CONCLUSION

   The Spyder5 colorimeter by Datacolor simplifies monitor calibration to a point that anyone can do it so although this is a must for professional photographers even casual users can benefit greatly from it. The device is compact and of high quality and thanks to the combination of a very detailed calibration wizard and a very thorough user guide (help topics) it's extremely easy to use. With the Spyder5 Elite+ you're of course not limited in just color calibrating any monitor, you can also measure it's gamut, brightness and contrast levels, check its uniformity and much more. Honestly the only thing that somewhat felt strange is that we needed to have the Spyder5 connected with the computer at all times in order to automatically adjust the brightness levels of the screen according to the ambient lighting conditions of the room (only applicable to the Pro+ and Elite+ versions). We do realize that this couldn't have been possible any other way (bundling a standalone lighting sensor would obviously up the cost quite a bit) but still having the device plugged into the computer 24/7 feels a bit off (not to mention it may reduce its lifespan). Still we're certain that this feature will be very valuable to some professionals so we're glad Datacolor implemented it regardless of whether or not we'd use it.

   Monitor color calibration tools (colorimeters) used to cost just as much as a very good monitor and although prices have dropped to a point that even consumers can get a basic version the full-fledged versions are still not what we’d call affordable. To be more specific although the entry level Spyder5 Express version which we recommend to casual consumers currently retails for USD119 inside the USA (Amazon.com) and 101Euros inside the EU (Amazon.co.uk) the Spyder5 Elite version currently retails for USD277 inside the USA (Amazon.com) and 213Euros inside the EU (Amazon.co.uk). That’s not all however since you still need the extra key to upgrade from the Elite to the Elite+ (supplied directly from Datacolor) and that will set you back roughly another USD30/30Euros which totals to roughly USD300/240Euros for the Spyder5 Elite+ version. However although the full-fledged version is not exactly affordable it’s still a fraction of what one had to pay in order to get a good calibrator (and that would be strictly a color calibrator) almost a decade ago. Overall Datacolor has produced what might just be the best all-around monitor calibrator in the market today and that it’s good enough to get our Golden Award is also the reason we’ve been using it in our monitor reviews.

PROS

- Compact Size
- Build Quality
- 7 Color Matrix (Detail)
- Unlimited Color Temperature And Gamma Choices
- Custom Calibration Targets (NTSC/PAL/SECAM/ITU-R/Rec.BT.709/ITU-R/Rec.BT.2020/Cineon/L-Star)
- Available Features (Recalibrating/1 Click Calibration/Enhanced StudioMatch/Automatic Brightness Levels/Projector Calibration/Soft Proofing)
- Easy To Use

CONS

- Price (For Some)