Spyder 3 Elite!

I purchased this on the advice of a very well known Photographer via Twitter. No names since he is very private…but I can tell you he is published and very very known in the industry.

I had a Huey pro which to me, worked, but did not work well enough as certain colors were washed out..etc. I asked this person for their advice and immediately was told to buy the Spyder 3 elite.
The box includes:
The Spyder 3,
A desktop stand,
A quick start guide, and
A CD with the software for mac/windows.

Installation was a breeze – took about 5 minutes or less. First thing I would recommend is that after your initial install you launch the software, enter the serial number, and immediately download the software update so you have the latest.

Once updated I launched the software and went through the simple questions to start the calibration. Very easy again…the software told me where to put the spyder on the screen (with suction cup) and went to measure the colors etc. Here is where my problem comes in and takes away one star in this review. The SUCTION cup SUCKS! I made sure to tightly press it against the screen, but half way into the measurement it popped right off. BLAH…that’s not good.

The good news here is that you can remove the suction cup and start over with the spyder against the screen…use the usb cable with the included/attached weight to keep it straight and to avoid dangling. The usb cable has a weighted piece on it that you would hang from the back of your monitor to provide enough balance to the spyder.

Once its there, launch the software and watch it measure the colors, etc…
Once the measurement is done, you put the device in a desktop stand that is included so that it can continue to monitor the ambient light in the room and adjust the display as necessary.

I use multiple displays and this device recognizes that fact. It creates a color profile for each monitor on OS X that can be used and brings the color close to perfection.

I highly recommend this device…yes it is a bit expensive as compared to others, but it is worth its price due to to the features and accuracy of the measurements.
If you would like to buy your own, Click Here: Spyder 3 Elite