Klein K-10 Non-Contact Colorimeter with CalMAN

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The Klein K-10 is a reference-class non-contact optical color meter with superb accuracy, the fastest read times you will find, and superior performance at low light. When you use a Klein K-10 to calibrate your display, you are very likely using the same instrument the manufacturer used to test it!

Confused about meters?  See our FAQ: Which meter is right for me?

This is an incredibly fast meter. In all our testing, we've never seen anything that approaches its speed. Everyone who uses it for the first time can’t believe that it actually finished a complete run in the same time many meters would take for the first reading.

The K-10 can return results at low light levels beyond the point at which any other meter we've seen gives up ― and it's still fast at those levels! (It's also capable of returning accurate levels at extremely high light levels).  The color readings delivered by the K-10 closely map the CIE specifications.

The Klein K-10 and CalMAN Pro package is designed to eliminate the frustration that professional calibrators have. One frustration is having to make do with equipment that doesn't accurately measure color, especially at low light. Another frustration is dealing with expensive spectroradiometers that are slow and laborious. The K-10 coupled with CalMAN Pro solves these frustrations with an accurate and fast colorimeter plus powerful software that is designed for professional calibrators. This package is designed to save you time, save you money, produce the most accurate calibrations and then report this to your customers.

This meter comes with a 1 year NIST certificate from the manufacture. Every K-10 undergoes individual calibration to make it accurate and to keep it accurate in the field. Documentation of this traceability is included with every K-10 we sell. Another calibration involves thermal compensation which works behind the scenes, when the meter is used. So you don't have to worry about temperature changes when performing a calibration.

The Klein K-10 has been used primarily for industrial uses, mostly by display and LED manufactures for in-house design, testing and Q/A in the factories. SpectraCal worked closely with Klein to get the pricing well below what the performance would normally demand. If you have been looking for a Konica Minolta or Photo Research but can’t justify the price this meter should fit the bill!

Backlight LED Calibrated

More and more new displays are arriving based on Backlight LED technology. One industry analyst estimates that by next year 40% of flat-panel displays will use Backlight LEDs. Existing colorimeters give erroneous results when calculating these displays. The errors aren't huge, but they're there, and most people don't go to the trouble of calibrating their displays for the purpose of making them "not too wrong."

Accurate results from backlight LED devices can be achieved if the colorimeter has an additional calibration table to account for this discrepancy. The Klein K-10 tristim based colorimeter is one of the few that supports LED displays with LED calibration running CalMAN v3.5. It does not matter if the display uses edgelit, backlit or backlit RGB.

Flicker Filter

The K-10 is a combination of a luminance meter, integrator and FFT analyzer all in one. The probe measures luminance and integrates the data in the head. This makes the K-10 an excellent choice for calibrating DLP displays. The color wheel flicker of DLP displays can confuse many colorimeters (causing them to synch on the color wheel), but not the K-10!

Read Head Boot for Contact Mode

You can use the K-10 for both luminance readings (from the screen) and illuminance (readings pointed directly at the projector). The K-10 ships with a read head boot which can be used to nudge the K-10 right up against a display. The boot is made of soft rubber so that you need not worry about damaging the surface of the display. Because it removes all ambient light, the read head boot makes the K-10 ideal for measuring reflective displays such as plasmas.

Industrial Strength Instrument

Unlike fragile lab instruments which cannot withstand transportation or use in the field, the K-10 is a rugged instrument built to industrial standards.

Selected Features

• Large Photodiodes. Diodes that are 5mm x 5mm each, along with thermally stable components, are combined to report the highest degree of accuracy.
• Exceptionally Accurate Filters. Not only is the f1’ of Y critical but the accuracy of X and Z as well.
• Light Mixing Chamber. This ensures all the diodes see the same light and virtually eliminates any x,y variations by turning the probe clockwise or counter clockwise.
• Quick Measurements over an RS-232 line. The head takes 256 measurements per second, even at low light. For readability, 8 measurements per second is displayed.
• FFT Flicker Meter: Probe measures & integrates Y data in the head, and streams in real time to the pc, and a Fast Fourier Transform is performed. JEITA method.
• 8 Bright LED's. LED's projecting through a 62mm focal length lens and focusing on a display, define the measurement area. Acceptance angle is +/- 5 degrees.
• Rugged Construction. The K-10’s auto ranging is solid state and the case is impact resistant to hold up to 24 hours a day, 7 days a week required usage that manufacturing plants require.

