Color isn't universal from objects to photographs to monitors to printed images -- which is why sometimes you order something online and find it's a completely different color, or sometimes your perfectly adjusted photos are just off when printed. Datacolor provides an industry standard for color calibrating a computer monitor so that what you see in Lightroom and Photoshop is accurate and reliable. The Datacolor Spyder5PRO is a sensor that sits on your computer screen then plugs into a USB and uses included software to adjust the colors which will give you better print results. The Spyder is compatible with both laptop screens and monitors, as well as both Macs and PCs. It's an industry standard and regularly receives better performance scores than off-brand competitors. The system also includes multiple ambient light settings and a quick "recalibrate" setting, which allows you to recalibrate when room light conditions change.
But, Datacolor also has multiple options on the market -- so what's the difference? The Spyder5PRO, unlike the Express, includes the software, ambient light sensor and everything you need to color calibrate your monitor for photography, sitting at a happy medium price point of about $189. Unlike the Spyder5ELITE, however, it doesn't allow you to calibrate multiple monitors running off the same computer and it also doesn't offer custom calibration for video.
For most photographers, the Datacolor Spyder5PRO is a happy medium between price and features, offering a best-in-class calibration for about $189. Videographers as well as photographers using multiple monitors during their editing workflow may want to spend more on the high-end version, but for most, the Spyder5PRO offers the most features for the price point.
