OT: Monitor Calibration

I was wondering if someone could recommend a good (budget friendly, maybe around $150) monitor calibrator? I have noticed that my photos tend to print out quite darker than they appear on my monitor. I have been looking at the Spyder3Pro.

Thanks for any suggestions.

You don't mention what platform you're using...
I'm using a Colorvision Colorplus device on my Windows XP machine. It cost around $100 when new. It's been discontinued for a while, but I did see some new units still available on Amazon for a very good price.
It's not the fanciest thing going, but it does get my monitor to match my printer, and I guess that's what monitor calibration is all about.
I do not know if it works on Vista machines.

Bob thanks for the suggestion, I am currently working on a Windows XP machine.

The best in that price range : X-rite i1Display LT

I agree with Nat. The eye-one stuff is really nice.

RichieV

Thanks everyone for your suggestions. I will look into the Xrite Eye-One Display 2.

Do not know if you are making test prints. If not, consider adding test prints to your workflow even after calibrating your monitor.

Bill Brennan

Getting a good instrument like the colorimeters mentioned here is the best place to start. Since you report that your prints are dark compared to your monitor, be aware that the main thing you'll be looking at doing (with the help of your colorimeter) is turning down the brightness on your monitor.

We've come across this issue often enough that we put out an article in one of our newsletters a while back:
http://www.colorwiki.com/wiki/My_Printer_Is_Too_Dark

-Pat Herold
Tech support, www.chromix.com

Agree with monitor brightness.
Most LCD monitors come out of the store set way too bright to appeal to the masses, not to photographers trying to get a good monitor/print match.