COMMENTS AND QUESTIONS ARE GOOD FOR EVERYONE

I posted a Blog on December 16, 2010 titled What Is Display Calibration & Profiling? There were a number of comments posted and several were questions. So I asked our blog expert if there was any practical way for me to obtain copies of the comments and the address of the comment source. The answer was no.

So in this case I think the comments deserve their own blog, which will follow. However I want readers to have an opportunity to have their comment response or questions answered. So if you want the same thing then:  COPY YOUR COMMENT INTO AN E-MAIL MESSAGE AND SEND IT TO DAVID B. BROOKS AT goofotografx@gmail.com. I will respond immediately.

COMMENTS:

Posted Fri Dec17, 2010, 1:29 PM — By Spyder3 Elite-Version 4

David, I have an 24 inch LG monitor and the Spyder2 colorimeter. Can I upgrade to a Version 4 or do I need to purchase a whole new Spyder3? Thank you Bert www.berthoferichter.com

Answer: Posted Thu Dec23, 2010, 7:00 PM — By David B. Brooks

Bert, If your 24 inch LG LCD display is a home/office model, then very likely the Spyder2 will work OK to calibrate and profile. David

Posted Tue Dec21, 2010, 3:22 PM — By DJ

I am glad you posted this...just starting to learn about calibration. Got a new computer & plan to do this for my monitor ASAP!

Answer: If you do digital photography an accurate adjustment, calibration and profiling of a display is essential. Many applications like Adobe’s, Corel’s, Apple’s are color managed so they depend on an accurate profile to display digital photos accurately.

Posted Wed Dec29, 2010, 11:41 AM — By ornanophy

Hi: I've been watching blog.shutterbug.com as being a lurker for some time now. I thought that I need to get involved and communicate with the individuals here. I'm hoping to connect with plenty of insightful people and discover some very good stuff. Hopefully this message is not in an inappropriate section. I am sorry if "Digital Camera Wish List" is unsuitable. - JAMAR MCDONALD Nuclear Fuels Research Engineer

Answer: Unfortunately the shutterbug Forum has not had much support. Personally I think it is because the magazine’s writers do not participate. Anyway my Digital Help function does require me to often continue extended e-mail conversations with interested readers. So be my guest, you are invited. 

Posted Wed Dec29, 2010, 7:31 PM — By Diedrik Müller

I like the no-nonsence calibration of the NEC spectraview and the Spyder3 Express as reviewed in Shutterbug. What would you recommend me to buy: the NEC Spectraview or Flexscan with Spyder3 Express? I like the higher resolution of the FlexScan.

Answer: Sadly, although the Spyder3 Express is inexpensive the software will not measure White Luminance so the display cannot be adjusted for brightness. You have to have the Spyder3 Elite to get that capability. I personally own and use an Eizo Flexscan S2242W, and enjoy its excellent performance. I did not purchase a NEC Spectraview II for myself because it is proprietary. In other words exclusive, the Spectraview II display will not work with any other software but NEC’s Spectraview models, and Spectraview will not work with any other brand of LCD display. For me that is too limiting.

Posted Wed Jan12, 2011, 2:59 PM — By Jerry

Have just acquired a new Mac Mini and the Dell U2410 monitor. I calibrated using the Spyder3 Express with no problem. My question is how do I go about calibrating the monitor brightness to the 90 CD/m2 with this combination? Will really appreciate your help, thank you, Jerry

Answer: Jerry, you have a great hardware combination, the Mac Mini, a Dell Ultrasharp U2410 LCD display and a Spyder3 colorimeter. The one thing you need to add is software to go with your Spyder3 colorimeter to do the adjustment, calibration and profiling. What I use that provides superb performance is the ColorEyes Display Pro software from www.integrated-color.com. Expensive but worth it.

For comment responses and questions answered, send comments to David B. Brooks at goofotografx@gmail.com

CES 2011 EVEN MORE BELLS & WHISTLES, OR?

