Colormunki Smile review - X-Rite

Why X-Rite seems to have reconditioned the old Eye One Display II gelatin filter under this new Colormunki Smile package ?

Released in fall 2012 in order to compete Datacolor and its Spyder4Express, X-Rite has launched a new display calibration colorimeter : the Colormunki Smile. Can this economical colorimeter, since its price is aligned to its competitor, offer a real alternative to limited budget users, knowing that better versions are just a little more expensive ? Is the criteria of calibration software simplicity - there is nothing to adjust or choose - is really an advantage ? This is what we will see on this page.

Buy the Colormunki Smile     Seller Price     $92.50     $92.50     CDN$ 102.99

Colormunki Display presentation

New ! this display calibration colorimeter represents an entry level product of X-Rite calibration products. This colorimeter is clearly positioned to face the Spyder4Express colorimeter, on this commodity market segment around 100€, obviously highly competitive, as X-Rite had avoided to release this kind of product ... The Spyder4Express has indeed never had a good reputation among people, even non-specialists... So let's not keep this incredible suspense going on, I will not recommend this colorimeter, so I did not make a detailed test...

The calibration kit and what is in the box

The X-Rite Colormunki Smile monitor colorimeter comes with a new, in fact "old", colorimeter since it is the reconditioned... old Eye One Display 2 ! It is therefore a huge surprise, when we know it is a previous generation gelatin filter colorimeter that age suddenly and that can not properly calibrate the recent wide gamut monitors. Having said that the kit is a standard one with its colorimeter, the booklet, the installation CD and a small weight. Nothing but classic !

Key features and novelties

• Old instrument of measurement technology...
• Gelatine filters;
• Extremely simplified software.
  
  

Calibration : step by step

Exceptionally, the display calibration with this colorimeter will not be discussed here, because I can not recommend this colorimeter. I am afraid for my reputation ! Jokes aside, the software is so simple you will not need a tutorial to make a calibration of your monitor with this colorimeter.

Conclusion and marks !

The Colormunki Smile colorimeter is a new "old" colorimeter. I feel that it is more to highlight the performance of the other two colorimeters, the Colormunki Display and the i1Display Pro. It's like cars, three finition levels are created to mainly sell the second one ! This is actually a repackaging of the Eye One Display 2, with a gelatin filter, which we now know age suddenly.

Marks   Colormunki Display     Manufacturing quality     Solidity/Durability     Possibilities     ICC profile quality     Quality/Price ratio     PROS ... I am still questionning myself...     CONS ... To offer us an old recycled colorimeter aging badly and that does not calibrate wide gamut monitors, one should explain us... Damned marketing !     TOTAL 5 / 10

My opinion : What do you want me to say ? The few people that will buy it before reading this article, may find it ok, because it might be fine for their monitor, but I cannot decently recommend it. For a little more money, you can afford the very good Colormunki Display from the same manufacturer or the incredible quality/price ratio of the Spyder4 Pro ...

Buy the Colormunki Smile     Seller Price       $92.50     $92.50     CDN$ 102.99