Accessories
Most photographers have strong feelings about light meters, but even if you’re a light meter naysayer, the Illuminati Wireless Light and Color meter may change your mind.
The device, which is powered by two AAA batteries, measures 3.0 x 2.8 x 0.9 inches (0r 1.2 inches high with the dome toggled up) and weighs 2.2 ounces with batteries installed. It comes with several accessories for positioning or attaching the meter where you need it, such as a built-in magnet for attaching to a metal surface and a lanyard loop for dangling the meter around a person’s neck.
Using a Bluetooth connection, the meter communicates with a special iOS and Android app that delivers exposure, color temperature and chromaticity. Readings are compatible with flash and continuous lighting scenarios, and through the app you can connect to multiple meters for larger sets. The app also helps figure out lighting ratios, and the color readouts are extremely helpful when working with mixed light. Videographers will make good use of the readout’s shutter angles, f/stop, ISO and frame rates.
Perhaps one of my favorite features is the ability to set alarms. If you’re outdoors and the light changes, the Illuminati’s user-configurable alarms will alert you to the changes and give you an accurate readout of ISO, shutter and aperture. Up to 15 different alarms are available, including light levels, color temperature, chromaticity coordinates as well as various limits for the different parameters.
While the meter has a range of features that are sophisticated, it’s pretty simple to use. If you want to expand your lighting setups, take a look at the onboard tutorials. Even if you’re a pro or tend to stick with your tried-and-true lighting setups, the Illuminati meter will be incredibly useful for a faster and smoother workflow.
The product is on Kickstarter for an early bird price of $200 (meter, accessory attachments and case) and should ship this September. There’s plenty of information on the Kickstarter page, but if you want a quick demo, take a look at the video below:
Related:
How to Use a Light Meter (In Two Videos)
What You Need to Know About Light Ratios
8 Tips for Lighting Video the Right Way