I've wanted a ColorChecker as a nice-to-have for a while, but real ones are kind of expensive (understandably so) for me.
As it turns out, paint samples that you can get at the hardware store for free are made with remarkably accurate colors. Although there are many like it, I found this nice video[1] about how to DIY a color checker. He lists the names of the colors in the description. But at least he confirms that even a near match works well!
However, I found that the paint companies change their colors slightly pretty frequently. But the Wikipedia article on ColorChecker[2] has a listing of the exact colors in the ColorChecker. So you can use a site like Match My Paint Color[3] to find the nearest paint color to put together a list of color names that you can then go scoop up at your local hardware store!
>the Wikipedia article on ColorChecker[2] has a listing of the exact colors in the ColorChecker
That's only exact under CIE Illuminant C lighting, which approximates overcast outdoor lighting. Most indoor lighting has a lower color temperature than this, and in the case of LED/fluorescent lighting, a more uneven spectrum. To accurately duplicate the colors of a ColorChecker under all lighting conditions, you need the full color spectrum of each panel. Wikipedia links to a web site with this data:
How much would a new (or new-to-you/used) camera body cost? Or a lens? Given that it would last probably over a decade, that's a pretty low annual amortization cost. Perhaps ask for it as a birthday or Christmas present?
Though it may depend on your subject matter: probably less of a need for it if you do landscape or street photography, as compared to portraits or products.
Some of the monitor calibration devices can get more pricey if you want to go down the colour calibration rabbit hole:
Like Pantone books, color checkers don't last long before the colors fade, maybe a year or less. I remember being surprised at how much money we were spending on them.
I worked in camera department on a low budget feature and one of my contributions was using a ColorChecker. The DP was concerned it would take too much time, and the director echoed those concerns. We compromised by only using the chart on the first take of each new setup. Nobody complained about how long it took to slate/chart once we got into production. I did get a message of appreciation from the director once they went to post. The editor/colorist sung the praise of having that data available.
The ColorChecker is one of those things that once you know its power, you'll never want to not use it again. Of course, you'll not use it for everything unless you're trying to impress. It's just one of those things that have fallen out of favor with digital. Things like light meters, chip charts, etc are just things younger people never working in film seem to not learn about any more
> The DP was concerned it would take too much time, and the director echoed those concerns. We compromised by only using the chart on the first take of each new setup.
How long does it take to hold up a rectangle? It's not like something like a Passport is very big or bulky:
As it turns out, paint samples that you can get at the hardware store for free are made with remarkably accurate colors. Although there are many like it, I found this nice video[1] about how to DIY a color checker. He lists the names of the colors in the description. But at least he confirms that even a near match works well!
However, I found that the paint companies change their colors slightly pretty frequently. But the Wikipedia article on ColorChecker[2] has a listing of the exact colors in the ColorChecker. So you can use a site like Match My Paint Color[3] to find the nearest paint color to put together a list of color names that you can then go scoop up at your local hardware store!
1. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pusFS7JmKQM 2. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ColorChecker 3. https://www.matchmypaintcolor.com/