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Smart Phone Light Meter Apps
Sep 12, 2021 08:57:13   #
dbrugger25 Loc: Raleigh, NC
 
Are the light meter apps for smart phones reliable?

I have an i-Phone 10 and have noticed that there are several such apps available. Some are free and some must be purchased. I am curious about the experience of others.

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Sep 12, 2021 10:13:42   #
SS319
 
What is right? are you interested in the actual Number of photons +/- 2% over the entire range, or are you interested in being able to use the phone to set your camera and flash?

Set up a white board under controllable lighting and measure the light with your camera and then with the phone app. If they come up with the same ISO/Shutter/Aperture over the range you intend to use the camera, then yes they are reliable. If you don't get the same values at all points, then plot meter value vs camera value and use that to correct what you see.

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Sep 12, 2021 11:38:07   #
fjdarling Loc: Mesa, Arizona, USA
 
Lightmate is a free one that I use on an iPhone 6s. Lightmate is fairly easy to use and its displayed values matched those on a Nikon D3300 when I compared them.

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Sep 12, 2021 13:19:58   #
dbrugger25 Loc: Raleigh, NC
 
I would be interested in spot metering. I have a 1956 Rolleiflex 2.8D Twin Lens Reflex camera that I want to play with. It was just rehabilitated by a camera tech and is in perfect working condition. It doesn't have a built-in light meter.

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Sep 12, 2021 18:53:01   #
Jerry G Loc: Waterford, Michigan and Florida
 
I used one with some old manual lenses that my camera would not meter with, it was accurate.

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Sep 12, 2021 19:54:12   #
rook2c4 Loc: Philadelphia, PA USA
 
dbrugger25 wrote:
Are the light meter apps for smart phones reliable?


I've tested several light meter apps against three different dedicated light meters and found them all to generate nearly identical results to the dedicated light meters... no more than 1/3 stop difference.

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Sep 12, 2021 20:20:29   #
dbrugger25 Loc: Raleigh, NC
 
Thank you.

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Sep 13, 2021 06:05:44   #
tcthome Loc: NJ
 
rook2c4 wrote:
I've tested several light meter apps against three different dedicated light meters and found them all to generate nearly identical results to the dedicated light meters... no more than 1/3 stop difference.


Maybe because the phone cameras have to read the light fo photo taking, they are pretty accurate with the apps?

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Sep 13, 2021 10:34:16   #
jackm1943 Loc: Omaha, Nebraska
 
dbrugger25 wrote:
Are the light meter apps for smart phones reliable?

I have an i-Phone 10 and have noticed that there are several such apps available. Some are free and some must be purchased. I am curious about the experience of others.


My favorite is myLightMeter. I checked it against my classic Pentax spot meter and my Minolta IVF meter and they all agreed. I use it routinely when calculating for long exposure times using a 10 stop ND filter. If I remember, it was free or less than 2$.

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Sep 13, 2021 14:23:03   #
rook2c4 Loc: Philadelphia, PA USA
 
tcthome wrote:
Maybe because the phone cameras have to read the light fo photo taking, they are pretty accurate with the apps?


For sure. What I like about some of the light meter apps is that they can display the exact image area they are metering. Most hand-held meters don't do this.

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Sep 13, 2021 18:10:10   #
burkphoto Loc: High Point, NC
 
dbrugger25 wrote:
Are the light meter apps for smart phones reliable?

I have an i-Phone 10 and have noticed that there are several such apps available. Some are free and some must be purchased. I am curious about the experience of others.


MyLightMeter Pro is good on iPhone. It’s always better than guessing, and once you’re used to it, it is trustworthy.

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Sep 16, 2021 20:08:16   #
vg Loc: Kansas City area
 
If you ever want to sell the Rolli, let me know.

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