Author Topic: Any experience with X-rite Eye One to calibrate? (Read 11791 times)

Artemis · « **on:** October 22, 2011, 13:54 »

I should have done it a long time ago, but i just borrowed an X-rite Eye One colorimeter to calibrate my screen. (before it was set to imac's sRGB IEC61966 color profile).... i was prepared for 'some' difference, but holy shitters! Seriously...
Everything looks AWFULLY dirty yellow-greenish now, it lost it's pop and is now dull, dark and dirty yellow(ish).

I read on the internet that this tool is very reliable, but i somehow can't believe this is right...
So i was wondering, anyone else been using Eye One...? And is it really so reliable? Were you also shocked at the result?
(i'm ashamed to admit i know very little about color management... what would be the best way to check if this is what its supposed to be?)

Merci

Jo Ann Snover · « **Reply #1 on:** October 22, 2011, 18:22 »

I don't have that particular calibration device, but I'd say you need to view some known good test images - see here for example - and see what they look like.

When you are calibrating, you ended up creating an ICC profile. With my calibration tool and the Mac, it automatically sets up the resulting profile as the one to use for my monitor (and I can check or change that using System Preferences). If you're on Windows, I forget how that's done.

Then you need to be in a color managed application (like photoshop) where you know the app will honor any color profile embedded in any images you are viewing to test your calibration.

If the known good test images look fine, but all your old images look awful, then your calibration is right but your old bad settings caused you to scramble your images

If the know good images look like garbage too, then you either haven't applied the profile that you've made correctly to your system, or you made some mistake in the calibration app that resulted in a bogus profile (for example in my app I have to make sure the colorimeter is over the right part of the window on the monitor when the tests run. If it measured somewhere else, I'd get bogus results.

gostwyck · « **Reply #2 on:** October 22, 2011, 18:35 »

I recommend the MkI human eyeball for 'calibration'. It's well proven and it's most definitely what buyers will be using when they decide which images to buy.

red · « **Reply #3 on:** October 22, 2011, 18:56 »

There are some youtube videos that take you through how to use this device, maybe try looking at some of those -


X-rite Eye One ( i1 ) 1 of 2 - Monitor Setup

I was dragged kicking and screaming from the CRT world into the world of lcd monitors because when they were first introduced the color was not that reliable and the old color calibration devices were not lcd-compatible. Now, that's all you can get (well, unless you want to lay out big bucks). I went from Radius to LaCie ElectronBlues to Apple monitors, which are good but not great. Now there are RGB LED backlit LCD monitors. That being said, unless the color is way off on your images when viewed on several different monitors the human eyeball is pretty reliable. Most buyers, including the big guys are not viewing their work on color-calibrated monitors under 50k lights in a dark room.

Tabimura · « **Reply #4 on:** October 22, 2011, 19:07 »

Quote from: gostwyck on October 22, 2011, 18:35

I recommend the MkI human eyeball for 'calibration'. It's well proven and it's most definitely what buyers will be using when they decide which images to buy.

That, and MkII for those with lasik surgery.

I go by the idea that if your monitor is really off you HAVE to notice without being told by a device. If you're not seeing it, then you'll always have problems.

gostwyck · « **Reply #5 on:** October 22, 2011, 19:25 »

Quote from: cuppacoffee on October 22, 2011, 18:56

I was dragged kicking and screaming from the CRT world into the world of lcd monitors because when they were first introduced the color was not that reliable and the old color calibration devices were not lcd-compatible. Now, that's all you can get (well, unless you want to lay out big bucks). I went from Radius to LaCie ElectronBlues ...

I'm still using a LaCie Blue. When CRT monitors die there's no-one that will even repair them (that I can find anyway) but I've been able to pick up replacements for a song on Ebay. My current 22" monitor, which was virtually brand new in appearance, cost me about $30 to buy (originally about $800 retail) although it did require a 400 mile return trip to collect it. I'm starting to think I should be buying more of them to store for future use.

luissantos84 · « **Reply #6 on:** October 22, 2011, 20:23 »

Quote from: gostwyck on October 22, 2011, 18:35

I recommend the MkI human eyeball for 'calibration'. It's well proven and it's most definitely what buyers will be using when they decide which images to buy.

