Futterman From United States, joined Sep 2003, 1301 posts, RR: 55 Posted (4 years 2 months 1 week 5 days 10 hours ago) and read 1028 times:
Hi all,
I know laptop displays are notorious for making editing difficult, and it can be a bitch - at best - to get it right. However, I've gathered that there tends to be a method to all the madness, and I'm hoping some of you guys can shed some light on how to prepare my new laptop for some serious levels and curves.
I've got an HP Pavilion zv6131 us with a 15.4" WXGA BrightView Display, running Photoshop CS.
Haven't had much luck fiddling with PS color settings or the Adobe Gamma Wizard, and photos edited on the laptop look fine on the laptop but, well, subpar on the PC monitor (which I've used for the past two years).
What have you guys done? Any and all suggestions welcome.
JeffM From United States, joined May 2005, 3255 posts, RR: 58 Reply 1, posted (4 years 2 months 1 week 5 days 10 hours ago) and read 1009 times:
Quoting Futterman (Thread starter): What have you guys done? Any and all suggestions welcome.
Brian,
In the past I would take the laptop and set it right next to my CRT and adjust it to match. I would first make sure the CRT is calibrated to your liking, then just do what you need to to make the laptop match it. Simple? Very. Effective? Well, it worked for me, but I don't upload a lot from the laptop, but those that have went through without problems. Sharpening on the laptop always seemed more difficult, as photos always seemed sharper on them.
DC10Tim From United Kingdom, joined Jan 2005, 1394 posts, RR: 21 Reply 3, posted (4 years 2 months 1 week 5 days 8 hours ago) and read 980 times:
Hi Brian,
Hopefully I'll be treating myself to a new computer this weekend, but all of my editing to date has been done on a laptop. Basically, a lot of the shots I see seem to be oversharpened, and you have to take that into consideration. I only have a 14" screen, with the resolution set on 1024 pixels wide. From what I have seen, I think this compares quite well to a "standard" 17" TFT display, with the resolution set on 1280 wide. I haven't been able to find out how precisely it is calculated, but this seems to give a good comparison.
One of the things about a.net that I've noticed is that lots of people see their editing differently, because they are all using different screens, with different resolutions. To some a shot may seem oversharpened, to others it will seem soft. I don't think that there is any specific problem with editing on a laptop as opposed to a 17" or 19" TFT display, for example, if you get the sharpening looking OK to yourself. By and large, if it looks right on the laptop, it will look alright to the screeners, though I don't know what kit they use.
Colour is an entirely different ball game. I've struggled to find out how to calibrate it properly and sometimes wonder if I've got it right.
Chrisair From United States, joined Sep 2000, 779 posts, RR: 6 Reply 4, posted (4 years 2 months 1 week 5 days 1 hour ago) and read 918 times:
Brian--
Laptops aren't bad for editing--in fact, I like using my laptop better than a regular screen.
It helps to have access to a Spider. Just put your computer in a dark closet, turn your screen saver off and let it do it's magic. The cheap ones start around $100-$150.
Fergulmcc From Ireland, joined Oct 2004, 1909 posts, RR: 59 Reply 5, posted (4 years 2 months 1 week 5 days ago) and read 913 times:
Quoting Chrisair (Reply 4): The cheap ones start around $100-$150.
Chris
Can you link any places the sell a spider please.
Thanks
Fergul
Edit: A quick question for all and the screeners, what resolution do you use on your monitors, i.e. 1024 or higher. I have a 19" CRT flat screen set at 1024.
Fergulmcc From Ireland, joined Oct 2004, 1909 posts, RR: 59 Reply 7, posted (4 years 2 months 1 week 4 days 23 hours ago) and read 898 times:
Quoting ChrisH (Reply 6): Why so low? 19" usually run in 1280x or more
I'm not too sure Chris, I guess it's because everybody seems to use that setting and that I upload at 1024 as well. I have been searching the archives and found some info but nothing definate. This is the only thread I found that gave some info. I will try that setting tonight Chris and see how I get on.
Fergulmcc From Ireland, joined Oct 2004, 1909 posts, RR: 59 Reply 9, posted (4 years 2 months 1 week 4 days 21 hours ago) and read 872 times:
Quoting Tamsin (Reply 8): I use any one of three displays to screen:
Sony Trinitron 24" CRT @ 1792x1120
Sony Trinitron 21" CRT @ 1600x1200
LG Flatron 19" CRT @ 1600x1200
Thanks Tamsin for all that info.
Apprciated
Fergul
PS Just one thing, do you have three PC's or are all three monitors conected to the one PC!
Woody001 From United Kingdom (England), joined Feb 2004, 529 posts, RR: 35 Reply 10, posted (4 years 2 months 1 week 4 days 20 hours ago) and read 863 times:
That's interesting Tamsin as I too have a 21" CRT Sony Trinitron monitor which I find excellent. I use a DELL CRT 21" at work for CAD Design work and it's crap for image work, I wouldn't dare use it.
Fergulmcc From Ireland, joined Oct 2004, 1909 posts, RR: 59 Reply 12, posted (4 years 2 months 1 week 4 days 19 hours ago) and read 850 times:
Quoting Woody001 (Reply 10): I use a DELL CRT 21" at work for CAD Design work and it's crap for image work, I wouldn't dare use it.
Ouch! I have a 12 month old Dell 19" CRT, which I think is made by Sony, it came with my Dell PC. My last Dell PC the monitor was a Sony Triniton CRT. There was a Phillips 21" that I saw in a computer shop, can't remember the spec but it seemed good, it was a high end Phillips. Must try and find a Sony Store.
