It wasn’t that long ago when X-Rite announced a ginormous Mega Color checker, well now they have gone to the opposite extreme with the X-Rite Nano.
The Nano is a super-small, flat version of the classic target, specifically designed for extremely small items or close-up photography.
The announcement sparked one person on Twitter to say “Wait, is it April 1st?” Jokes aside, I can see where this would make for a useful product if you were doing a lot of work with extreme macro lenses.
The 1″ x 1.6″ (2.54 cm x 4 cm) checkerboard contains an array of 24 scientifically prepared colored squares in a wide range of colors. Many of these squares represent natural objects of special interest such as human skin, foliage, and blue sky. These squares are not only the same color as their counterparts, but also reflect light the same way in all parts of the visible spectrum. Because of this unique feature, the squares will match the colors of natural objects under any illumination and with any color reproduction process.
The ColorChecker provides a totally non-subjective standard of comparison to help determine the true color balance of any color rendition system, and it provides the needed standard for comparing, measuring, and analyzing differences in color reproduction in various processes, thereby avoiding costly mistakes.
Price & Availability
The X-Rite Nano Color Checker retails for a whopping $185 USD and it is available to pre-order. I don’t know about you, but charging $185 USD for a 1″ x 1.6″ checkerboard seems like highway robbery. Even if X-Rite is using scientifically prepared squares, that price is hard to justify.
There is no exact shipping or availability date just yet.
