good enough to get our Golden Award is also the reason we’ve been using it in our monitor reviews.
PROS
- Compact Size
- Build Quality
- 7 Color Matrix (Detail)
- Unlimited Color Temperature And Gamma Choices
- Custom Calibration Targets (NTSC/PAL/SECAM/ITU-R/Rec.BT.709/ITU-R/Rec.BT.2020/Cineon/L-Star)
- Available Features (Recalibrating/1 Click Calibration/Enhanced StudioMatch/Automatic Brightness Levels/Projector Calibration/Soft Proofing)
- Easy To Use
CONS
- Price (For Some)