In Step 9 we choose our preferred profile Gamma. For historic reasons many Mac users tend to choose 1.8 and Windows users 2.2 - Whilst I primarily use Mac OS X I prefer the Windows gamma value of 2.2 If you are using the display for Photoshop it really doesn't matter which gamma is a chosen as Photoshop will make any necessary on-the-fly gamma corrections for you. Once the gamma value has been chosen it simply remains for you to Save the Profile (giving it a unique and meaningful name).

 

Figure 3

 

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Conclusion

In a sense I'm fortunate to be in the position to test MonocoOPTIX on the full range of supported computer platforms and display types. I am also able to compare MonacoOPTIX with other competing products such as  the ColorVision Spyder+PhotoCAL/OptiCAL and GretagMacbeth Eye-One Match; all of which are reviewed elsewhere on this web site. So what do I think and is there scope for improvement?

• The MonacoOPTIX software application installs easily and works equally well on both Mac and PC platforms; the only observable difference between the Mac and PC is the dialog Header. The USB connection also means that the hardware will be compatible with most recent Macs and PC's.

• The instructions at each stage of the calibration process are clear and sufficiently detailed to ensure that most users will have no problems getting their display calibrated fairly quickly and with minimal fuss.

Comparison with the Opposition!

• Unlike GretagMacbeth Eye-One Match and ColorVision Spyder+PhotoCAL/OptiCAL the MonacoOPTIX system lacks facilities for the user to accurately pre-calibrate the display hardware White Point. Whilst this isn't a serious omission it does mean that those users with separate RGB gun control won't be able to take full advantage of these controls.

• The colour gamut and in particular the chromacity values of the profiles obtained from each of the systems mentioned above shows that MonacoOPTIX profiles compare very favourably with those from the more expensive Eye-One spectrophotometer. Both Spyder bundles appear to produce profiles with different chromacity values, which tend to result in more emphasis on blue/cyan and less on green/reds. My initial impressions having compared how all four systems reproduce a range of images was that they are all equally good. However, a more detailed analysis of each application suggests that MonocoOPTIX is in fact producing very similar profiles to Eye-One, and that these profiles are more accurate than those obtained from either Spyder bundle. The numerical differences might appear small but the effect of the chromacity discrepancy is clearly visible when a digital version of the GretagMacbeth ColorChecker chart is viewed with my Apple Cinema HD Display. The Spyder based profiles have reproduce blue and cyan much stronger, but they aren't an accurate representation of the ColorChecker. The advantage provided by the Apple display for this comparison is the fact that the profiles are all based upon exactly the same display settings (i.e. there is nothing to change so nothing should be different). I repeated the above test with two other Spyders and a Mitsubishi CRT with similar results, which leads me to believe that there is a bug in the current version of both ColorVision applications.

• Both greyscale and colour gradient tests show that MonacoOPTIX is equally as good as Eye-One Match or PhotoCAL/OptiCAL producing neutral greys with no obvious signs of banding in either greyscale or colour gradients.

• I'm not convinced that "hanging" the MonacoOPTIX sensor by its own cable is a good idea (my electrical training tells me this may eventually result in tears). Likewise the counter-weight is not securely fixed and mine has fallen off on more than one occasion. Both the Eye-One and Spyder use a superior support harness and weighting arrangement.

 

Comparing Colour Gamut's for Apple Cinema HD Display

 

The results of my comparative test show that the MonacoOPTIX is producing more colour accurate profiles than the similarly specified and highly regarded ColorVision options. So leaving aside the few shortcomings identified above I believe that the quality of the display profiles created by the MonacoOPTIX make it well worth considering by anyone in the market for an accurate display calibration system. The ability to calibrate both LCD and CRT type displays makes it a future proof investment and one that will ultimately pay dividends in the form of colour accurate ICC profiles.   Anyone already using and earlier version of MonacoEZcolor and considering the purchase of an LCD display should look no further than MonacoOPTIX or even upgrade to MonacoEZcolor 2.5

As a standalone product MonacoOPTIX costs $299, but users of the previous MonacoSENSOR can get a $75 rebate by returning their old sensor to Monaco Systems. Alternatively the full MonacoEZcolor + MonacoOPTIX can be purchased for $548. More details of the purchasing options and an on-line demonstration of the software can be see here.