Light meter application on your iPhone?

[buzzardkid]

Hello folks,

I hooked up my iPhone 3GS to Lightroom and transferred the photos, and guess what:

The iPhone 3GS photos show ISO, Aperture, focused distance and shutter speed!

I say, where's the handy programmer that gets the show on the road with the exposure meter!?!?!?

EDIT: guess I'm late for the party, sorry.
Downloaded, tested with the M8 and found it overexposes when taking a bright light/nearby metering, but low light/5 mtrs away was spot on! I might even consider shooting slides when it keeps performance up! Impressive!

[RicardoD]

There is an app called LightMeter for the iPhone 3GS. Anybody try it? Very few reviews in the iTunes store. I always have my iPhone in my back pocket with me.

[Pherdinand]

As long as there is a light sensor in the camera i.e. the image sensor, it can measure light intensity.
How sensitive it is, that's a different story; and if one can access it by programming, that's also a different story(i couldn't coz i know diddly squat about it).

Further, there is another kind of light sensor in the iphone, the one that is used to dim the screen in low light environment and to switch the screen off when on a call. Maybve you can use that? It could even work as incident

[Colman]

Yes, Lightmeter seems to work: agrees on exposure (pretty much) with my R3a, underexposes by a stop relative to my GR-D II. Close enough for negatives, not sure if I'd trust it for slide. Certainly accurate enough to work as a meter for my Mess Ikonta!

[Ezzie]

Pity its for the 3GS only, us early (ok so not so early, but not late) adapters with a lowly 3G will have to go without.

[dng88]

That guys seemed to have two more application useful - one measure distance and one do waypoint. Just got all 3 (not the driver for measuring gas usage) and see how it goes.

[Steve M.]

I always use a polarizer on my iPhone. Light meter is a Pentax Spotmeter. It works great w/ 120 film but 220 doesn't advance properly. Luigi is making a mink & free range weasel strap for mine.

[perter]

Originally Posted by crawdiddy

I don't have an i-phone.

...but I would buy one pronto if it had a decent light meter app.

I agree. Don't have one and not with AT&T, but will switch over asap!

[cmogi10]

really?
Light meters aren't that expensive...
I can't imagine switching my cell phone provider because of a light meter application that isn't accurate enough to shoot slides?

Y'all crazy!

[Acliff]

Originally Posted by cmogi10

really?
Light meters aren't that expensive...
I can't imagine switching my cell phone provider because of a light meter application that isn't accurate enough to shoot slides?

Y'all crazy!

I think the point is that the iPhone is a desirable phone regardless of the lightmeter app, but it adds an extra incentive to buy an iPhone if it means reducing the number of gadgets carried.

I've been using the app a lot, and although it's really useful, the memory low errors are getting a bit irritating. The last thing I want to do when measuring light is wait 30 seconds + for the phone to reboot.

I hope they update the app soon to sort this out.

[tj01]

I have been using Lightroom since it came out, and it's quite accurate relative to my trusty M6, however it bottoms out at EV+3, so for indoor/night shots, use extra common sense. It's a nice App, but I wished it was together with the Field Tool app by the same company because of those hyperfocal values. I recommend both

[BigLebowski]

Have you seen Colorbug?

ColorBUG is an ingenious, handheld wireless sensor that measures CIE color values and illuminance for use in a wide variety of applications. In concert with free software downloaded from the iTunes App Store, it allows users to wirelessly share data with their iPhone or iPod touch, making color analysis simple and convenient. Smaller than a typical mobile phone, colorBUG is completely portable and features a rechargeable Lithium-Ion battery, 802.11g wireless connectivity and a sleek, rugged design. The colorBUG can be mounted on walls and other fixtures to assist in taking measurements remotely or hands-free.

[MUEvans]

I have started to use my iPhone to snap a picture to see how the generic exposure meter records the scene. Then I know what kind of exposure compensation, if any, to set on my xPan.

Mike Evans

[dng88]

Originally Posted by BigLebowski

Have you seen Colorbug?

But it costs $950?!!!

Also it is incidence not very typical for us I think

[TWoK]

There are already several light meter apps for the iPhone. I haven't looked at the SDK, but I think they all are solving the right issue the wrong way. You need to use the iPhone's built in light sensor, not it's camera. I also have no idea how sensitive the sensor is, but it will lighten and darken the screen based off of the abmient light.

[maggieo]

I use the Light Meter app on my 3Gs iPhone and it works very well and is quite accurate.

[kshapero]

I would get that M3 I am lusting.

[Finder]

There is one problem with the idea--who would want to go shooting with the phone on?

[maggieo]

Originally Posted by Finder

There is one problem with the idea--who would want to go shooting with the phone on?

Me. Actually, I would imagine anyone who reports to an editor or art director would be fine with it, too.

[Finder]

Originally Posted by maggieo

Me. Actually, I would imagine anyone who reports to an editor or art director would be fine with it, too.

But then I would not be trusting my exposures to an iPhone.

[maggieo]

Originally Posted by Finder

But then I would not be trusting my exposures to an iPhone.

Why not? The app, if used properly, works quite well. Have you used it?

[denmark.yuzon]

I tried the app. It works well. well, I tested it indoors, under restaurant lighting, which is around 1/15th - 1/30th (depends on how strong the light) at f/1.8 with 400 ISO film, i mean that's me. and then I used the app and it gave me the same setting.

I havent tried it outdoors, Im always working, maybe in the weekend Ill try it.

I got it for $2.99.

[Hamel]

I've been using it as well. It gives a pretty close exposure to what my 5D was reading. I used it outside and it was just faster than the sunny 16, which when shot with the 5D it came out accurate. For work with black and white it seems to be close enough that it won't make a noticeable difference, especially if you wet print and can do minor adjustments there.

I have a friend that relies on it solely for indoor photos with his Mamiya and his photos turn out fine. Overall it is a bargain at $2.99, especially if you are a broke college student like me who cannot afford a real meter.

[maggieo]

It works as well as my Gossen Lunasix 3 or any of my metered camera's.

[ryan26]

works fine... use it with half a brain and it works even better. Nice to have when the light gets beautifully ragged at the end of the day and sunny 16 gets tricky.