So, what you are suggesting is that DxO employs more people to write the colour calibration software? Something which is not their speciality and that, based on the lack of number of requests for it, is unlikely to sell more copies of PhotoLab, especially since most people will be quite happy to use a tool that has already been written and tried and tested.
The Photolab suite as it is now is pretty brilliant . For many photographers it allows for a very good and efficient workflow. In order to expand its use into certain professional segments adding such a proposed color target functionality within the Photolab suite seems to me to be fairly obvious. That being said, the DXO team have already added a wider color workspace and working on further advances in color management.
I don’t get this obsession with having to have everything in one piece of software.
For hardware I have:
- a Nikon camera
- SanDisk memory cards
- Lee Filter holders
- Formatt Filters
- a Gitzo tripod
- a Manfrotto tripod head
- a Konic Minolta exposure meter
- a Mac computer
- a Canon printer
- Fotospeed paper
- Canson paper
Why? because each “component” in my workflow was chosen for being the best. Since other companies have already proven they are the best in their field, why demand that DxO tries to share an already small market?
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That’s because you don’t appreciate the simplicity of something that does everything in one, like this:
I mean, who needs a toolbox full of stuff when something like that does everything?
A list of all your gear seems kinda irrelevant in this context. I have simply proposed integration of color target handling and camera/scene calibration within Photolab. For those of us who often must handle a zillion of color target shots in high volume settings with changing light conditions such an integration would be revolutionizing. This is about improving the workflow and saving hours of fiddling.
From Calibrite’s marketing material regarding the DUO target: " An essential tool for any user that requires accurate color control when working in mixed lighting conditions when capturing still or moving images"
–Which is absolutely correct. Clearly many photographers will never feel the need for using color targets and implementing scene calibration, but for some this is indeed important stuff.
How much colour variance is there between individual camera sensors? Since PL already ships with a camera profile for my camera, I’m wondering if there’s any benefit to a custom camera calibration.
Probably high enough to make e.g. Hasselblad create a custom profile for each camera they make.
No matter if we use custom profiles or not, we’d better see initial images as a starting point for whatever interpretation we want to create…
Makes sense. If I were a professional it would probably be a no brainer but as an amateur there’s always a calculation to be made in terms of cost, complexification of workflow, etc, versus enjoyment of the hobby. When I calibrate my monitor I can see the subtle yet perceptible difference in colours when the custom profile is applied. I’m trying to understand is whether a custom DCP profile offers enough advantage to be worthwhile for me personally.
Thanks for all your replies, I am glad DXO is somewhat compatible with the colour checkers. I am new to DXO and really want to master the colour aspect as I send my photos to print lab. I use the ICC colour profile, use the colour calibration to set my monitor so now I need to get my head around the work flow in DXO,
If you were to buy Xrite or Spyder which is your reccommedation? for use with DXO.
Thanks Brenden
What exactly do you want to know? X-Rite and Spyder are just names for a company and a device/solution respectively.
Do you want to
- create monitor profiles = calibrate your monitor(s)
- create camera profiles = calibrate your camera(s)
- create printer and paper profiles
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- I have been using Spyder to calibrate my monitor which has been great.
- I have never calibrated my camera and never created camera profiles.
- I use ICC colour profile supplied by my lab where I soft proof using the ICC colour profiles.
Where im needing help is with DXO is Spyder or Xrite any easier than the other to use the colour checker or are they both the same?
I am using an Xrite Display1 for monitor calibration as a device - very happy, easy to use. As software for calibration I am not using the Xrite software but “Display Cal” https://displaycal.net/
DxO PhotoLab
- can’t create profiles
- can use profiles with the color rendering tool
- can use profiles with the soft proofing tool
- doesn’t care about how the profiles were created
I use the X-Rite Color Checker Passport and related software to create camera profiles.
I use the X-Rite i1 Display colorimeter and the DisplayCal software to create monitor profiles. I prefer DisplayCal over X-Rite’s own calibration software.
I used Datacolor Spyder colorimeters with related software and with DisplayCal many years ago, but decided to switch to X-Rite’s products. They seem to produce more detailed profiles - and came at lower price too.
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Another vote for X-Rite colorimeter hardware from me.
Ditto
I use the same colorimeter but with X-Rite’s own software and am happy with the results.
I also use the same colorimeter with its own software.
I personally found the DisplayCal software to be not as user friendly as the “native” products.
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Yes, DisplayCal is a bit “rough around the edges” but supports many different colorimeters. Datacolor’s monitor calibration software is easiest to use imo, but the number of colours used for calibration is fairly small compared to the other two tools.
As always, we can choose whatever compromise we like 
Did you know about the “advanced” target, with 729 patches over 9 pages?
I’m just too tight to waste that much paper and ink 
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okay… more than one reference for printer calibration.
I only used Datacolor Spyder 3 (with Elite software version 3.x) for screen calibration, which used to come without variations.
for anybody interested → PhotoLab 4 with X-rite i1Display Studio display calibrator - #216 by Wolfgang
Also, if interested: X-rite ColorMunki Photo + ccStudio + ColorChecker Camera.