Datacolor Spyder Checkr 24 - Has 24 Target Colours, Includes a Grey Card, Calibrates Your Camera for Consistent Image Colour Across Multiple Camera Systems and Lighting Conditions

If you are looking to buy one of these then I have already been on the same path.As a technical photographer working in industry for 35 years+, I was surprise by how well this works. It is especially useful if you are doing multi-camera video media and want your cameras to match up. All sensors drift a bit but if you are matching Panasonic, Sony and Canon cameras (say) then the colour and contrast variations is really difficult to fix longhand.So long story short: Unlike some of the other offerings this clam-shell unit is self-protecting and easy to hold on site/studio without getting fingers and thumbs on - or in front of - the colour swatches. Watch a few YouTube videos of people using calibrators and you will wonder how anyone could be stupid enough to manufacture these things so that you cover the targets when you hold the slim edges!The unt has both female and (self-retracting) mail 1/4" threads, which is both intelligent and useful.Calibration protocol is simple enough. If you are doing something colour accurate for fine-art Giclee print (like artwork) then you can supply the image with integrated or separate colour chart to allow end user to calibrate their output to your beautifully calibrated files.In Photoshop RAW, you will see all the fine colour adjustments slide out left and right of the zero positions once the profile is applied. Rather pleasing and very effective.

You may think that this is an over-priced piece of flimsy plastic, but when you realise that it's engineered to have perfect colour fastness for years, and the resulting images you process will be colour perfect, it really is worth the investment.To use, you select your camera body, lens and lighting condition, and take a picture with the checker roughly central and about 1/4 of the frame. Bring it into the photo editing suite of your choice and crop it down to include just the checker, set the white balance using the 50% gray patch, then send it to the Spyder Checkr24 program (you can do this in Lightroom by using Edit In, and selecting the Spyder Checkr24 Editor.The software displays your image, along with an overlay showing where it will sample the image. This can be moved and scaled, but if you've done your cropping properly you'll not need to adjust this. You then tell it to save the calibration - in my case as a Lightroom preset. I recommend saving it as [camera body] [lens] [lighting condition] e.g. D810 24-70 VR Daylight. When you next start Lightroom you'll have a User Profile with the name you gave. Apply that, and it uses the HSL panel to adjust your colours to match reality.I calibrated every combination of my bodies and lenses that I shoot with in about 10 minutes.In reality you shouldn't need to create a profile for every lighting condition, as it works by adjusting colours relatively to ensure consistency. But it would be useful to take a calibration image if you have very challenging lighting conditions, or if you require absolute accuracy for product shots, or fine art, then it's a godsend.It really comes into its own if you shoot multiple cameras and/or lenses on the same shoot, and is pitched heavily at videographers to ensure colour matching between their A and B rolls.I'm delighted with the results, and you can really notice the difference, even if you apply the profiles to your back catalog.

I seems reasonably well-made, but the software that you need to use to create a calibration file is USELESSThe idea is that you take a picture/video, import it into the software, and it creates a calibration profile that is imported into Lightroom/photoshop etcBut it just plain doesn't workIt can't identify the colour blocks, and produces a profile that is really only useable in Lightroom. I say useable, but even that is wrong, because the software didn't identify the blocks correctly, so the result is randomLuckily, my main usage is for video, and there are various plugins or native functionality that you can use to analyse the blocks and create a LUTSo, for photographers - avoid, for videographers, check what built in calibration you have (Da Vinci resolve has it, Premiere does not) because you may need to buy a calibration plugin to use this

Why did you choose this product over others?:My white Balance was all over the Ona r before getting this Build quality:Quality is good for the price I didn’t expect it to be this well made you just have to look after it. Size:It’s abit bigger than I thought but I don’t mind it only thing is packing it and keeping it safe all in one camera bag. Functionality:Really easy to use and one click you get the colours fit wants I love it Ease of use:it’s like a magic trick, I feel like a magician with this

I am always surprised at the price of Photography and video related products. Even though the price won't break the bank it is still expensive for what it is , but is it still cheaper than the rest. The product is well made just not so durable you it will quite easily last for years but only if you are care with your kit. It does the job especially if you use Davinci Resolve like me. It will of course work will all other editing software too. In short it's worth getting if you are the type of person who takes care of your kit .

I purchased the SpyderCheckr24 for just under £25 in the Prime Sale which TBH I still think is an outrageous price for a piece of printed card, regardless of how well the colours are printed.The accompanying software obviously hasn't been touched for years, requiring a long (very long) serial number to be typed in to register the app - no QR code here! The 'help' is cryptic indeed, no "wizard" to walk you through setting up with Lightroom.Being card I do wonder about the longevity of the SpyderCheckr24, especially if used outside the studio environment.I'll persevere and look at some YouTube videos on how to use this with Lightroom.