Xrite Color Munki vs Colour Navigator - Eizo Monitor

[3dogs]

I am having a serious look at replacing a 'normal' monitor that I use as a second general purpose screen with a new Eizo, which will bump the existing unit to second screen status. I am looking at the CS240 that is currently bundled with Navigator and is on "Special Offer" whatever that actually means
Discussions with the retailer has me questioning what I thought I knew, could use some input/ clear thinking please.

They say : With Eizio Colour Navigator software installed and active and self calibration turned on aside of the initial setup my Xrite is no longer needed and will render inferior results.
Because : C-Nav recalibrates the monitor software, checking and adjusting colour settings within the Monitor Software....
Whereas the Munki recalibrates a table and adjusts that only and is not as accurate as Navigator.
I seem to recall @Smile commenting that the self calibration process was inferior.

All inputs appreciated - thanks

 

[Smile]

Well spectrophotometer is the only device that "brakes light" into individual spectrum of colors for sensor to measure, anything else is just wild guess. Since EIZO does not put spectrophotometers into their monitors and software wise I would not like to be limited to only one manufacturer software program. I still say you need proper tools for the job, then certify your monitor for the task you need.

The proper monitor for graphics work is not EIZO, its's the only HP RGB-LED 24" HP LP2480zx monitor. AFAIK NEC no longer makes something like this, correct me if I'm wrong. The other DreamColor HP monitors are FAKE and do not have RGB-LED's in them hence the price is LOW.

If anyone thinks white LED's are useful for graphics work, stop cheating yourself and your walled. Take a look at medical displays and how much they cost, then look back at HP RGB-LED 24" HP LP2480zx monitor and appreciate the offer.

Often white LED monitors have smaller gamut then the old CCFL. Most of the monitors can't show BLUE and GREEN colors correctly and pass FOGRA certification. But since the grass is green, and sky is blue I think those two colors are very important.

 

[Grandad35]

Here is a 2010 comparison of several monitor calibration various systems.

 

[stratman]

Since EIZO does not put spectrophotometers into their monitors and software wise I would not like to be limited to only one manufacturer software program.

The software is not the issue, unless you are saying the proprietary software for EIZO is inferior for their own displays. It is the hardware that is limiting, if you must use a spectrophotometer instead of a colorimeter.

If you calibrate more than your monitor, then the ColorMunki is the least you should consider. The X-Rite i1Pro 2 is the better choice, albeit significantly more expensive.

Types of Spectrophotometers
- Note that there are differences in capabilities depending on the type of surface of the scanned item.

i1Pro 2 packages (scroll down for comparison chart)

Excellent reviews of the i1Pro 2 Basic and Photo versions.

The proper monitor for graphics work is not EIZO, its's the only HP RGB-LED 24" HP LP2480zx monitor.

On sale for $800 at B&H Photo. They also sell an accessory proprietary calibration puck that retails for $248 as of today. Doubt this is s a spectrophotometer but it is dialed in specifically for the companion monitor, so results may be faster and easier to reach. It looks suspiciously like an HP branded X-Rite i1Display Pro or a ColorMunki Display.

If anyone thinks white LED's are useful for graphics work

For the amateur, this may be perfectly suitable.

 

[Smile]

@stratman

Yes the limiting factor is the hardware here being a colorimeter. If EIZO starts to put spectrophotometers then that's another thing. A one chip spectrophotometers is the future - cheap and handy. Check out this kickstarter called
https://www.kickstarter.com/project...ense-a-pocket-molecular-sensor-fo/video_share

 

[3dogs]

I am not in the market for the HP Monitor. Its not available here from HP, and the only stockist I can track down buys it from an unknown (to me) importer (on the internet here) and sells it for $2900, the importer that the reseller gets it from sells it for $1900 and I am not confident that any warranty (even with our laws) would be worth anything.

If it was available I would be out buying one now for sure, looks good, sounds good.......willing to invest and find out.

Back to my question!

Does anyone know, or have an opinion on setting up a monitor, in this case Eizo and using their in house colour management software long term to maintain just monitor colour integrity.
What Eizo offer is step 1 Initial set up Calibration done with Color Munki as the external tool attached to the Colour Navigator Software. The values and settings are then stored within Navigator and step 2 is -ongoing programmable ( month, weekly , daily even !!) colour sampling and adjustment calibration (if required) is performed by Navigator within the Eizo software. Eizo are suggesting that for Monitor calibration only, with this particular monitor I will get much more accurate results ongoing when compared to what I have been doing in the past...........and that is :

Ditched the Colour Navigator altogether from my current Eizo Monitor , deleted it, Poof! gone ..no more!!!
Then calibrated with Munki at different values of ambient light presets, so that on a sunny day I use Cal 1 Sun, on a dull day I use Cal 2 Dull and in the evenings when I am most likely to work I use Cal Normal.
That has served me well over the last few years.

Times change and technology progresses eek: ) and the technofreeks are saying to me...'ol man get with the now of Eizo man! BE in the now and use Navigator its the most best you can buy!

Do I trust them or me?

What is also not clear (yet) is if I can still have 3 light value presets.

Clearly I do paper profiles and printer profiles, and YES!! many times over I SHOULD have been less of a tight A$$ and gone to the top shelf from the get go......would have been much cheaper in the long run @stratman is on the money there to my mind.

Cheers,

 

[stratman]

I cannot answer your question as I do not own an EIZO. IIRC, The Hat does.

However, I did find some fun info about EIZO that @Smile may find interesting. SpectraCal's CalMAN Studio software does support the high end EIZO monitors with direct 3D LUTs calibration. Info on the CalMAN Studio software here.

If you have a fat wallet and want it to slim down then this software is the way to go. SpectraCal's software is top notch.

 

[3dogs]

I have been thinking.....again.....and just briefly...ho hum!

How did I get sucked into asking the question.....my computer man suggests that the HP Monitor is a 4K device with graphic capabilities added for photographers and graphics persons. 1 BILLION colours....it must be utterly spectacular, breathtaking even...I was DROOLING at the mind picture that information threw up for me....then this thinking episode overcame me and tossed me into the very pits of despair

What happens to all those BEAUTIFUL colours when I ...........PRINT

 

[3dogs]

Eizo say:
Spectrophotometer reads paper profiles best not so good for monitors, calorimeter reads monitor best, not so good for paper profiles Hence, they offer Spyder calorimeter as external device to calibrate their screen with Colour Navigator. Confirmed that once done, a once a year re-calibration will keep the monitor at optimal level? to be seen.

HP Aust say LP2480zx is discontinued and no chance to find one in Aust....

So bought a CS240 with calorimeter and Navigator bundled in January this year only as a "special offer"!!. Monitor I got was ordered in for an interstate customer that just never turned up to collect and they are fed up with holding it for them, so I effectively save near enough to five hundred dollars on today's prices for the bundle.
Really a bit freeky as I only went there today to check things out, I was still trying to find a HP to try. What IS freeky is that is exactly how I got into my 3880, it was brought in on special for another customer who looked at it and a 4900 and didn't take the 3880.

@Smile what is the "certification" that you talk about. I have asked in a number of places, print houses, professionals, retail photography supplies but no one seems to know what I am talking about.

Cheers

 

[stratman]

What happens to all those BEAUTIFUL colours when I ...........PRINT

See the section with the heading "Did You Know" here.