Versione in Italiano QUI
Introduction
I’ll never tire of emphasizing the importance for us photographers (and not only us) of having a properly calibrated and profiled monitor. It is truly the essential foundation for confidently viewing our images correctly—not just for ourselves, but also for others. If you’re still among the color skeptics, I invite you to read a short article on the topic, which you can find right here on this blog, specifically HERE.
For some time now, calibration and profiling devices (particularly colorimeters) have become more accessible in terms of both price and ease of use. However, I understand that for those approaching this topic for the first time, using a colorimeter might seem complicated, even when it comes to selecting the right settings. Additionally, some may feel that investing in a high-end product isn’t worthwhile if their monitor isn’t particularly advanced.
For this reason, Calibrite has recently released the new Calibrite Display 123, an entry-level colorimeter that ticks all the right boxes for enabling us to achieve a perfectly calibrated and profiled monitor at a very affordable price.
Let’s now take a closer look at the device and how to use it.
Calibrite Display 123 Features
Calibrite Display 123 is a probe (colorimeter) that, once connected to our computer and paired with the free Calibrite PROFILER application (downloadable from HERE), will allow us to proceed with the calibration and profiling of our monitor in a few minutes and without the possibility of error, as the entire process is completely automated.
The packaging is minimal and contains only the probe and the counterweight to keep the probe well-adhered to the monitor. Finally, the probe cable has a USB-C connector, so adapters are no longer necessary if you have a USB-C port on your computer. Otherwise, it is still possible to use an adapter to connect it to a regular USB port (Type A or 3.x).
The probe is very compact compared to its higher-end counterparts: it is a small yellow cylinder measuring only 34mm in height and 37mm in diameter. There is no cover for the optical part, so be very careful not to scratch it when storing it and to avoid fingerprints during use.
Calibrite Display 123 is compatible with most traditional monitors, including those with standard LED and OLED backlighting. However, it has some limitations:
- Incompatibility with mini-LED displays: It does NOT support the calibration of monitors with mini-LED technology, such as the Liquid Retina XDR displays on MacBook Pros.
- Brightness limit: It is not suitable for monitors with peak brightness greater than 1000 nits. (I’d say absolutely irrelevant for 99% of users unless working in HDR).
In fact, the only real limitation is with Liquid Retina XDR displays, for which a different device is required. To effectively calibrate Liquid Retina XDR displays, it is advisable to use devices such as the Calibrite Display Pro HL or Display Plus HL. These calibrators are designed to handle more advanced backlighting technologies, including mini-LEDs, and can calibrate monitors with brightness up to 3,000 nits (Pro HL) or 10,000 nits (Plus HL). Naturally, more sophisticated devices come with higher prices.
Preliminary Operations for Calibration and Profiling
Before starting to calibrate and profile your monitor, as always, I suggest you:
- Clean the screen thoroughly, especially in the center where the sensor will be placed.
- Disable automatic screen sleep due to inactivity.
- Disable all power-saving modes.
- Disable automatic white point adjustments (“True Tone” and similar features).
At this point, all that’s left is to connect the sensor to your computer, open the Calibrite PROFILER software, and follow the step-by-step instructions. The device is called Calibrite Display 123 because it allows you to achieve a perfectly calibrated and profiled monitor in just three simple steps. Let’s now see how.
Step 1: Brightness Settings
Once the application is launched with the sensor connected, Calibrite PROFILER will start the first of the three steps, which is related to screen brightness.
In other words, the software automatically detects the screen and then asks whether to proceed with the phases while keeping the screen brightness as it is (the “Native” setting) or to set it to 120 cd/m² (using the “Photo” setting), which is the recommended option for photographic works.
At this point, by clicking “Next,” we move on to the second phase.
Step 2: Positioning the Probe
At this point, Calibrite PROFILER simply asks us to place the sensor in the center of the screen, tilting it slightly and using the provided counterweight to ensure the sensor adheres well to the screen.
It couldn’t be simpler, really.
Once you click “Next,” we can move on to the third and final phase.
Step 3: Calibration and Profiling
At this stage, the combination of sensor and software begins the actual calibration and profiling process.
If in Step 1 you chose the “Photo” mode, Calibrite PROFILER will ask you to adjust the screen brightness to reach 120 cd/m². Each time you make a brightness adjustment, it takes a few seconds for the sensor to detect and the software to register the change, so proceed slowly and patiently.
Once this is done (or if you selected the “Native” mode in Step 1, you will already be here), the profiling phase begins. In simple terms, the software displays a series of known colors, and the sensor reads the actual color emitted by the screen. By comparing the known color to the emitted color, the software creates a kind of conversion table that allows your computer to display colors correctly. This process results in the creation of the ICC profile.
The fact that the profile is created by reading the actual colors emitted by your specific screen should make it clear how absurd it is to download an ICC profile from the internet, created on a different screen and computer.
Saving and Activating the ICC Profile
Once Step 3 is completed, the Calibrite PROFILER software will prompt you to save the ICC file.
I recommend giving it an easily recognizable name and perhaps setting up an automatic reminder to perform a new calibration and profiling. Remember, the ICC profile isn’t eternal—or rather, the profile itself is, but your monitor ages, and over time, the way it displays colors will change slightly. For this reason, it’s always a good idea to recalibrate and profile your monitor periodically (ideally every month, but calibrating every six months is perfectly fine, thanks to the high quality and stability of modern monitors).
At this point, you don’t need to do anything else but close Calibrite PROFILER and enjoy your calibrated and profiled monitor. The software will automatically install and activate the ICC profile on your computer, with no manual intervention required.
Conclusions
The Calibrite Display 123 is a simple yet effective calibration and profiling device, ideal for those approaching the world of color management for the first time. Understanding that having a monitor capable of displaying colors accurately is an essential choice in the world of photography.
Compact and affordable, once connected to the free Calibrite PROFILER software, it allows you to perform all calibration and profiling operations in just a few minutes, completely automatically and without needing to understand the complex processes behind ICC profile creation.
If you don’t need to perform hardware calibrations on external monitors or use it on mini-LED displays, the Calibrite Display 123 is undoubtedly the right device for you.
