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New Monitor...too dark?

.Camerama
10/25/07 12:19 AM GMT
Hi guys,

I just switched off to a Mac from my old (and quite dead) PC. The only image I've uploaded so far from it is River. It looks fine on my Mac screen, but it looks quite dark on my desktop screen at work.

I'm curious what the general Caedes audience thinks because then I can adjust for future uploads.

Thanks
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Every day you may make progress. Every step may be fruitful. Yet there will stretch out before you an ever-lengthening, ever-ascending, ever-improving path. You know you will never get to the end of the journey. But this, so far from discouraging, only adds to the joy and glory of the climb. - Churchill

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+ppigeon
10/25/07 8:55 AM GMT
Yes. It looks so dark on my monitor too (PC). Only blue in the water and dark red on the rocks.
You need advices from Mac users...
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-Pierre-
::Shewolfe
10/25/07 9:56 AM GMT
I can see the rocks and patterns on the rocks..and the moss on the bank very clearly.

Perhaps you need to turn up the brightness?
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****[color=red]BLESSED SAMHAIN[/color] and [color=orange]HAPPY HALLOWEEN[/color]**** "Everyone has a photographic memory...some just don't have film." ~~My DA Gallery~~
.Tootles
10/25/07 11:49 AM GMT
I might be just what you need. ;P. I have a Mac and a PC side by side. The wallpaper 'River' looks fine on the Mac - the rocks stand out and have a pinkish rock hue; there's even a pinkish hue in part of the waterfall. On the PC the whole image is darker; it has a very blue cast and the pink is limited to 'touches' in the rock. If all I had on my desk was that PC, I probably wouldn't use River as a desktop, but on the Mac it looks better.
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::Shewolfe
10/25/07 12:16 AM GMT
I use a PC..just need a decent monitor ;)
(Doesn't matter if it's PC or mac lol)
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****BLESSED SAMHAIN and HAPPY HALLOWEEN**** "Everyone has a photographic memory...some just don't have film." ~~My DA Gallery~~
.Camerama
10/25/07 5:50 PM GMT
So then the question is, am I doing anything wrong? I suspect that everyone's monitors will be slightly different in terms of settings, so there isn't really any way to correct for the future. What I think the problem may be is that you can adjust the screen brightness off the keyboard on the mac, and maybe I should turn that way down when editing photos, thus making them look ok on my darker screen. Hopefully this works.
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Every day you may make progress. Every step may be fruitful. Yet there will stretch out before you an ever-lengthening, ever-ascending, ever-improving path. You know you will never get to the end of the journey. But this, so far from discouraging, only adds to the joy and glory of the climb. - Churchill
.Tootles
10/25/07 6:40 PM GMT
It seems it's the gamma - Macs have gamma correction when PCs do not, or some gobbledegook like that. So looking at the gamma settings for your monitors might help a little. I read there was a Gamma Wizard in Photoshop or Photoshop Elements, but discovered there isn't for the Mac version - the help manual directs you to the Mac's own display controls. I think there's software that will toggle between gamma settings, but I suspect on the Mac I might just as well toggle between settings myself! I would be interested to know if there are other suggestions how to keep images looking good on both Macs and PCs.
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.MiLo_Anderson
10/25/07 7:15 PM GMT
On my laptop (pc even though that really shouldn't matter since this is an issue of screen calibration and not really what os you are running) it looks dark to me as well. I checked out the histogram in photoshop and it is strongly weighted to the left. Suggesting that it is indeed underexposed, or darkened too much. Doing an auto levels fixed it up not to bad, and it looks better to me.

However what i would suggest is using something like this to calibrate both your monitors. The idea behind that is that you can see all of the different steps. If your monitor is too dark the black end will blend together, while if it is to bright, the white end will blend together.

