> PHOTOSHOP USER>^ JULY 2017[ 90 ]
REVIEWS › ›The nec plus ultra of iOS light meters for filmmakers and pho-
tographers is Cine Meter II by Adam Wilt. I tested Cine Meter II as
a reflective and an incident meter with an iPad Air 2.
Cine Meter II has a waveform monitor, supports false-color
brightness levels, and uses shutter angles by default; but photogra-
phers will probably want to change these settings and show shut-
ter time in seconds and EV values.
Each of your iOS device’s cameras has to be calibrated first.
I used a Sekonic L-858d Speedmaster and my Sony A700’s
built-in light meter to help with calibration and evaluate read-
outs. With a Luxi for All accessory from Extrasensory Devices
(a universal spring-loaded plastic dome priced at $22.45), you
can turn Cine Meter II into an incident light meter.
The app is very easy to use. By default, Cine Meter II floats expo-
sure—floating values change with the light while you set the other
values—but you can easily change that and even lock exposure or
white balance to measure ND filters and ISO. The one thing Cine
Meter II doesn’t do is measure strobe light.
When I actually started measuring light values, they were con-
sistent with the Sekonic’s, even with the iPad’s large, bright screen
glowing in a scarcely lit environment. Half an f-stop was the big-
gest difference I came across over the course of a week.
It takes some getting used to, however, when you’re using the
bigger iPad with the Luxi for All dome. Cine Meter II with the Luxi
attached was quite sensitive to how I held the iPad. A few degrees
away or toward the light source made quite a difference. It’s an
issue you probably won’t experience if you use an iPhone or iPod
Touch, as they’re smaller and less awkward to hold. nCompany: Adam J. WiltPrice: $24.99Rating:Hot: Accurate; well-designed interface; very
complete set of parameters to set color
values, waveform monitorNot: Inability to measure speedlight strobesReplacement for an
Expensive Light Meter
Review by Erik Vlietinck