Each year starts off these times with the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas the city of sad faces. Last year even CES was sad faces feeling the aftermath of recession and no one buying much of anything. But in 2011 after Apple dropped some bombs of super sales of iPhones and their new iPad, the rest of the flock was flapping their wings to catch up. But new 3D and what have you TV’s were still languishing, maybe everyone who can afford a big flat-screen TV already has one, and with TV getting worse every year with dumber and dumber ridicule and more ads....

So other than gadgets and gimmicks what else electronic is there? Computers, you know those boxes that compute things much faster than a human mind and hands. Yes, where would we photographers be without the computers that calculate the thousands of complex optical formulas that have made zoom lenses function  efficiently and accurately, with systems that calculate the motion of a camera and correct for it. The makers of the chips that do the calculation, the main processor in a computer, Intel and AMD had some very interesting news, Now after so many years, besides processors that compute they are now going to put graphics support functions in their main processors. I guess they cannot make them faster and better at computing to a degree anyone buying would notice or care, so why not something new, graphics processing? Well at least it serves me an advantage, regarding all of the computer geeks that give me a bad time because Apple Macs don’t have the biggest, fastest computer processors may now realize they have not made all that much difference to digital photography because there is little computation needed to process images, just graphic support and a wide data transfer bandwidth, and of course oodles of RAM.

Anyway Intel is calling this new graphics support processor family Sandy Bridge, and AMD is using the name Fusion. To describe how they are alike I’ll quote Mathew Murray of PC Magazine, “Both Fusion and Sandy Bridge chips represent a major new way of looking at the role of the processor within a computer. Previously, the individual elements—the CPU itself, the graphics controller, the memory controller, and so on—were all separate. This required lengthy communication between the various systems, which slowed down how fast the processor could do its work. Now, AMD and Intel are bringing the various subsystems together, on the same processing die (hence AMD's name, "Fusion"). This means that on-board graphics will now become more ubiquitous and powerful than they've ever been (though power users will still want to have discrete cards), but the everyday benefits are perhaps even more impressive. This makes passing information between them easier and quicker, which boosts performance in almost every application; it also requires less power, which translates to cheaper electricity bills and longer laptop battery life.”

Already the Apple rumor-ologists are telling us Macs will soon be appearing with Sandy Bridge processors. That’s a logical because so much of Apple Mac computer business is used by high-end graphics creators, just about every magazine you read is produced by Apple Macs. With PC’s, users will have to really look at what each of a jillion makers are actually implementing on their motherboards relative to Sandy Bridge or Fusion processors. Are they really advantaging the new processor graphics support considering most PC’s are designed for business use and not graphics production? Who knows, and I am not about to investigate the speciousness of specs on different PC’s; but I am sure some will.

CES 2011 EVEN MORE BELLS & WHISTLES, OR?

Each year starts off these times with the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas the city of sad faces. Last year even CES was sad faces feeling the aftermath of recession and no one buying much of anything. But in 2011 after Apple dropped some bombs of super sales of iPhones and their new iPad, the rest of the flock was flapping their wings to catch up. But new 3D and what have you TV’s were still languishing, maybe everyone who can afford a big flat-screen TV already has one, and with TV getting worse every year with dumber and dumber ridicule and more ads....

So other than gadgets and gimmicks what else electronic is there? Computers, you know those boxes that compute things much faster than a human mind and hands. Yes, where would we photographers be without the computers that calculate the thousands of complex optical formulas that have made zoom lenses function  efficiently and accurately, with systems that calculate the motion of a camera and correct for it. The makers of the chips that do the calculation, the main processor in a computer, Intel and AMD had some very interesting news, Now after so many years, besides processors that compute they are now going to put graphics support functions in their main processors. I guess they cannot make them faster and better at computing to a degree anyone buying would notice or care, so why not something new, graphics processing? Well at least it serves me an advantage, regarding all of the computer geeks that give me a bad time because Apple Macs don’t have the biggest, fastest computer processors may now realize they have not made all that much difference to digital photography because there is little computation needed to process images, just graphic support and a wide data transfer bandwidth, and of course oodles of RAM.

