Category: Equipment

Finally a Spyder3Express!

Post author By Andrew
Post date July 11, 2011

Deep Background

Back in the early 1990s, when I was working for Kodak Electronic Publishing Systems, I was first introduced to the whole concept of total system calibration, from original artwork to finished printed publication.

In those days, very few CRT monitors could be correctly calibrated in a professional environment, and the equipment and software where very expensive.

Since then, a number of very affordable Monitor Calibration systems have come to market, and there are several under $100.

Current Background

Recently, I got a new LCD monitor, which had a much higher contrast ratio and was general much brighter, when compared to my first LCD purchased some six years ago.

Over the years, I had developed many custom profiles for my various output scenarios, and felt I had everything in control, but knew I could do better.

When I started to use my new flat panel monitor, the first thing I noticed that there was a ‘ghosting’ of letters on all my desktop icons, which made them very difficult to read.

I was happy to see, that between my video card and the monitor, I technically had more control over how images were being displayed, and I was quickly able to set up a first round of color correction.

When I started to look at my own Photography work again, there was definitely a difference, which I tried to correct with more monitor settings and software controls, and thought I was done, until I checked on a different system.

Which Calibration System?

So is the fun with monitors and calibration, and with my recent adventures in doing HDR and Tone Mapping, I decided to finally break down and get my own calibration system.

There are many calibration system on the market these days, and for a first timer, it can be very confusing.

Having worked with high-end systems in my past, I knew the sky was the limit in regards to cost and features.

I knew that with my simple environment, I did not need to spend a lot of money.

I just wanted to get a system that could get me to an easily repeatable ‘norm’, and from there, I could tweak as needed.

Several years ago, I worked with one client who had purchased a Spyder2PRO, and it worked rather well in that environment, so I took another look at the Datacolor Spyder3 series.

It also helped that during my pricing investigations, the Spyder3’s were consistently getting high marks!

Install, Calibrate & Done

My Spyder3Express shipment arrived this morning from B&H Photo, and after installing the base software with the supplied disc, I went up to Datacolor.com to download and install the latest version. (There is a feature to check for Updates, but old habits die-hard.)

On initial launch, you are requested to register and get a confirming license code for future installations.

The main application greets you with an overview of general steps needed for a successful first calibration, and with a click of a Next button, the Wizard starts, asking you which type of monitor you have CRT vs. LCD.

On the next screen, you are asked to place the Spyder3 in an outlined area near the center of your monitor.

It was here that I noticed the first difference between the Spyder2Pro and Spyder3Express, and that was the lack of a suction cup to hold the Spyder in place during the actual color calibration, but one can get around this by tilting the monitor slightly up.

Once rested in the correction position, you click another Next button, and go and refresh your beverage.

By the time you come back, in less than 5 minutes, you get a final screen that will toggle for comparing un-calibrated vs. calibrated images.

You are done!

That is it!

Conclusion

I would be lying if I said it took less than 5 minutes, only because one should have their monitor ‘warmed-up’ for at least 30 minutes before running a calibration, and if you are very critical about your color, run the calibration again after a couple of hours of use.

I am still getting use to my new monitor colors, but have already seen a difference in my desktop icon letters (it was their shading that was getting blown out…), and I am seeing better details in my darker-mid-tones.

So far, I am happy with my Spyder3Express, and would recommend it for anyone interested in starting to explore the wonderful world of calibrated color environments.

Half-Full or Half-Empty Hard Drive?

Post author By Andrew
Post date May 21, 2011

Over the past couple of weeks, I have been slowly consolidating Hard Drive space within my home-office network.

Because of my background as an backup administrator, I am especially concerned and focused on having redundant copies of data, just in case.

Murphy would be proud…

With that being said, I looked at my various existing 100GB-250GB internal and external hard drives that were sprawled all over the place, and bought a couple of TB hard drives.

Then the fun part, looking at the life cycle of the house data.

There is current local stuff, the Live Data for the house, and then the Secondary Backup.

