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. This is where Datacolor SpyderX comes into its own. The software is well structured with easy to follow on-screen instructions. 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. 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.

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. Overall the SpyderX Pro is an excellent monitor calibrator. It’s easy to use and ensures that your monitor is always displaying the correct colours. 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 difference you’ll see in your work, whether photographic or video is striking, with shadows and detail on screen being drawn out.

English, French, Italian, German, Spanish, Russian, Japanese, Simplified Chinese, Traditional Chinese, Korean

Why Color Calibrate Your Monitor?

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. 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. After calibration, it then sits neatly by the side of the monitor to read the ambient light and if selected adjust the monitor automatically. 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

As with previous generations, the hardware of the Pro and Elite are the same, and it’s the software that changes the features. This approach means that you can buy the cheaper Pro version and then in the future, if you need the additional features then you can upgrade to the Elite. The build of the SpyderX is one up on the Spyder5. It just feels like the quality of plastic has increased as has the finish, and the new glassy white gives the new device a great look. All too often we look at our monitors at full brightness and oversaturate the colours for a more pleasing effect. 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! 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 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. Monitor resolution 1280×768 or greater, 16-bit video card (24-bit recommended), 1GB of available RAM, 500MB of available hard disk The hardware is the physical part of the SpyderX, but then there’s also the software which is the engine for the calibration. Actually, if you do lose it or throw it away, then you can always locate you serial through the online account.