Pantone Huey Monitor Calibrator

Pantone Huey Monitor Color Calibrator ( MEU101 ) rating: asin: B000CR78C4 binding: CD-ROM list price: $89.00 USD amazon price: $70.55 USD

I have seen the Pantone Huey in photography magazines several times but I hadn't seen on in action until CES. I was very impressed with the demonstration the company gave me and they were nice enough to send us a review unit.

I have been using it now for over a month and overall I am very happy. While the Huey is not the most professional calibration tool, it is a great tool for the price.

Over the years when people have asked us whether they should calibrate their monitor. I ask them if they have a window in the room they will be using it in. If the answer was yes and they were just doing occasional digital photo work I would tell them not to bother.

As ambient light color changes it  effects the color that is perceived on the monitor. For example, light in the morning is typically warm and bright while light in the evening is often cooler. This can make a reds on your monitor seem too bright in the morning and too purple in the evening.

Until the Huey, calibrators that adjusted the monitors colors to compensate for ambient light were far to expensive and their paired software was too complicated for the digital photo hobbyist.

The Huey varies in price between $60-$100 depending on where you shop and it features some of the easiest calibration software I have ever used with this type of tool. Even better, it features a small "eye" that constantly monitors the ambient light and compensates as the light changes in the room.

To calibrate the Huey you simply start up the software and follow the directions. It first measures the ambient light, then you stick it to the monitor with the attached tiny suction cups as it runs through about a minute long series of flashing colors. Stick the Huey back in the cradle facing away from the screen and it will constantly monitor surrounding light and the monitor will change accordingly.

I recommend the Huey most for folks with less expensive monitors. If your monitor isn't very accurate on color, the Huey will provide some compensation. Of course the better your monitor is, the more accurate the colors and gamma can get.

The Huey works with both LCD and CRT monitors. It also allows you to set it up for a number of color profiles. 

Castellini on Computers Rating (1-5 mics)
Recommended Market:	Hobbyist digital photographers interested in getting serious
Approximate cost:	$60-$100
Company and Web Site:	Pantone
AVAILABLE IN GRAND JUNCTION AT	13 Photography