Photopilot From Cuba, joined Jul 2002, 1692 posts, RR: 18 Reply 13, posted (4 years 2 months 1 week 4 days 19 hours ago) and read 836 times:
Quoting Chrisair (Reply 4): It helps to have access to a Spider. Just put your computer in a dark closet, turn your screen saver off and let it do it's magic. The cheap ones start around $100-$150.
WTF is a "Spider"? I've used laptops for years and have no idea what you're talking about. Please explain.
I think it's an electronic device that you attach to the screen of your PC and it calibrates your monitor. Its a much higher method of calibrating. I have access to one from the Camera club that I'm in but haven't had the cance to use it yet so can't comment as to it's workings.
Hope that helps
Fergul
Edit: Tamsin, can you see all the flaws at those settings, dumb question I know as you woudn't be a screener, but I would have thought at those settings it would be more difficult to spot grain jaggies etc. Maybe I'm doing something wrong.
Bubbles From Canada, joined Apr 2005, 1173 posts, RR: 56 Reply 16, posted (4 years 2 months 1 week 4 days 17 hours ago) and read 794 times:
AIRLINERS.NET CREW PHOTO SCREENER
Quoting JeffM (Reply 1): Sharpening on the laptop always seemed more difficult, as photos always seemed sharper on them.
It's very interesting to read this thread. As yesterday I just got my new LCD monitor (Dell 1905FP), I also need to calibrate it. Now I'm still not familiar with it in terms of jaggy issue because, just like what Jeff said, I feel the photo looks a little oversharpened on LCD monitor by using the same criteria used for judging photos on my old IBM P260 monitor by which it's very hard to find jaggies as photo always comes to be soft on it.
Another issue I'm still struggling with is the exposure. I recently got a rejection and screener kindly told me the problem was "dark side, hot nose." (Thank you for leaving personal message to me! )
When I got this rejection, I checked it on IBM P260 monitor, and felt it seemed not that dark. Then I thought I shouldn't count on this problematic CRT monitor. However, yesterday I viewed this photo on my new LCD monitor and found it actually a little brighter than it's showed on P260. So I'm confused, I guess I might haven't set the brightness and contrast correctly. Could anyone give me some suggestions on this?
LuckyEddie From Zimbabwe, joined Apr 2005, 63 posts, RR: 1 Reply 17, posted (4 years 2 months 1 week 4 days 15 hours ago) and read 768 times:
I have not had any big problems editing on a laptop, although there are those times when I get a rejection and just cannot see what the screeners clearly can! Maybe thats why! Still I get a decent acceptance rate and have never had to calibrate at all.
It will be a great pity if standards rise to the point that we all need expensive monitors such as those in Tamsins little collection, this hobby is already expensive enough.
Laptop editing is mandatory for me as all the time I get for this is while "on the road" If I spent most of my precious home time in front of a computer I think I would be divorced before I could say "but honey, I got a hundred pictures on anet!"
Fergulmcc From Ireland, joined Oct 2004, 1909 posts, RR: 59 Reply 18, posted (4 years 2 months 1 week 4 days 14 hours ago) and read 743 times:
Quoting Tamsin (Reply 8): Sony Trinitron 24" CRT @ 1792x1120
Sony Trinitron 21" CRT @ 1600x1200
LG Flatron 19" CRT @ 1600x1200
Tamsin, I don't know how you do it, I'm struggling at 1280x1024. Tried the 1600x1200 and its very hard on the old eyes. I think I'll leave it at this setting for the moment and see how I get on.
Fergul, dont forget to set your refresh rate to 80hz or more, windows likes to set it down to 60 or something when you change resolution, causing flicker and strain to the eyes. Once you get used to 1280 youll think of 1024 as "handicapped-mode" hehe, if you still struggle after a few days, maybe u need to book an appointment at specsavers
ChrisH From Sweden, joined Jul 2004, 1136 posts, RR: 26 Reply 21, posted (4 years 2 months 1 week 4 days 10 hours ago) and read 691 times:
Yep, 1280x1024 isnt really 3:4, so just use the OSD to strech it out. I dont like x960, looks too pixely. make a square document in PS or use the a.net calibration tool, then strech and measure until the square is really square, and you're set to go.
JumboJim747 From Australia, joined Oct 2004, 2383 posts, RR: 56 Reply 22, posted (4 years 2 months 1 week 4 days 9 hours ago) and read 676 times:
Quoting Bubbles (Reply 16): Another issue I'm still struggling with is the exposure. I recently got a rejection and screener kindly told me the problem was "dark side, hot nose." (Thank you for leaving personal message to me! )
This shot does not appear to be dark but the sun is on the other side of the aircraft and its a little back lit.
I also had a rejection for a shot very similar is it now the norm to reject shots that are slightly back lit.?
If that is the case i have to pull some shots out of the Q .
Any help would be appreciated.
Cheers
JeffM From United States, joined May 2005, 3255 posts, RR: 58 Reply 24, posted (4 years 2 months 1 week 4 days 3 hours ago) and read 634 times:
Quoting Photopilot (Reply 23): Thanks very much Jeff. I'll do some reading and check into this whole issue.
No Problem. They can be useful when trying to colormatch your screen to your printer as well. That can be a real bitch as you are probably aware. Simple things like planes, trees, and sky aren't hard to match, but skin tones!@!&!#!
Yeah it's 1.25. The next 3:4 is 1600x1200. I leave it as it is for the moment and slowly move to 1600
Quoting ChrisH (Reply 21): make a square document in PS or use the a.net calibration tool, then strech and measure until the square is really square, and you're set to go.
You will have to e-mail that to me Chris, I think I know what you're saying but not too sure.
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