Even better would be to go out and buy something like this to calibrate your screens.
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No one wanted to pay to say something in my sig, so i will have to try and think of something creative now...
::Shewolfe
10/26/07 12:48 AM GMT
What a large amount of money for something you don't really need though :(
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****BLESSED SAMHAIN and HAPPY HALLOWEEN**** "Everyone has a photographic memory...some just don't have film." ~~My DA Gallery~~
.Tootles
10/26/07 12:14 AM GMT
That was my thought, but then I'm one of those celebrated thrifty Scots. :-).
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::Shewolfe
10/26/07 1:37 PM GMT
You just have to be careful when buying a monitor, there are things to look out for.
And of course, read about your monitors settings...play with them. :)
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****BLESSED SAMHAIN and HAPPY HALLOWEEN**** "Everyone has a photographic memory...some just don't have film." ~~My DA Gallery~~
.Camerama
10/26/07 10:38 PM GMT
Shewolfe - I turned the brightness up all the way on my screen and it helped.

Milo - Good tip on the histogram, I often forget to look at it. I used the online calibration thing and I can't see the difference between the dark squares, even though I turned the brightness all the way up. Also interesting that you posted an item on the camera store website. I forgot you lived in Calgary, where I am incidently moving back to in a few weeks.

Tootles - I too am a thrifty Scot! Thanks for the gamma information. I will look into it more when I get my computer unpacked after the move.

I think I will defiently improve on this problem with all your terrific advice. Thanks!
0∈ [?]
Every day you may make progress. Every step may be fruitful. Yet there will stretch out before you an ever-lengthening, ever-ascending, ever-improving path. You know you will never get to the end of the journey. But this, so far from discouraging, only adds to the joy and glory of the climb. - Churchill
::Shewolfe
10/27/07 12:25 AM GMT
Glad you are getting somewhere :)
If you ever wanna test some really dark images check out my DA gallery in my link..one or two are just not visible to some people I find.
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****BLESSED SAMHAIN and HAPPY HALLOWEEN**** "Everyone has a photographic memory...some just don't have film." ~~My DA Gallery~~
::animaniactoo
10/27/07 12:39 AM GMT
If you still can't see the difference in the black squares, you may also need to adjust your contrast setting. 8•)
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One man sees things and says "why?" - but I dream things that never were and I say "why not?"
.MiLo_Anderson
10/27/07 9:52 PM GMT
I agree with Cat. You should be able to see a difference so adjusting the contrast should help out as well.

Using something like the Spyder is probably over kill for the average person like most of us, but if you are someone who is making money off your photography/art using one of those is more worth spending the money on. It is the only way to really calibrate your monitor so it lines up with your printer. It can be frustrating when you get your colours just right and then when you print it it looks nothing like it did on your screen. Some of the more advanced ones run constantly and adjust your screen so that it always looks the same regardless of what the ambient light in your room is.

I'm not sure why i resorted to posting a link to the camera store:P considering it is a one store shop. I have kind of stopped shopping there too:P. I find they always have the best price of the stuff i want, but never seem to have it in stock. Lately i have found my self ending up a few blocks down at Vistek. They seem to always match the camera stores prices, but they also have stock. Much nicer.
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No one wanted to pay to say something in my sig, so i will have to try and think of something creative now...
.Camerama
10/27/07 11:51 PM GMT
I fiddled with the contrast but I still can't see the difference between the two darkest squares. All the contrast adjustment did was make the white end blend together.
0∈ [?]
Every day you may make progress. Every step may be fruitful. Yet there will stretch out before you an ever-lengthening, ever-ascending, ever-improving path. You know you will never get to the end of the journey. But this, so far from discouraging, only adds to the joy and glory of the climb. - Churchill
&trisbert
11/02/07 11:05 AM GMT
Most new monitors allow you to adjust the colour temperature. Make sure yours is set to 6500K. Then calibrate your monitor to gamma 2.2.

Most people think that Macs have to be set to gamma 1.8 and PCs set to 2.2. But that was in the good old days. The latest advice is for everyone to use gamma 2.2.

Macs have a calibration function built into the operating system. Check that you don’t have two calibration things happening at the same time ie: the mac system and adobe gamma because two corrections makes an unholy mess of your colour display.
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There are three colours, Ten digits and seven notes, its what we do with them that’s important. Ruth Ross
.Camerama
11/03/07 12:29 AM GMT
Another great tip, thanks!
0∈ [?]
Every day you may make progress. Every step may be fruitful. Yet there will stretch out before you an ever-lengthening, ever-ascending, ever-improving path. You know you will never get to the end of the journey. But this, so far from discouraging, only adds to the joy and glory of the climb. - Churchill

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