Nix Spectro 2 Spectrophotometer - Professional and Portable Color Measurement for Print, Packaging, Paint, Coatings and More

Dieses Gerät ist von der Hardware her sehr gut. Es ist wunderbar verarbeitet, liegt fantastisch in der Hand, misst sehr schnell und die Messdaten sind einwandfrei.Wir arbeiten seit Jahren mit professionellen Spektrometern von X-Rite und haben daher exzellente Vergleichsmöglichkeiten. Wir waren schon seit Langem auf der Suche nach einem Handgerät das transportabel ist und trotzdem super genaue Messwerte liefert. Wenn es nun nur um die Fähigkeit der Hardware gehen würde, wären wir sehr zufrieden. Das Gerät ist erstaunlich genau im Messen der Spektralwerte und steht teureren Geräten in fast nichts nach!Das große Manko an diesem Gerät ist jedoch die zur Verfügung gestellte Software Stand März 2023. Theoretisch ist alles vorhanden, was man benötigt. Alles sieht sehr frisch im Design aus. Bei der täglichen Arbeit ist jedoch schnell offensichtlich, dass hier ein paar Sachen nicht stimmen:1. Single ScanKlingt erstmal gut! Einfach Farbe scannen und speichern!? Leider nein – schalten sie das Gerät neu ein, sind alle Voreinstellungen auf D50-2° zurückgestellt. Es gibt keine Möglichkeit eine andere Lichtart oder Betrachtungswinkel als Standard zu speichern. Wir haben intern den Standard D65-10°. Das kann man natürlich auch in der Software umstellen, es ist nur leider beim nächsten Starten der App wieder bei den Ausgangswerten. Es ist also notwendig die App zu starten und zu schauen ob die Lichtart stimmt und ggf. erstmal umzustellen.2. Vergleichen mit Standard-FarbkartenDas vergleichen einer Messung mit Farbkarten ist ein praxisnahes Feature und es sind auch extrem viele Farbkarten hinterlegt. Unterteilt nach Asien, Canada, Caribbean & Centra America, Europe, Mexico, Oceania, South Amerika und United States.Was für ein Schatz an Farbkarten mit denen man theoretisch jeden Messwert des Gerätes vergleichen könnte.Es ist jedoch nur möglich eine! Marke als Vergleichsfächer anzuklicken. Ich konnte es nicht glauben! Unfassbar! Wir haben quasi einen weltweiten Schatz verbaut, können ihn aber nicht heben.Eine! Ja genau nur EINE Farbkarte von hunderten!3. Vergleichen mit bereits gemessenen Farben aus „my favorite colors“Jede Messung kann sehr schnell gespeichert werden. Diese Werte landen dann in einem selbst gestalteten Ordnersystem in Menü (my favorite colors). Soweit klasse und übersichtlich. Diese Datenbank ist aber für Vergleiche, die man später machen möchte, nicht nutzbar! Man kann Vergleiche mit „paint brands“ (wie in Punkt2 beschrieben), „custom library“, „librarys shared with me“ und „purchased library“ machen. Es ist jedoch nicht Möglich matches zu „my favorite colors“ zu finden. Genau die Datenbank, die man selbst anlegt, ist als Vergleichsgrundlage nicht nutzbar! Es ist zwar möglich, Farben auch in custom librarys zu speichern (eine andere Datenbank-Struktur), dort muss man aber etwas mehr schreiben.4. ExportImmer wenn eine Farbe angezeigt wird, kann man sie auch exportieren! Soweit so gut! Die CSV Dateien sind schon sehr gut. Die Spektralwerte werden aber im wissenschaftlichen Format exportiert (z.B. 8.29015255e-1) Das heißt man kann das nicht ohne Weiteres in Excel öffnen und verarbeiten, sondern muss noch Formatierungen ändern. Irgendwie umständlich.Fazit:Was für ein tolles Gerät, aber die Software ist für uns nicht zu gebrauchen. Die Firma ist schon auf einem tollen Weg – open API für Entwickler etc. Jedoch werden wir wohl in ein paar Jahren wieder reinschauen ob sich da was getan hat!

