A light meter helps you get the right exposure when you’re shooting, which means your photos will have the right amount of light and color.
We researched and tested dozens of light meters, evaluating the accuracy, portability, and ease of use. The Dr.meter LX1330B Digital Illuminance Light Meter is our top pick, thanks to its reliable exposure readings, ease of use, and long battery life.
Here are the best light meters for photographers.
Best Photographic Light Meters: Editor Recommended
Our Editor’s Best Photographic Light Meters Reviews
- Measures luminosity from 0 to 200,000 Lux and ambient temperature
- High accuracy of ±3% rdg ± 8 dgts (<10,000 Lux), ±4% rdg ±10 dgts (>10,000 Lux)
- 4 digital color LCD screen, MIN/Max readings, data hold, auto power off, and low battery indication
- Wide range of application, use lux light meter for set design, factory, office or home use
- lightweight and compact, 2 years long period warranty
- 4-Range Settings: This high-quality digital illuminance/light meter has 4-range settings, 0/200/2,000/20,000/200,000 Lux, for a dynamic metering ability
- High Accuracy: With auto zeroing capabilities, you can be sure you'll always get a reading with pinpoint accuracy, and it will always be fast
- EZ-Read Display: Clearly readable info lets you read Units and Signs easily, and stay informed with the over-range indicator
- Convenient Switches: Get better control over your readings with Data Hold & Peak Data hold for when you're recording information. You'll also benefit from its lower power consumption and short rise and fall times
- Bring Anywhere: From squeezing into tight places to keeping your load light, you can bring the Dr.Meter Digital Illuminance/light meter wherever you need to. Fits easily into a work bag or large pocket and barely adds any weight. It's the ultimate in light-metering convenience
- Compact and Vintage: Lightweight and portable, weighing only 34g. Its retro appearance design perfectly matches with old-school cameras, adding a touch of elegance to your setup.
- Optimize Design: The dial has been optimized and upgraded to a clickable design, and the shutter speed has been increased from 12 to 23 gears. The IRIS gear has also been expanded simultaneously, with a simple and user-friendly design that allows for parameter adjustments based on indicator lights, resulting in more accurate exposure.
- Adjustable Cold Shoe Mount: The cold shoe mounting position can be adjusted according to needs, making it compatible with more old-style cameras.
- Two colors available: The TTartisan light meter II is available in silver or black colors, matching well with your camera equipment and accessories.
- UNI-T professional digital illuminance meter UT383BT. Effectively measures light intensity and display results in units of Lux or FC. Range: 0 - 199,900 Lux / 0 - 18,500 Fc. High accuracy of +/-(4 %+8)
- IOS/Android APP & Free download. Breeze through data recording, export, storage and analysis. Measurement data is transfered through Bluetooth to iENV App
- Compact & easy to use. Large 4 digital LCD screen with backlight. 0.5 s sampling time. Overload indication. Max/Min. Data hold. Low battery indicator. Auto shutdown for power saving
- Effective & Versatile. Widely used in lightening enterprise, agriculture and animal husbandry, mining enterprise, laboratory, office, household, street lights construction, camera & studios, photography, etc
- Portable value pack. What you get: 1 x UT383BT mini light meter, 1 x App, 1 x paper manual, 1 x e Manual (free download)
- Exposures accurate down to a tenth-of-a-stop for both ambient and electronic flash light readings in full-stop mode.
- At ISO 100 the ambient EV range is 0 to 19.9 flash f/stops range from f/1.0 to f/90.9 with a shutter-speed span of 60-seconds to 1/8000th-of-a-second (1 sec to 1/500th for flash).
- Photo Mode: for still image photographers featuring shutter or aperture priority display of a full range of ambient and flash functions including cord and cordless flash measurement
- HD Cine Mode: perfect for DSLR and mirrorless videographers who need to take exposure readings and control light using shutter speeds and frame rates
- Cine Mode: designed for use with cinema grade cameras, allows users to select from the most useful frame rates and shutter angles for exposure control with one-tenth stop accuracy.
- Indicator Light + Two Dials: The current exposure status is displayed by the indicator light. The left and right dials can modify the parameters, which resemble the Manual mode of camera.
- 23-stop Shutter Speed: Shutter speed increased from 12 to 23 stops, making exposure more accurate. (The battery is not inlcuded in the package )
- Clicked Aperture Dials: The light meter is upgraded to a clicked dial, which can effectively prevent accidental touches.
- 45°Average Metering: The second-generation light meter upgradesthe metering module to make the metering more accurate.
- Aircraft Aluminum Material 34g: The weight of light meter is only 34g, easy to carry, easy to assemble on the camera.
