Datacolor SpyderX Pro: Monitor Calibration designed for serious Photographers and Designers

Product Information

All too often we look at our monitors at full brightness and oversaturate the colours for a more pleasing effect.

Outwardly the SpyderX Pro takes on much the same shape and size as the previous generation of Spyder devices, a colour change and smoothing of the edges bring the ergonomics up to date with a more stylish fashion. I used to keep the Spyder under the monitor but then realised that shadow from the monitor was affecting the ambient reading of the room. Placing it on a stand by the monitor seems a better solution. The change shown on the monitors and laptops calibrated with the Spyder5 was far less, a slight change but nothing drastic. ColorAccuracy/Streamlined Workflow/fully customizable calibration targets/high brightness calibration It also features a regular reminder which means that you always keep on top of the monitor calibration. The fact that it now only takes a couple of minutes doesn’t even give you the excuse for an extended lunch.One feature that always impresses is the before and after, so you can see if the calibration has had the desired effect, inevitably it will. It’s also great to show anyone who dismisses colour calibration or says that they can do it by eye, they can’t, and this is a great demonstration. Monitor resolution 1280×768 or greater, 16-bit video card (24-bit recommended), 1GB of available RAM, 500MB of available hard disk When it came to calibrating the next monitor, all of which I connect through USB-C, each monitor appeared in the monitor selection dropdown and then the calibration process for each could be started. Verdict Once the software is installed and registered on your computer, you’re ready to calibrate. The device plugs into a spare USB port and after following the on-screen instructions; the SpyderX is hung over the monitor ready to read the quality of the display.

In use, the new Spyder works in much the same way as the older version. Initially placing the device on the desk so that it can read the ambient light in the room, then move over to the monitor so it can read the illumination.There’s no doubt the calibration process is fast, and although the interface for the on computer software looks the same as the previous generation, you can see there have been tweaks in the workflow. Open the protective cap, however, and you get to see the real change. Whereas before there was a grill covering the sensor, now there’s a lens.

Note: As OLED has become more widely available, so too are the different types of OLED display technology. While it may be possible to use the Spyder X/X2 to calibrate certain types of OLED displays, we cannot guarantee the accuracy of the resulting calibration. Currently, we do not recommend using a Spyder X/X2 to calibrate any type of OLED display for color-critical applications. The ambient monitoring is also a great feature and ensures that even if the light in your working environment changes then the Spyder software will make the adjustments necessary.

The SpyderX Pro arrives in the usual compact box, it’s pretty nondescript with a large picture on the front of the device, and that’s about it. After calibration, it then sits neatly by the side of the monitor to read the ambient light and if selected adjust the monitor automatically. One important feature is the ambient reader on the top of the device; this enables the monitor to adjust dependent on light changes within the room. This is especially important as daylight fades and room lights take over to ensure the colour temperature, and brightness of the monitor adjust. Monitor calibration has come out of the shadows and much of the fear and expense around the process has dropped away. Monitor calibration is now accessible to all photographers, and to be honest, it’s something we all need to do.

The SpyderX Pro is one of those devices which from the outset simple to use, straight forward and works. The difference you’ll see in your work, whether photographic or video is striking, with shadows and detail on screen being drawn out. Finally, there are the calibration settings choices so that you can calibrate the monitor or monitors for different uses, such as photography, video or playing games! Internally is where the significant changes have been made, the first of which is apparent as soon as the protective cover is removed. While the colour and brightness might look great on our monitor it often doesn’t look quite so good when it comes to printing or sharing with others.Ergonomically the edges have been smoothed, and the device looks a little more stylish and up to date. Studio Match feature allows use of multiple computers/displays for simultaneous side-by side calibration. As with previous versions, I’ve always felt some type of case to keep the Spyder in would have been a good idea. I use the Spyder most of the time with my MacPro, and I’ve bought a case to keep the Spyder safe in my bag. I also keep the Spyder5 on a stand to read the ambient light and always thought that a stand in the box would be a good idea, or at least an option. Actually, if you do lose it or throw it away, then you can always locate you serial through the online account.