Datacolor Spyder5 Elite Monitor Calibrator Review

A Closer Look

The box that all of the Spyder5 range comes in is high-quality. It consists of two parts that are strong as single pieces, but together can support the weight of a fully grown man, yes I stood on it by accident!

Inside the box is a snug plastic mould that fits the Spyder5 perfectly. It then allows the wire cable to be wrapped around the perimeter, possibly for added protection in the case that you use it as a football. Along with that is a serial code, cable tidy and a ‘Thank you’ card with the download website on.

It looks like a really simple piece of kit, but inside this outer casing is a high-tech monitoring tool with two uses. The top (what we are looking at) holds an ambient light sensor to monitor the room’s light levels. Inside is then the monitor calibration tool that monitors brightness, colour, contrasts and so on.

When I first received the Spyder5 Elite, I didn’t know that it opened. I then noticed that it opened up and the back is a counterweight to help stabilise the main section on the face of the monitor, clever!

Taking a look at the inside of the Spyder, we see a honeycomb style plastic opening. This is designed to sit flush on the face of the screen and monitor different parts of the screen. This is much more accurate that one single hole that covers the same area.

If you have a tripod small enough, this features a tripod mount to allow you to use it. This is good if your particular monitor doesn’t have a tilt feature or is hanging off the wall at a downward angle.