Datacolor Spyder X2 Ultra Review

There are two schools of thought when it comes to monitor calibration. One, it’s a dark art best ignored and if you keep your fingers crossed, photographs and videos will look okay; and two, it’s an essential process worth regular attention because it shows off your talents as an image creator at their best. You can guess in which class colour management experts Datacolor sits, and ePhotozine is right with them.

Whether you are making photographs and videos to post online, to show at the camera club or for a fee-paying client, you need to get your colours right time after time and a correctly calibrated monitor is essential. To be frank, if you don’t, you might as well hang up the camera now.

The thing is, while monitor calibration sounds technical, it isn’t and Datacolor has worked incredibly hard to make the process of colour management painless. Its highly respected and award-winning range of Spyder products is user-friendly, versatile and accurate. Furthermore, there’s no need for in-depth technical knowledge as Datacolor’s latest addition to the range, the Spyder X2 Ultra, demonstrates. This lens-based monitor calibration device retails at £299 and is designed to support LED displays including HDR and high-brightness models intended for outdoor use.

While we review the Spyder X2 Ultra here, it is also available as an Elite version which sells at £249. The two versions look identical and have the same skills including the ability to match multiple screens, but the Elite is designed for calibrating monitors with a maximum display luminance of 750 nits while the Ultra is for screens up to 2000 nits brightness. If you buy the X2 Elite it can be upgraded to X2 Ultra software at a later date.

Datacolor Spyder X2 Ultra Key Features:

• £299 including shipping, X2 Elite version is available at £249
• The Ultra is suitable for HDR/high brightness monitors, up to 2000nits
• Lens-based X2 sensor
• Studio Match feature for multiple monitor calibration
• Soft proofing option
• For photo and video
• New, user-friendly software
• USB-C native connection. USB-A adaptor supplied

The Spyder X2 Ultra comes ready to go in a small box. The unit is natively fitted with a USB-C lead and the only supplied accessory is an USB-A adaptor, so the unit can be linked to most computers. Of course, you’ll need software and Datacolor has that available for Mac and Windows. Just tap in the supplied web address and product code to get it downloaded and installed ready to use. Literally, within a matter of minutes (assuming you have a good internet connection) from opening the box, you’re ready to start calibrating.  

Opening Interface

Open the software and follow the step-by-step instructions. It’s a simple wizard-driven software that takes you through your needs and the monitor’s features.

The first decision is whether you want to calibrate your display/s or to soft proof. Before we discuss calibration in detail, as a regular home printer I was keen to explore the soft proofing feature. In the SoftProof interface you can add the intended print or import your own default test image. Next, the image can be viewed with the appropriate device or paper profile with selectable options of rendering intent, black point compensation and gamut warning. For a closer inspection, you can magnify deep into the image or go full screen.  

Softproof

The SoftProofing option is more than a little useful for keen printers and potentially money-saving, but being able to check the accuracy of images destined for projection and screen use is a huge benefit.

Once done, hit close and you are back where you are started from, with the option of Calibrate My Display(s) or SoftProofing.

Click on Calibrate My Display(s) and you get three more options: Display Calibration, Studio Match or Display Analysis, which illustrates the X2 Ultra’s impressive versatility.  

Select Workflow

Studio Match means you can profile your monitors to look as close to each other as possible. I use a dual BenQ SW2700 24in screen set-up and have often found when I calibrate the screens with my usual device, they look different. Both have a mid-grey desktop and one always looks marginally warmer than the other and although this is not an issue because I know which monitor gives accurate prints, it’s niggling. The good news is that Studio Match did a great job and after using the X2 Ultra I had my two screens looking very similar, so I was much happier.  

Display Analysis

Display Analysis is a feature to check the quality of the display using the Spyder X2. The six test parameters include gamut, screen, colour accuracy and screen uniformity. The tests takes a few minutes depending on what parameters you want to check and you need to be around to follow the software’s directions. For example, with checking uniformity, the calibration device has to be moved around the screen to measure the test area. Although you might not use the analysis facility often, it is a useful skill to have on hand to give your screen a regular health check.

Finally, we’ve arrived at the Spyder X2 Ultra’s calibration skills. Display Setup and Calibration Settings are the only two vaguely technical interfaces. For the former, it’s worth having your monitor’s instruction manual handy in case if you’ve forgotten what features it has or to remind you how to access certain functions such as adjusting brightness and Kelvin.  

Display Setup

For the Calibration Settings page I kept it simple and followed the software’s recommendations. From this point on it’s a matter of following the software’s workflow and it doesn’t take long to get to the point where you have to place the device on the screen. The unit has a counterweight to help accurate positioning and it is important to get the device flush to the screen to avoid any extraneous light reaching the Spyder X2’s sensor and you may have to lean the monitor back to ensure this.

Add Calibration Device

When you are ready to go, just click the button, but don’t rush off just yet because you may be needed to fine-tine monitor brightness. Once this is done and the software starts reading colours, now’s the time for a quick cuppa as the software does its thing.

With all the colours tested, you can name and save the profile, set a reminder time and then compare before and after calibration. Quit out of the software and now you can enjoy your profiled monitor/s.

Preview Your Profile

Datacolor Spyder X2 Ultra Verdict

An accurate colour-managed workflow will save you time, money on wasted paper and ink and stress. At £299, Datacolor’s Spyder X2 Ultra is a worthwhile and versatile investment whether you’re a photographer or a videographer that will ensure your monitor is correctly calibrated and will serve you well over many years.

System requirements:

• Windows 10,11 32/64
• Mac OS X 10.14, 10.15, 11 (Big Sur), 12 (Monterey), 13 (Ventura)
• Monitor resolution 1280×768 or greater, 16-bit video card (24 bit
• recommended), 1GB of available RAM, 500 MB of available hard disk
• Internet connection for software download
• USB-C or USB-A port   

[REVIEW_FOOTER]R_features=5|R_handling=5|R_performance=5|R_value=4|R_overall=4.5|A_level=4.5|A_text= Highly Recommended – Datacolor’s Spyder X2 Ultra is a worthwhile and versatile investment.|E_id=7988[/REVIEW_FOOTER] 

Own this product? Let us know what you think of it in the EQDB. 

Spotted a mistake? Let us know in the EQDB.