Datacolor Spyder X Elite – Monitor Calibration Designed for Expert and Professional Photographers and Motion Imagemakers SXE100

I have two monitors on a Mac Pro that have always looked slightly different no matter how much time I spent on calibration. Though they are the same model, they were purchased a year apart, and their differences in brightness and color temperature were not small.About fifteen minutes after installing the Datacolor software and calibrating both with the Spyder X Elite, both of those monitors now look absolutely IDENTICAL. I can take a photo and enlarge it across BOTH monitors and it looks no different than if it were just on one or the other.I had tried to achieve that same effect manually for literally years with no success; five minutes on each monitor with the Spyder X Elite and it's done!The best part is I also have a newer iMac, and after calibration it looks identical to the monitors on the Mac Pro!This device does exactly what it says it will with no issues whatsoever.The only note is that the software warns you to only connect the device to a USB port on the computer, but that's simply not possible for computers with external monitors, but as long as your monitors have a GOOD built-in hub that can supply the Spyder X's power needs, it all works as it should.VERY highly recommended for anyone that does design, photography or video editing.The downside is now I can see how far off photos I processed in Lightroom previously are. :-)

Unless a reviewer specifies, you can't tell if a review is for Elite or Pro.. This review is for both.I've been using colorimeters since CRT days, with good results. My discontinued X-rite Eye-One worked fine until I installed Windows 11. After that the software would always report that there was no profile for either monitor.I recently purchased the cheaper Pro version, which didn't work for me at all. When calibration completed, the monitor would shift to a green tint. Both monitors did the same thing. The old X-rite could do better job with it's outdated software.Then they went on sale. The Elite was now the same price that I paid for the Pro. So, I switched with Amazon, hoping fancy software would make a difference. Devices are both the same Spyder X. I used the same procedure previously used with the Pro software and calibration was perfect on the 1st try. I didn't use any of the extended Elite feature set. I expected to be able to make a software comparison, but now suspect that my 1st Spyder X was probably defective.Addendum: Now that I've had the Elite for a few days, I can see that the Elite software is necessary to make 2 different monitor types look exactly the same.

Just ensures colors you see match the color profile you want. This way when you send a file to the print shop, it's a lot easier to tweak the first time so there after it's perfect each and every time. I don't know why it took me so long to get this, hind sight is 20/20

I have worked with Datacolor products for many years and can attest to their quality and consistency - necessary for professional use. The Datacolor Spyder X2 Ultra and Elite are no exception. However, these units are also not the latest version of the Spyder. As of last month, the X2 Ultra and Elite have been replaced with the SpyderPro which you can find here on Amazon by searching for 2024 Version Datacolor SpyderPro. As of this writing, the two-week old SpyderPro unit appears to be the new flagship and is available now at a lower price than either older model Ultra or Elite.If I were buying today, I'd skip the X2 Ultra or Elite and instead get the just-released SpyderPro for newer tech at a better price than the legacy units.

I new I'd have a problem when I bought a new computer with Windows 11. My old Dell Optiplex was well beyond its useful like but my photography workflow requires a calibrated monitor. My 15 year old work horse GretagMcbeth iOne Professional system does not work with Windows 11 (so much for Microsoft's claim of backward compatibility with prior Windows OS).This colorimeter/sensor/calibrator is significantly easier to use than my old one. It is much more compact. I am very pleased with the ease of installation, ICC profile creation and ease of application to the NVidia graphics card my new computer uses.