Datacolor, the company behind the popular Spyder monitor calibrators, just announced a new product bundle for professional photographers. Called the Spyder5Capture Pro, the package includes everything a photographer needs to ensure perfect color from the moment the shutter clicks through the final edit.
“We know how important color accuracy is for photographers, but we also know it can be time-consuming,” said Heath Barber, Imaging Market Manager at Datacolor, in a statement. “Spyder5Capture Pro reduces editing time by providing users with a fast and seamless workflow from capture to post-production by combining our leading color management tools in one convenient and cost-effective package.”
The core product in the bundle is the Spyder5Elite hardware monitor calibrator. The small, hockey puck-shaped device creates a custom profile for your monitor, making sure it displays colors that are as true as possible and that reflect industry standards.
But a calibrated monitor only goes so far in ensuring accurate colors and contrast levels in a photograph. If an image doesn’t have easily identifiable white or gray points, it can be difficult to dial in the perfect white balance. The new bundle therefore includes the SpyderCube and SpyderChecker, two devices that can be placed in the frame of a test shot to provide reference points.
The SpyderCube offers calibrated white, gray, and black points, while the SpyderChecker uses multiple color squares that can be used to create a custom profile for your camera (or each of your cameras) that can be loaded in Adobe Lightroom and other RAW processors for automatic color correction.
Although not related to color management, the bundle also includes the SpyderLenscal, a focus calibration chart that lets you test your lenses and dial in perfect focus using your camera’s autofocus micro-adjustment controls.
There’s a fair chance that most working professionals already own at least one of the above products, but for anyone just getting into the game, the Spyder5Capture Pro bundle offers significant savings compared to buying each item individually. Datacolor is currently selling it at an introductory price of just $270, which represents 50 percent off the a la carte price. After September 30, the price will increase to $370, which is a still-significant 30-percent savings.