Soy colorista profesional para madera.Tengo varios espectro metros entre ellos data color y spectro de Variable y decidi probar con este. A continuación les diré los aspectos malos y buenos a mi parecer profesional del equipo y su software.Puntos Positivos- Se puede hacer mediciones multipunto- La maletita es bonita- Se puede hacer comparación de más de 2 MUESTRAS o más con respecto al mismo patrónPuntos Negativos- Poco portátil ya que su tamaño es incómodo para llevar en el bolsillo y como no tiene protector de lente es mejor llevar en su maleta pero ya es un bulto medio grande- Software poco amigable. Primero viene solo en Inglés. Segundo no guarda tus preferencias o configuraciones personales ya que si lo pagas tienes que volver a reajustar tus preferencias como delta de iluminación, y número de mediciones promedio para la pieza, además de que aunque tengas una cuenta creada no te permite revisar tus carpetas de colores guardados sino esta conectado el espectro.- Si lo comparara con un equipo más económico Spectro Pro de la Marca Variable es mucho más caro el de Nix, tiene un delta de error muy similar y no recomendaria pagar tanto por lo mismo.En conclusión es un equipo bonito pero incómodo de llevar encima y con un software muy poco ágil para trabajar profesionalmente.Ahora lo estoy usando a diario pero cada vez me gusta menos este spectro.

The Nix Spectro 2 is a really high quality test instrument that's perfect for a broad cross section of color-conscious industries. If you're an interior designer who wants to match paint samples, a design professional who needs accurate color reproduction from printed samples, or a manufacturing engineer who wants to make sure a dye lot matches your standards, this tool works well for that purpose.I really like the hardware itself. Shaped like a diamond, the Spectro 2 is comfortable to hold and can be easily repositioned for taking multiple consecutive samples. It comes in a Pelican-style case with precise cutouts for the sensor and all its accessories, and everything has a satisfying feeling that suggests it's built to last. A full calibration certificate is included, and Nix offers recalibration services as well.The included app is fairly simplistic, but is pretty straightforward to use; it pairs reliably with the device, and taking readings is pretty easy. Essentially, the Nix Spectro 2 works like a really accurate real-world eyedropper tool for color.You can map to an included library of paint samples very easily, and an extensive variety of paint manufacturers are provided for free. Note that you won't be able to use publishing color libraries like Pantone without paying an extra subscription charge. That's frustrating, but Pantone's X-Rite sells their own spectrophotometers and is notably restrictive about licensing their colors to the point where Adobe doesn't even offer them as a complimentary inclusion anymore, so this isn't entirely surprising; at least the option is available if it's something you need, and the monthly price isn't any worse than the pricing in Creative Suite.If you're hoping to use this for creating a color calibration profile for a monitor or printer, it's not really designed for that. I invested a fair amount of time in trying to figure out a way to print a known sample on my printer, use the Nix to read those swatches, and then create a color management profile that corrects for the error - but that doesn't seem possible in any sort of automatic way. If I was an expert in making manual color profiles, I might be able to hand craft a profile, but it's certainly not a core feature of any of the included software.More disappointingly, the Nix Spectro 2 can only read samples illuminated with its own internal light source. That means that it can't be used to read colors off of a monitor, and it also can't be used to read LEDs or other light sources like interior lamps. (I confirmed this with support, who took a bit of time to reply but who were friendly and clear when addressing my question, confirming the device is unable to provide accurate readings for any illuminated objects.) That was a real disappointment for me, because I was hoping to use this for manufacturing quality control to calibrate light output from a set of LEDs where the color response curve has no basis in reality. It's on me for making assumptions, but I would have been better off for that purpose with a somewhat more expensive spectrophotometer from X-Rite, which ships with calibration software and the ability to read displays. Another reviewer said that this product can work for monitor calibration, and as far as I can tell, that's incorrect information.The policies surrounding support and SDK access for the device are disappointing and the primary reason I deducted a star. Warranty coverage is limited to a year and only is provided to the original purchaser, so coverage does not transfer with the device - quality test equipment is a long-term investment, and limiting support in this way is very customer-unfriendly.More to the point, the lack of a publicly available SDK really limits the use for QC purposes. If you want to integrate the Nix into a factory production workflow, you have to reach out to the company and beg for access to the SDK through a marketing consultation - they don't publish it publicly, and while pricing isn't listed on the site, it's heavily implied that it's an expensive proposition. Even if they decide to grant you free access, that would be limited to only ten devices without additional charges. For a device costing well into the four-figures, my fundamental expectation is that clear documentation and tools are available to access the data from my hardware purchase so I can actually use my test equipment: the SDK should absolutely be published in a public location like Github and the protocol the device uses for communication should be documented in an open manner. There's no reason to limit devices used - buying the hardware should be all the license needed to get to the data you're measuring.If the included app were more full-featured and flexible, this might not be a big deal, but it seems primarily designed for basic color acquisition - so achieving most industrial QC workflows would require SDK access.The Spectro 2 is gorgeous hardware and appears to be extremely accurate. I just wish it was more flexible, both in the types of objects it's capable of reading and in how it's supported and interfaced with. But if your use case is a fairly straightforward one, like matching paints or manually verifying production samples are within a tolerance, I think you'll be quite happy with your purchase.

