Datacolor Spyder5 review: Hands-on with the friendlier, more accurate colorimeter
posted Friday, April 10, 2015 at 4:38 PM EDT
If you want to see your photos at their best, or view the web with confidence that you're seeing everything the way it was intended to look, a calibrated monitor is a must. Among the most affordable options available for profiling your display is Datacolor's Spyder series of colorimeters, and the brand-new Spyder5 brings a brand-new design with some important advantages over earlier models, as you'll see in our just-published Datacolor Spyder5 review.
The Datacolor Spyder5 is much more compact than its predecessors, and it cleverly uses the counterweight that holds it in place on your monitor as both a stand and protective cover when the device isn't currently being used to recalibrate the screen. That's not the only change, though -- Datacolor has also revisited its bundled software to add a variety of new features, including everything from interactive help to the ability to use your own images for a before-and-after comparison of the profile when calibration is done.
Available immediately, the device is sold in three different versions, which vary only in their bundled software: the Spyder5Express, Spyder5Elite and Spyder5Pro. The entry-level Spyder5Express is priced at US$130 or thereabouts, and offers the most basic feature set with an almost hands-off calibration process. More experienced photographers looking for more control over their profiles will want to consider the Spyder5Pro at US$190, while the top-of-the-line Spyder5Elite targets prosumers and pros with even more features, and a pricetag of US$280.
We've spent some time hands-on with the Spyder5, profiling our own desktop and notebook computers, and have just published our review of the device. Want to know what we thought of the updated hardware and software? Read our Datacolor Spyder5 review for the full story!