Recommended Monitor Color Calibration Equipment?

[JustinG87]

Does any one have any monitor color calibration equipment they'd recommend? From Pantone to to Spyder to LaCie there are multiple options out there and I'd like to hear what other designers prefer and have found to be the most accurate themselves. I'd prefer to keep the price down if possible, but my monitor calibration has gotten so far off the mark that I really do need to have it calibrated now. Thanks for any help or opinions you can provide!

Nothing? No one has any suggestions?

 

[bigus7674]

I personally use the Spyder2 Pro (version 3 is current version) which calibrates the monitor as well as printers through printing of IT-8 color charts that you then measure with the included colorimeter.

That package cost me around $500 (currently goes for $539 - http://spyder.datacolor.com/product-pp-s3studiosr.php), but if you need just monitor calibration, that goes for $169 (http://spyder.datacolor.com/product-mc-s3pro.php).

Pantone Huey Pro is also another monitor calibrator that seems to have gotten relatively good reviews and is around $100 (http://www.pantone.com/pages/products/product.aspx?pid=562&ca=2).

There's also X-Rite Eye-One (http://www.pantone.com/pages/products/product.aspx?pid=108&ca=2) and is on sale for $199 right now.

 

[jampat]

I have had a Monaco Optix XR and Pantone Eye Ones. I personally like the Pantones better and sold the monaco. It is interesting that they produced noticeably different results. Also check out coloreyes display pro software for controlling the hardware calibration, it's fantastic (but very pricey).

 

[Zoreke]

Spyder 2 Pro, color consistency on oyur screen and printer is just great!!! no more color disasters. Plus is really easy to use. If you do graphics is a must have tool, like a wacom tablet.

 

[mlblacy]

Spyder 2/3 Pro...

I have the Spyder2 Pro Suite (which includes the print calibration).
Spent under $199, I think the Spyder3 foes for around $160 US these days.

Works perfectly. I do high end, pre-press, direct to plate stuff. Monitor matches proofs. Nuff said. Easy quick, painless.

The print calibration was a muddle for me, and never quite worked, at least for my Epson tabloid printer. The Canon Pro 9000 Mark III prints perfectly to match my screen and proofs with little fuss, so I haven't tried again with the print calibration.
cheers,
michael

 

[citizenzen]

I'm bouncing this thread because our office is in the market for a new colorimeter.

We've been using the Pantone eye-one display 2, but as more of us are switching to OS X 10.7, using this product becomes more and more problematic.

Ideally the new colorimeter will be simple to use, accurate and not horribly expensive.

Any feedback is appreciated.