- Non Obstructive
- Package Dimensions: 4.826 H x 12.7 L x 8.128 W (centimeters)
- Package Weight: 0.2 pounds
- Country of Origin : China
- English (Publication Language)
- UNI-T professional digital illuminance meter UT383. Effectively measures light intensity and display results in units of Lux or FC. Range: 0 to 199,900 Lux / 0 to 18,500 Fc. High accuracy of +/-(4 %+8)
- Compact & easy to use. Large 4 digital LCD screen with backlight. 0.5 s sampling time. Overload indication. Max/Min. Data hold. Low battery indicator. Auto shutdown for power saving
- Portable value pack. What you get: 1 x UT383 mini light meter, 1 x packaging box, 1 x paper manual, 1 x e Manual (free download)
- Effective & Versatile. Widely used in lightening enterprise, agriculture and animal husbandry, mining enterprise, laboratory, office, household, street lights construction, camera & studios, photography, etc
- Instant reading of aperture /shutter combinations with dial ring
- Shoe Mounting on Camera
- One Hand Operation
- Selection of reflected or incident light measurement at one touch of sliding the lumisphere
- Great for street film photography
- 【 High Precision LED Light Meter】 Built-in photosensitive chip, the range of this light meter is up to 400,000 Lux. +/- 4% of readings for 10000 Lux, 1000 FC; +/- 5% of readings +/- 10 digits for 400000 Lux/FC; 0.4 Second Fast Response; Measurement speed: 2~3 times / second.
- 【 Backlit LCD Display 】 The light meter adopts a backlight display, allowing you to read the date clearly in the dark environment. The LCD screen will automatically shut down if there is no operation within 10 minutes to reduce power consumption.
- 【 Compact & Easy to Use 】 Hand-held and ergonomics design make it fits hand perfectly, providing a comfortable grip feeling. The light sensor can be rotated 270º, beneficial to multi-directional detection. Supports auto zero, Max/Min value, auto ranging, low battery indicator, data hold, Lux/FC & ℃/℉units selection.
- 【 Multifunctional Light Meter 】 With the help of silicon photo diode with filter, the LC-881D Lux meter can accurately read the lumen reading of LED lights, grow lights, sun light. Wide range of applications including use in office buildings, schools, factories, gardens, LED grow lights, industry, etc.
Best Photographic Light Meters Buying Guide
Before choosing the best photographic light meter you should consider the following options:
1. Battery: The first step is to check the power source of the light meter. You can find light meters that use two types of batteries.
You can find light meters that use standard alkaline batteries and others that use rechargeable lithium-ion batteries.
Standard alkaline batteries are affordable and widely available in the market. However, you will have to replace the batteries quite often.
On the other hand, rechargeable batteries are more expensive. However, you will not have to keep buying new batteries, which makes them a more cost-effective solution.
2. Accuracy: The accuracy of a light meter is determined by its ISO rating. ISO stands for International Standards Organization, which is the international standards body for the photography and imaging industries.
The ISO rating is expressed in a number between 1 and 4096. The higher the ISO number is, the more accurate the light meter is.
You also need to consider the ISO rating of the light meter based on the film or sensor speed you use.
For example, if you use a 400 ISO film, you will need a light meter with an ISO rating of at least 512. If you use a faster film, you need a light meter with a higher ISO rating.
3. Type of Application: You need to consider the type of application you want to use the light meter for.
You can find light meters that are designed for spot metering, incident metering, and sometimes both. You can find light meters with different degrees of sophistication.
You can also find light meters that have built-in exposure modes for different types of photography, such as portrait, landscape, and wildlife photography.
4. Modes: A light meter can have different modes that can help the photographer in the field. For example, you can find light meters that have a spot mode, which is useful for determining the exposure for a specific area.
You also can find light meters with a combination mode, which gives you the option to measure incidents as well as a spotlight.
You can also find light meters with a linear guide, which gives you a visual representation of the exposure.
What else you should know about the best photographic light meters
What is a photographic light meter?
A photographic light meter is an instrument that measures the amount of light in a scene and gives an exposure reading to help photographers determine the proper shutter speed and aperture settings to use for their photos.
How does a photographic light meter work?
A photographic light meter is a device that measures the amount of light in a scene and then translates that information into an aperture and shutter speed value for a given film speed.
What are the benefits of using a photographic light meter?
A photographic light meter can be used to measure the amount of light in a scene, and can be used to determine the correct exposure for a photograph.
What are the different types of photographic light meters?
There are several types of photographic light meters, the most common being built into the camera. Other types of light meters include handheld, incident, and spot meters.
How do I choose the best photographic light meter for my needs?
The best photographic light meter for your needs will depend on the specific features that you are looking for. Some factors to consider include the type of camera you are using, the range of the light meter, the accuracy of the light meter, and the price.
Conclusion
On the market, there are numerous best photographic light meters. Hopefully, the list of the top ten best photographic light meters will save you time researching and deciding on the best one for you.