Pantone Huey Pro Review

[yelvertoft]

Originally Posted by Stephen Fox

Must the huey be connected all the time. I.E could I buy one unit and use it to calibrate a number of monitors all on different computers, afterwards store in a cupboard?

Yes, you could do exactly as you suggest. I use the Huey connected all the time on the main PC with the CRT monitor, this then adjusts for ambient lighting on a regular basis (you can turn this feature off if you want).

I have calibrated the screen on the 2nd PC, fitted with a flat panel screen, this made a huge difference. Having calibrated it, it uses the monitor profile that has been created. The widget was then removed and put back on the main machine with no problems - the same as putting it in the cupboard as far as the 2nd PC is concerned. The monitor still uses the adjusted settings. The only thing it can't do is adjust for changing ambient lighting. Oh, and I forget to recalibrate the screen as often as I should.

As an aside, a work collegue of mine had the basic Huey and used it on his PC which is fitted with dual flat panel displays from two different manufacturers; they gave very different views of the same picture. The basic Huey cannot apply different calibration profiles for multiple displays on the same machine, it can only do one profile setting for the two displays. The Pro can do multiple profiles for multiple displays on the same PC.

I loaned him a copy of the Pro calibration software as it appeared the widget was the same - you can pgrade to "Pro" via the Huey website, it's a software download. The software reported "you haven't got a pro widget, I'm not going to run" (not verbatim ). My collegue bought the upgrade (£40 by the time VAT had been added) and ran the calibration. The upgrade must apply different firmware to the widget as it all ran fine. He's astonished at the difference it's made. He'd previously spent hours trying to adjust both displays manually to try and get them the same, with no joy. He's now seeing the same tones on both screens thanks to the upgrade. Well worth the money he said.

Duncan

[Canis Vulpes]

I now have one of these and just calibrated by beloved Sony Trinitron monitor.

The calibration process took less than 5 minutes including taking out of box etc. Initially I noticed the whites were quite yellow but I knew it would take a little while for my eyes/mind to accept the new white. Colours seem better balanced with an even saturation across the colour spectrum. Photographs seems more life like and a photo I am working on at the moment as much black and flashes of white, viewing this photo on the calibrated monitor showed a true white rather than a tinted white as before. On the whole colours are now better balanced as it seems the monitor now has a true grey point reference.

Not sure what to make of the ambient light sensor adjustment of bightness/contrast, will have to gain more experience until I fully decide if its for me.

I have been on the verge of colour calibration for years and although its made a slight change its for the better.

[wolfie]

I've also been on the verge of purchasing Monitor Calibration equipment since buying my new monitor last year.

Today I received my Spyder 2 Suite. setting up was quite simple, well almost.

Although it says on the box and in ColorVisions advertising blurbs that it's Vista compatible, no mention is made in the instructions that there are no vista drivers Drivers included on the software disk.
After half an hour trying to get the thing to work I checked the control panel and found incorrect drivers, however a trip to the ColorVision web site + an 130Mb download sorted things (Good job I'm on broadband)

The setting up was then child's play, but when switching back and forth between my old configuration and the new I found only a very minor diference and that was only on the brightness.

So the question is are these monitor calibration gadgets worth the money. Previously I used "Monitor Calibration Wizard".

http://www.hex2bit.com/products/product_mcw.asp
and Gamma control software.
http://www.normankoren.com/makingfineprints1A.html
Both freeware.

The main reason for buying the Spyder 2 Suite to make sure my Printer is calibrated correctly. So hopefully I've not wasted £109.

Harry

[Canis Vulpes]

I believe monitor calibration is worth it. The human eye is a poor judge of colour so to have correct colour is a big confidence boost. Prior to monitor calibration I thought by camera produced a slight blue colour balance and adjusted accordingly. Since acquiring a Pantone Huey I rarely touch the white balance of my images.

My older images all have too much red! when viewed in a calibrated monitor.

[Roy C]

Originally Posted by Canis Vulpes

I believe monitor calibration is worth it. The human eye is a poor judge of colour so to have correct colour is a big confidence boost. Prior to monitor calibration I thought by camera produced a slight blue colour balance and adjusted accordingly. Since acquiring a Pantone Huey I rarely touch the white balance of my images.

My older images all have too much red! when viewed in a calibrated monitor.

That's the trouble with an uncalibrated Monitor, it might look ok to you but for other people the colours could be off - like you say, it is worth it (I recently bought eye-one display 2 and it is superb IMO).

[wolfie]

Did you misread my post?. the monitor was calibrated via software and switching between the two profiles showed that they are identical, apart from a very,very minor brightness difference.

Harry

[Snowyowl]

I too am considering getting a calibration device so this was a very useful post for me. Thanks!
One point I might mention is that I'm told on the Canon forums that Adobe Gamma should be removed or disabled if you are using an LCD monitor.

[yelvertoft]

Harry, I think it all depends on where your pre-calibration starting point is. You seem to have been lucky and had a monitor that was very close to "true" to begin with. Unless you get a hardware based calibrator, you would never know this. Also, it may be worth checking a range of different images that contain different balances of colours. The one(s) you have checked so far may show little difference, but other images with different colours may show a greater difference.

I found little difference in blues and greens with my CRT, but the reds were noticeably improved. Your monitor may have a different amount of before/after correction applied to different colours. The biggest improvement has been to my LCD screen. The colours aren't that different, but the black/white and greys are much improved. So, you may find that the colour balance may not be that much changed, but there's differences in the mid tone details.

If you haven't seen an improvement then you have a point that you may have wasted your money. Without wasting your money, you'd have probably never known this!

Duncan

[wolfie]

Originally Posted by yelvertoft

Harry, I think it all depends on where your pre-calibration starting point is. You seem to have been lucky and had a monitor that was very close to "true" to begin with. Unless you get a hardware based calibrator, you would never know this. Also, it may be worth checking a range of different images that contain different balances of colours. The one(s) you have checked so far may show little difference, but other images with different colours may show a greater difference.

I found little difference in blues and greens with my CRT, but the reds were noticeably improved. Your monitor may have a different amount of before/after correction applied to different colours. The biggest improvement has been to my LCD screen. The colours aren't that different, but the black/white and greys are much improved. So, you may find that the colour balance may not be that much changed, but there's differences in the mid tone details.

If you haven't seen an improvement then you have a point that you may have wasted your money. Without wasting your money, you'd have probably never known this!

Duncan

Duncan, I certainly agree with the last part of your message as any doubt has now been removed.

However whatever the final outcome, the money wasn't really wasted as I bought the Spyder Suite, so I will be calibrating my printer with it over the weekend.

When you consider the cost of our equipment, camera/s lenses monitors etc, the £!00 is really chicken feed.

Harry

[wolfie]

Originally Posted by Snowyowl

I too am considering getting a calibration device so this was a very useful post for me. Thanks!
One point I might mention is that I'm told on the Canon forums that Adobe Gamma should be removed or disabled if you are using an LCD monitor.

Dan, I've never heard of this before.

I use an LCD monitor, but could not get Adobe Gamma to work on my PC, hence my search of the web for software calibration and discovering the "Monitor Calibration Wizard".

Harry