Does Mac monitor need calibration?

EldorGemst · #1 10-29-2007, 03:28 PM

I'm a PC guy... and my monitors are regularly calibrated with a Spyder. A very good friend of mine is a photographer and a Mac user and he insists that no monitor calibration/profiling is needed with the Mac. Can that really be correct?

He just bought a Canon i9500 printer from B&H and it came with a bundled Spyder2 package. Right on the box it says it includes software for PC _AND_ Mac. If the Mac doesn't need to be calibrated, why is there software to do it?

As a PC guy I really have no idea about Macs, but I'd be very surprised if indeed the Mac doesn't need calibration/profiling for the monitor. (I know he's got a 29" Mac cine-something LCD display, if that makes any difference.)

Thanks for any comments...

Jerry Skrocki · #2 10-29-2007, 03:41 PM

Apple Cinema Displays need calibrating too! They are comprised of S-IPS panel LCDs backlit by CCF lighting. The calibration information is stored in the LUT of the video card.

I get great results calibrating my Cinema Display with the Colorvision Spyder2 Pro. Colorvision has recently upgraded their calibration device to include an ambient light sensor (Spyder3).

Tim Smith · #3 10-29-2007, 04:08 PM

I'm not 100% sure, but I don't think there is any monitor regardless of operating system that does not benefit from calibration.

Martin_Kristiansen · #4 10-30-2007, 02:21 AM

Of course macs need calibration. You can see the difference when you first calibrate. Why on earth do companies make software to calibrate monitors on mac if it is not needed?

Johan_Elzenga · #5 10-30-2007, 11:10 AM

Perhaps the misunderstanding is the word calibration, which is often (but wrongly) used for profiling as well. Calibration is only 'setting the monitor correctly'. The next step you need to take is profiling or 'characterization'. Profiling is making an ICC profile of that calibrated monitor. A 'calibration' package like the Spyder does both in one series of steps, that is why people often call the whole process 'calibration'.

There are monitors with built-in calibration, so they do not need to be calibrated by you. However, you still need to profile such a monitor. That applies to all monitors on all systems.

EldorGemst · #6 10-30-2007, 04:13 PM

Thank you very much everyone! I'm going to tell my friend the responses and point him here if he needs confirmation.

It certainly makes sense to me that all monitors need calibration/profiling, and on a regular basis also.

Cheers!

AndrewRodney · #7 10-31-2007, 11:23 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by EldorGemst

I'm a PC guy... and my monitors are regularly calibrated with a Spyder. A very good friend of mine is a photographer and a Mac user and he insists that no monitor calibration/profiling is needed with the Mac. Can that really be correct?

Absolutely not! There's no difference between a "Mac" monitor and a "PC" monitor. Even those made by Apple (they do have a native 1.8 gamma on the Cinema displays). Otherwise, both need regular calibration and a profile to reflect this condition.