Digital light meter

I am looking for suggestions for a budget light meter please.
Would something like this be ok http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Handheld-LCD-Digital-Lux-Meter-Light-Tester-200000Lux-20000FC-PEAKMETER-MS6612-/261860422305?hash=item3cf818f2a1:g:yUsAAOSwZtJW-04w

I’d caution you about getting a single-unit light meter.

1. When using a single-unit light meter, such as the MS6612, you will need to take care of details such as how you can position it such that you physically look at the meter reading without obstructing/interfering with the light source. Often times, I find that the mere presence of my body or face next to the meter causes the readings to increase or to decrease. Sometimes this is due to shadowing. Sometimes this is due to reflectance. Always, it is a bother.

2. When taking readings under relatively low light conditions, it is hard to read the LCD display. You may need an auxiliary light to illuminate the display in order to read it. It is very difficult to isolate the auxiliary light from the light sensor.

I suggest that you get a light meter with a separate sensor, like one of these:
http://www.amazon.com/Pyle-PLMT15-Handheld-Photometer-Sampling/dp/B00EEJY4IC
http://www.amazon.com/Dr-Meter-Digital-Illuminance-Light-LX1330B/dp/B005A0ETXY
http://www.amazon.com/Extech-401027-Pocket-Sized-Candle/dp/B00023RVNE

You may find them to be cheaper on eBay.

Some of these items may also be available via the usual overseas vendors (Fasttech, Aliexpress, Gearbest, etc.).

Thanks for the heads up about getting a meter with a separate sensor :slight_smile:
As I don”t know how much use I will get out of a meter I have ordered this cheap $12, 200,000lux, separate sensor one Hohe Genaue 200000 Lux Digital Light Meter Tester Photometer Luxmeter Sale - Banggood Deutschland sold out-arrival notice-arrival notice
If it gets much use I can always buy a better one & either way I haven”t wasted much money.

I think that is a very good strategy as there are no guarantees that a more expensive luxmeter is as much better as it is more expensive. Unless you get to the hundreds of dollars category, where all specifications come with accuracy claims so you really know what you get.

When the meter arrives you could check for:
-calibration: does it give the approximate correct reading if a flashlight with ANSI-rated lux-specifications are measured (within 10% is already great, 20% still acceptable)
-repeatability: with same light source measured in the same set-up, does it give consistent results (in time, with varying battery levels, varying temperature etc.). I think this is the most important characteristic of any luxmeter, and I found that even very cheap luxmeters can have a good repeatability.

Hey, had that exact meter on order from a AliExpress seller, it was a deal 50% off
But it did not arrive and purchase protection was not extended so got a refund, still no meter though. I might just get this on instead (or at Gearbest depends on where the most points/discount is now.
Lol I have am old analog lux meter, that barely measures sunlight

Ha ha, copycat :slight_smile:

Hey! I ordered mine 7 weeks ago :stuck_out_tongue:

Oh fair enough, I only ordered mine about 7 hours ago :slight_smile:

Memory is also a handy feature if you are taking OTF measurements by yourself.

I use the “lux meter” app from the play store. Seems to get quite reliable results on my Note 4, when testing with some ANSI specced lights I have.

And it’s free, how BLF is that :wink:

I do wonder how it would withstand a side by side test with the mentioned meter though…

Well the meter has arrived, 8 days from ordering to turning up at my house in the UK, well done Banggood that is the fastest anything from China has ever arrived :slight_smile:
Now can anybody suggest a light meter app for an Android phone as I would like to reference it against something.
I will use a light with a known ANSI rating first to judge how accurate both the light meter & app are.
Oh & can somebody point me to good thread (or explain) on how best to use the meter & interpret the results please.

Ah well I have tried half a dozen times & can”t post a pic, again :frowning:
I don”t know what it is with this forum & pictures but of the forums I am on it is the only one I always struggle with.

Check one of the two other topics you tried it in, it is a matter of replacing a few symbols of the pics URL.

Done that the same as before & dosen”t work.
Have tried transferring the pics from dropbox to tinypic & tinypic says invalid code ?
The other forums I use putting up pics is simple this one is always a struggle.

There you go the above is the result.
It is so frustrating trying to post pics on this forum for me.

I am replacing ?dl=0 with ?raw=1 at the the end of the dropbox link as I did previously.

Managed to upload pic from dropbox to tinypic then to the forum from tinypic.
No idea why tinypic was refusing to accept the dropbox code earlier ?