Next was writing the various robocopy scripts, and making sure I use /e and /mir correctly…

Several more days of data transfer, I finally think I have ALL the data in a nice consolidated fashion!

For the first time in 5+ years, I have everything on one Hard Drive!

Yeah!

But now, as I now am analyzing the capacity of the Live Data drive, I find myself evaluating the situation.

Is my new Half-Full or Half-Empty?

In my 30 plus years of IT, very rarely, have I heard of a hard drive referred to as Half-Empty.

Seems that the when we talk about technology and storage, we tend to be optimistic!

When was the last time your thumb drive Half-Empty? or that CD/DVD that you just burned… Half-Empty?

When was the last time you checked your backup?

Thoughts?

– Andrew

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Tags Backups, Consolidation, Half-Empty, Half-Full, Observations, Thoughts

Camera Equipment

Hard time focusing… Replacement Focus Screens for your Digital Camera

Post author By Andrew
Post date December 5, 2010

I have been meaning to write this blog entry for some time now, but as I am waiting for my bread’s second to rise…

As many of you know, I have been involved with Photography for over 35 years now, and I started with a simple Canon Canonet rangefinder from my dad, which Canon introduced in early 1961.

At some point in the late 1970’s, my Dad purchased a Canon AE-1, which was the family’s first Single-Lens Reflex (SLR) camera, and slowly, I was allowed to use the camera, which opened up new avenues in terms of different lens, the elimination of parallax errors and easier and more accurate focusing.

The summer after graduating high school (St. Andrew’s School, Middletown, DE), I worked as a Life Guard, and used the money that I earned, to finally purchase my first Camera, a Canon A-1!

I had allot of fun with that camera! It went every where with me, including Ithaca college.

In the Fall of 1983, during a Photography Field Trip to Watkins Glen, I was jumping around the base of one of the Falls, when the neck strap broke, and I watched my camera slowly sink to the bottom of the river.

I was heart broken…

Fast forward to early 1984, I had left Ithaca, and was working a Freelance Photography Assistant in the Philadelphia area, and during this time, I got to work with allot of different camera, and learned what I liked and did not like, and finally earned enough money to buy a replacement.

So what did I buy?

This time, I went for the top, and got a Canon F-1!

Now I was able to really play!

Lens, Motor drives and even drop-in replaceable Focus screens!

Needless to say, I was VERY happy!

Some more fast forwarding…

One of my first jobs after college, I worked for Kodak, and during this time, I was introduced to one of the first digital cameras, which was still a prototype, and a major issue, was the “Depth of Field” when using a flash, or should I say there was none!

In the fall of 2003, just before the birth of my daughter, Madison, we bought our first digital camera, a Canon PowerShoot A70, which was mostly used to capture the first moments of Parenthood, but quickly lead to the desire for something closer to a traditional film based camera.

Finally, in the Fall of 2007, I purchased a Canon EOS Rebel XTi!

Once again I was very happy, and was burning through allot of “film”!

As I used the camera more and more, one of the first things that was beginning to drive me nuts, was the Auto Focus.

In a majority of the times, it was fine, but as I got into certain situations, the Auto Focus could easily be fooled.

One can switch to Manual Focus, but without the “split screen” focus, it is nearly impossible to really be sure that your subject is actually in focus.

This past summer, I was involved with a Flickr Forum discussion on the lack of being able to really use the manual focus on today’s camera, when a fellow Forum Member, asked if I was aware of KatzEye Optics’ replaceable focus screens.

After reading their website, I am very intrigued, but at the same time, very cautious.

These screens are nothing like the drop-ins that I have on my F-1, but are ‘semi-permanent’ replacements for your camera, which one can do themselves, but personally, when I do decide to make the switch, I am going to pay the extra cost to have them do it for me.

The bottom line is, there is an alternative to what is available, and I just wanted to let other folks know about the possibilities.

If have already make the conversion, I would really like to hear what you have to say, so please post a comment or send me an email with your experience!