Technical Specifications
 

Specification	Value
Measuring Range	0.00006-2919 fL; 0.0002-10,000 nits (candelas per square meter)
Measurement Area / Distance	22mm diameter / 110 mm from display
Display Intervals	0.1 second auto ranging; 6 ranges, each channel ranges independently
Filtering	20Hz low pass 3 pole analog filter, 14 bit A/D Converter, digital averaging
Accuracy   (Illuminant A)	Chromaticity: +- 0.002 x,y (displayed value > 1.00 nits) Luminance: +- 1% Y, +- 1 LSB (displayed value > 0.01 nits)
Repeatability	Chromaticity: 0.002 x,y (displayed value > 1.00 nits) Luminance: +- 1% Y, +- 1 LSB (displayed value > 0.01 nits)
Data Interface	9600 baud RS232 communication to PC
Operating Requirements	Temperature: 0-40 C; Humidity: below 85% RH non-condensation
Physical Dimensions	Size: 10.5" Long x 2.375" Diameter (267mm x 60mm) Weight:  net 19 oz (591g.) Shipping Weight: 3 lbs

Display Support

The Klein K-10 measures all kinds of displays not just projection based. It supports all known display types including (but not necessarily limited to): LCD, LCoS, SXRD, CRT, Plasma, DLP. It also supports projectors for use in commercial movie theaters.

About Klein Instruments

Klein Instruments Corporation (Portland, OR) has a twenty-five year history of delivering reference-grade optical instruments, primarily to display manufacturers. When you use a Klein K-10 to calibrate your display, you are very likely using the same instrument the manufacturer used to test it! 

Warranty

The Klein K-10 is backed by a strong one-year warranty from the manufacturer.

Press Release

High-Accuracy K-10 Colorimeter

(Portland, OR, November 18, 2008) Klein Instruments today appointed SpectraCal, LLC of Mukilteo, WA, to represent the K-10 color meter to the home theater calibration industry.

SpectraCal, the leading provider of software to the home theater calibration software, will offer the K-10 as standalone hardware and in bundles with its software CalMAN.

"The K-10 fills a much needed hole in the colorimeter meter that professional calibrators have been clamoring for," explains Derek Smith, SpectraCal's CEO. "Pro calibrators need a meter as accurate as laboratory reference meters, at a price they can afford. This K-10 gives them exactly what they need," Smith explains.

The K-10 is not a new device. Klein Instruments has been selling the K-10 for 8 years, primarily to display manufacturers.

"It's a great selling point for pro calibrators," Smith explains. “They can explain to their customers they're calibrating their displays with the same instrument the manufacturers use."

"We're excited to be working with SpectraCal," says the K-10's inventor, Luhr Jensen. "They've provided the same kind of innovation in the software side of the industry that we've been working to provide in hardware, so it seemed like a perfect fit."

The K-10 offers reference-grade accuracy associated with meters such as the Konica Minolta CS-200, fast read times, and unique low-light performance. It includes a flicker filter to allow the K-10 to avoid problems other meters have calibrating DLP based displays.

A boot for the end of the instrument allows the K-10 to be used in contact with a display, providing the advantage of completely shielding reflective displays from ambient light.

Built to industrial standards, the K-10 is a rugged device that isn’t restricted to the laboratory workbench but can be carried without fear of damage into the field.

The K-10’s superior accuracy is afforded by exceptionally large diodes, carefully calibrated filters, and a unique light mixing chamber.

Reviews/Testimonials

"Before I bought the K-10, I used both my EyeOnePro and Xrite Chroma 5. This combination worked very well with most displays, but the newer high-contrast projectors started giving me trouble (e.g. JVC's ans Sony's). Knowing the importance of having an accurate greyscale, also at 10% and 20% stim, I decided to do an upgrade. After reading a lot about colorimeters and spectroradiometers, I decided to buy a Klein K-10, probably the most accurate colorimeter available (correct me if I'm wrong). Before buying the K-10, I was well aware of the possible shortcomings colorimeters have compared to spectroradiometers, but I decided that speed and light sensitivity was the key elements for me. After using the meter for a while, I have been calibrating several SXRD projectors (Sony), DiLA projectors (JVC), DLP projectors and LCD projectors with no problems at all. To be able to use continuous readings at 20-30% stim on most projectors really saves time when dialling in the greyscale. Stable readings at 10% on most projectors is also very nice. Gamut-readings is where colorimeters are weakest, but I have been getting very nice results with my K10 on several displays ( e.g. JVC HD750, Epson TW5000), and I trust the results. And if I don't, I can always check the results using my I1pro. Bottom-line is that I'm extremely happy with my K-10 and CalMAN Pro." - Forum member anbjornk

Need more information? See the official Klein K-10 forum thread!
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Questions, comments or feedback should be directed to SpectraCal at: spectracal@curtpalme.com