Anyway Intel is calling this new graphics support processor family Sandy Bridge, and AMD is using the name Fusion. To describe how they are alike I’ll quote Mathew Murray of PC Magazine, “Both Fusion and Sandy Bridge chips represent a major new way of looking at the role of the processor within a computer. Previously, the individual elements—the CPU itself, the graphics controller, the memory controller, and so on—were all separate. This required lengthy communication between the various systems, which slowed down how fast the processor could do its work. Now, AMD and Intel are bringing the various subsystems together, on the same processing die (hence AMD's name, "Fusion"). This means that on-board graphics will now become more ubiquitous and powerful than they've ever been (though power users will still want to have discrete cards), but the everyday benefits are perhaps even more impressive. This makes passing information between them easier and quicker, which boosts performance in almost every application; it also requires less power, which translates to cheaper electricity bills and longer laptop battery life.”

Already the Apple rumor-ologists are telling us Macs will soon be appearing with Sandy Bridge processors. That’s a logical because so much of Apple Mac computer business is used by high-end graphics creators, just about every magazine you read is produced by Apple Macs. With PC’s, users will have to really look at what each of a jillion makers are actually implementing on their motherboards relative to Sandy Bridge or Fusion processors. Are they really advantaging the new processor graphics support considering most PC’s are designed for business use and not graphics production? Who knows,CES20 I am not about to investigate the speciousness of specs on different PC’s; but I am sure some will.

NOT UNDER THE TREE?

The holiday season this time provided me with some time to concentrate on personal photographs that have been on my mind, but only as ideas. This year I have not had any article projects pending or new products to investigate, so once in a very long time I am doing my own thing. And that has been digging out old film images and making new scans. The goal is to approach the image in ways that correct for weaknesses  and frustrations in what the photo was as a film image. Primarily it is much more than just physically scanning the film, but rethinking the image, applying a different sensitivity to what it is, and hopefully producing something both different and the same, but better than the picture I first saw in the viewfinder, and then as an image on film. The final step in this process is to make a test print to see if my on-screen editing actually results in a print that matches my expectations.

Although  some of my readers reveal what papers they use in the course of what they are doing when they ask for an answer to a question, inkjet printing paper never seems to be more than a whatever concern. Usually the long lasting cotton fiber papers which respond well to pigment inks are rarely referenced, and one Epson paper, PremierArt Matte Scrapbook Photo Paper  doesn’t seem to be known. Yet in a reasonable 205gsm weight for letter size, it is probably the best consumer paper available and at a reasonable cost. I thought it had disappeared but just recently I ordered and received a couple of packages of 8.5x11 inch from the Epson store (it is also available in 12x12 inch size). This Epson Scrapbook paper really is a hot press natural (no brighteners), smooth, firm finished matte paper that is also of the kind used by fine arts photographers in larger sizes. So it is an ideal test paper if images are being made for the best possible reproduction. If you use an Epson photo inkjet paper, the Premium Presentation Paper setting and its printer profile works very effectively with the Epson PremierArt Scrapbook paper.

So why not spend a few bucks and try it and if you like the prints, what do you get that is the same for larger than letter-size prints?

If you decide you like this paper, and I believe you should, what can you get like it in larger sizes? The company is Premier Imaging Products. The Premier product name is Smooth Hot Press Fine Art Paper, and it comes in four different weights, 205, 270, 325 and 500gsm. The 270gsm would be just right for 13x19 inch prints, but unlike the Epson Scrapbook and Hot Press 205gsm, it does not have both side printing surfaces. It is described by Premier as, “the best paper for prints that require Museum Grade quality, especially when Image Permanence is the critical factor.” Its features are, “100% cotton, acid and lignin free, alkaline buffered, OBA free, hot press surface, moulde made, high D-max, and exceptional print quality.”

Where can one find this Premier Imaging Smooth Hot Press Fine Art paper? One source I have used is www.inkjetart.com, and another that is well known is Adorama, www.inkjetart.com. But first try the Scrapbook version that is available from the Epson store, http://www.epson.com/cgi-bin/Store/ProductMediaSpec.jsp?BV_UseBVCookie=yes&infoType=Overview&oid=-12346&category=Paper%20&%20Media/ its just a dollar a sheet for the best paper they have for consumers.