First thing you're going to want to do is install the nix toolkit. I can't link that here directly, but just search your app store for Nix toolkit and it'll come right up.Now you can either create an account or just go straight into the app. I like that you don't have to create an account before you can even use the app.After that, it's time to connect your Spectro 2. Easy. It will find it for you. You just select your device right from the menu. Now you can immediately use it. It's so easy to use that I am absolutely shocked. I mean, shocked. I was using it literally seconds after I took it out of the box. You just point it at what you want, press whichever button you want in the app, and you're done. It's really that simple.My favorite feature is that you can match whatever you are pointing it at to all kinds of different paint samples. So, if you have old paint in your house but you don't want to repaint the entire room, just aim this at your wall and it will tell you what to buy. It will tell you the brand , and then even take you straight to the store locator for the brand you chose! I really can't believe how easy this thing is to use. I want to give it six stars under easy to use. I swear it's harder to use a spoon than it is to use this.So, it seems extremely accurate, but there is one tiny issue. The colors it suggests are interesting sometimes. I'll post a picture of what I'm talking about. Look at the color I scanned, and then look at what it suggested. It's not exactly that close. So, if it doesn't find a near perfect match, you may be taking your phone to the store to show them what you need. With this, you can give them some exact numbers for mixing though.There are also paint libraries that you can buy, which I'm sure will be useful for a professional. You will need an account to buy stuff, obviously. You also need an account to save things and to QC checks.I am also planning to use this to calibrate my monitors since it should work great for that. I can display an HTML color, and then check to see if it is actually displaying that color. This is a whole lot more accurate than my eyes would be.Overall, this thing is great. I still can't believe how easy it is to use.

Product: Nix Spectro 2tl;dr: Recommended for lab grade accuracy scanning of reflective surfaces.Overview:In the box… is a box. 😊 Actually, it’s a good quality carry case. This is an excellent sign, products that are good quality also deserve a safe storage solution.Opening the carry case reveals the measuring device, a few accessories (a carry pouch, charge cable, etc.) and two critical items: the inspection and accuracy certification, and the reference tile.I have some audio industry lab experience, and one of the signs of a high grade unit is it can be calibrated to a NIST traceable standard, and it has a self-test or verification process to ensure it is meeting spec. This device meets that criteria for accuracy.But is it indeed “correct”? As a pro photographer, I also own calibration cards for my camera (and a colorimeter for my display monitor). I used my readily available DataColor SpyderCheckr as a test card. The SpyderCheckr has a variety of carefully created color patches with both D50 and D65 RGB color values provided. Based on my limited testing so far, the Nix Spectro 2 is indeed quite accurate, scanning within a couple of digits of the theoretical standard values. As a sanity test, it also matched up well with the readings my my low cost Datacolor ColorReader EZ provided.My primary intended use case is to “tune” my Windows color inkjet and laser printers to yield more accurate print colors from Lightroom and Photoshop via tweaked ICC color profiles.I was hoping for a turnkey app, but the creating & editing of ICC color profiles appears to be a more opaque process than expected. I will follow up on this review as I get more into that topic.Pro’s:- This is an easy to use, accurate, rugged, lab grade Spectrophotometer that has good consistency from scan to scan.- Includes a self test and a reference tile to ensure continued accuracy.- Use of the USB C style charging connector means no flipping the USB A plug over 3 times to plug it in for charging.Con’s:- The software support is a little rough yet. For example, I use a white point of 6500K, or D65 in my workflow. The Nix toolkit app doesn’t remember my preference for that setting so I have to remember to go into the utility menu and reset it each time.- The device lacks a “quickstart” card that reminds you to charge the device, install the app, pair/connect, check the app settings, and (critically) run the “white tile normalization” before using the device for real work. I initially got some divergent values before I ran the cal process.- The price is not out of line for a quality lab standard for the serious user, but it will preclude use by the average hobbyist. I see Nix also has a few lower cost units, I would look at those if this unit is too pricey for your application.Summary:A quality, solid unit. Sets up easily, yields consistent accurate results.