I was guessing you only shoot and keyword, you do need a monitor but the calibration I am not understanding

sam100 · « **Reply #7 on:** October 22, 2011, 21:22 »

Quote from: Artemis on October 22, 2011, 13:54

I should have done it a long time ago, but i just borrowed an X-rite Eye One colorimeter to calibrate my screen. (before it was set to imac's sRGB IEC61966 color profile).... i was prepared for 'some' difference, but holy shitters! Seriously...
Everything looks AWFULLY dirty yellow-greenish now, it lost it's pop and is now dull, dark and dirty yellow(ish).

I read on the internet that this tool is very reliable, but i somehow can't believe this is right...
So i was wondering, anyone else been using Eye One...? And is it really so reliable? Were you also shocked at the result?
(i'm ashamed to admit i know very little about color management... what would be the best way to check if this is what its supposed to be?)

Merci

I get excellent result on my HP LP2475w in combination with the X-rite colorimeter and the Lacie blue eye pro software.

Patrick.

RacePhoto · « **Reply #8 on:** October 22, 2011, 21:53 »

Huey Pro and I still use a big old Sony CRT. I feel it has more honest color. (and I'm cheap?)

Macs are the best but I'm just stuck as an old PC guy.

If done right, I can make a general comment. It's better to have calibration than to do nothing. Even if it's the shades of gray, it will improve the way someone sees things.

bunhill · « **Reply #9 on:** October 23, 2011, 03:54 »

Poor results after using a calibration device (weird yellow color casts etc) may sometimes be a result of using the device via an under powered USB socket. Try using it via a different USB socket and definitely not via a hub. Not all USB sockets are equally powered (certainly not on many Macs anyhow).

Unplug all other unnecessary USB devices.

Artemis · « **Reply #10 on:** October 23, 2011, 13:45 »

Thanks a lot for the tips and advice y'all !!
I also thought using the eyeballs was ok ...prints always looked a tiny bit darker but still ok, but i felt there was a slight magenta hue... + the one i borrowed the colorimeter from kept saying i was crazy to trust on my eyes... I'm about back to go back to the eyeball settings though...
I checked the test images, but still was unsure (maybe they ARE ok but im so used to my previous settings i cant believe they are? I doubt it but am not sure anymore after seeing all those different hues passing on my screen..)
...so after watching the youtube video's and changing + unplugging all other USB's i tried to recalibrate, this time using the advanced settings instead of the 'easy' before. First issue is on this imac afaik i cant change RGB settings, brightness etc, so i had to skip these steps.
I let the colorimeter do its calibration thing... and now instead of dark and dirty yellow im stuck with dark and very magenta $:-\$
A totally different result than the calibration yesterday. (i did calibrate to 5K instead of 6.5K before).
Mayve this is part of the issue?

The luminance i have is way off from the target (and got no clue how to change or affect it). Although setting it lower i'd probably lose even more 'pop' and lightness...

I feel like throwing the damned thing out of the window, make a couple of prints and just compare to see whats right. Pretty sure it wont be the settings Eye One selected....

lagereek · « **Reply #11 on:** October 24, 2011, 01:26 »

Quote from: Artemis on October 22, 2011, 13:54

I should have done it a long time ago, but i just borrowed an X-rite Eye One colorimeter to calibrate my screen. (before it was set to imac's sRGB IEC61966 color profile).... i was prepared for 'some' difference, but holy shitters! Seriously...
Everything looks AWFULLY dirty yellow-greenish now, it lost it's pop and is now dull, dark and dirty yellow(ish).

I read on the internet that this tool is very reliable, but i somehow can't believe this is right...
So i was wondering, anyone else been using Eye One...? And is it really so reliable? Were you also shocked at the result?
(i'm ashamed to admit i know very little about color management... what would be the best way to check if this is what its supposed to be?)

Merci

Artemis! A properly calibrated screen is a must ofcourse and Im surprised to find people here who doesnt have a clue. Are you working in Mac? if so you use gamma 2.2, the old Mac gamma 1.8, is not used anymore. You also use between 6000-6500 K.

Important is: Your ambient lightsources in the room, too many lamps around will either return a calibration of too yellow/reddish, therefore, when calibrating, use as few lights as possible and that should be the office-setup you are going to use. Adobe or millions of colors is your target.

Your aim is: prints should look exactly as your screen and vice-versa. The entire point of color-management is that print and screen-image should be identical.

If you have bought this Eye-one-color, good but try and change it for X-rites Colormunki-photo, bit more expensive but it saves you lots of hassles, believe me.

I use it for Eizo CG monitoirs and Mac screens and its perfect in every way.

best.