Anyone in FL with a colorimeter I can rent or borrow?

Hey...

 

Is there anyone one here in the central florida area with a color calibration unit I can borrow. Its just not in my budget

at the moment for something I might use twice a year. Would like to borrow one, but happy to rent it if you prefer.

 

I am having some color issues with my Acer monitor. I was fine until I watched a DVD, and adjusted the vidoe

settings because the DVD was way to dark to watch, and now the color is all jacked up all over. My Nvida GForce

card (2 of them, 7800 GT 512) is supposed to only apply the color setting to video...so it says. I have been fiddling

with it, but now my lightroom looks all dark and black and nasty. I cant tell if its my previous adjustments or what.

 

I need to get some wedding pic up ASAP, so I am kind of freaking out now. Can anyone help? You can feel free to

call.

 

Or maybe someone has decent color profile for an Acer P241WAD...I would even take that right now.

 

Thanks

"Or maybe someone has decent color profile for an Acer P241WAD...I would even take that right now. "

 

it would not be of much use for you.

Well it would certainly be a far cry better than what I have now...that was really my point...

Get a used cheapo Huey on ebay. I would only pay $20 for it, that sounds like a renting price too. Good luck.

If all else fails, try going back to the factory defaults.

Ethics?

1_return everything to is default setting

 

2_get a huey pro for less than 100$

 

3_a color profile is ONLY good for the monitor he as been created for, even 2 acer monitor are not the same.

 

4_dont ask again on forum to borrow a piece of equipment that contain registered software to a owner.

It's not an ethical problem if you already have calibration software!

Demo version of ColorEyes: http://www.integrated-color.com/Merchant2/merchant.mv?Screen=CTGY&Store_Code=ICC&Category_Code=DL

 

Now all you need to borrow/rent is the hardware bit - no licence violation/no ethical problem!

 

If you like it - buy it!

It is an ethical problem if you are doing work for clients and are not equipped to deliver the quality you have promised when you took on the work.

 

I'm not picking on you personally Scott. If I were in Orlando I'd do what I could to help you. Hopefully someone here is in a position to do so.

"First of all, a calibration tool should not be tied to just one monitor or computer should it?"

 

The calibration process is tied to a specific graphics card and display. Most of the software available is not

locked to a specific display and computer. You can download X-rite's Eye One Match software whether you have the

colorimeter or not.

 

"Secondly, why would any software need to be installed? All you are doing is creating a color profile that is its

own file and not a proprietary one at that? I dont get it. Maybe I just dont understand how those gadgets work. "

 

here is how they work. The software resets the display /graphics processor to a default, you then enter the

parameters you want to calibrate it to. Yo uthen adjust brightness and contrast levels to a target value, and the

nstart the profiling process. The software sends a series of signals of known value through the video processor

and display. The photo cells in the colorimeter read those colro patches and the software compares the actual

values of those colro patches to the signals it sent and repprograms the graphhics processor to make the values

the colorimeter is reading match the values of the initial signal -- or at least as closely as c as the display

is capable of.

 

The purpose of the process is to introduce consistency through out your work, to give you a standardized base to

ground your decisions on.

 

"What is to say that I could not buy a unit and go around providing that as a service to photographers and

graphics people? "

 

Beyond the restrictions (if any) of the licensing agreement with which ever company you get the software from;

nothing. On the other hand you do realize that:

 

1.) You won't be able to stand behind your service unless you can lock those people out of being able to adjust

any display setting and

 

2.) That it will need to be done periodically - like at least once a month (some people recommend that you

recalibrate and profile before you start an important job.)

 

"As for getting one, yes, I would have to order it, and I need to fix this today. So ordering one or getting it

on Ebay fixes my problem in two weeks, not today. "

 

I'd be very surprised if there is no local Orlando shop that doesn't sell either a Spyder 3, Huey Pro, or i1

Display 2. I know for certain that you can get one in Tampa at DTG.

Here is the store locator website for Pantone: http://www.pantone.com/pages/pantone/pantone.aspx?pg=19348&ca=14

 

For Spyder: http://spyder.datacolor.com/resellers.php

 

For X-rite: http://www.xrite.com/top_buy.aspx

 

Maybe one of them has a local store or reseller with a device in stock. Or you can try calling their corporate numbers. Generally

companies are very helpful when you tell them you are trying to find their product to purchase.

 

Good luck!

Scott, you may have more luck putting an ad on Craigslist for someone to calibrate your monitor. Depending on the responses, it may cost you close to half or more than what it would cost for a new, inexpensive calibrator.

Maybe you can join a camera club nearby and borrow somebody's there? I know how you feel, the first time I calibrated my

monitor was by borrowing somebody else's calibrator (I couldn't afford one) and it made quite a difference. However, keep in

mind that you are asking a favour, so chill...

I agree completely with what Ellis said.

I'm not re-reading it right now, but as I recall, when I bought my I1 Display package, I noted that their license agreement allowed you to use it on more than one machine. (I don't remember whether they had to be colocated.) In any event, if someone is able to do it for you, it would be a temporary fix, but that might get you to the point where you could get your own tool.

 

Alternately, there are websites that provide methods for you to calibrate the computer by eye. Eyeball-based calibration is laden with problems, but the truth is that some people do that and find that they are good enough for their uses. You might simply start there if you cannot afford the tool - the worst-case scenario is that it doesn't work well and you're no worse off than you are now. The best case is that you can do this immediate job adequately. Good luck.

Everyone has been helpful as always. Thanks. I think when I do buy one I am going to start a calibration service. It would at least pay for the unit itself I imagine...