Now Fast Enough to Measure Color Temperature of Flash
Review by Erik Vlietinck
Lumulabs released its new generation of Lightning-connected iOS light meter sensors just before Christmas. The original Lumu Power has proven to be a very accurate light meter sensor but is too slow to measure the color temperature of a strobe or speedlight. The Lumu Power 2 is fast enough.
The new generation is actually a series of three meters: the Lite version ($249), which only measures ambient (also cine/video) and flash exposure; Lumu Power 2 ($399) also measures illuminance, chromaticity, and color temperature; and the Lumu Pro ($499)—the one I’m reviewing—also lets you measure flash color temperature. Upgrades are available starting from $119.
The form factor hasn’t changed, but the quality of build has been improved, resulting in an even more robust, stronger sensor. The new sensors inside are a tad more accurate than those of the first version, but the difference is marginal, which is no surprise, as the first one’s readings were already very, very close to Sekonic’s top meter.
The app’s interface is still the same clear-cut straightforward design, showing only the features that your sensor can handle on connection.
In testing, I wasn’t surprised to see that the new Lumu Pro gave me the same readings as the old one. But in circumstances where the old one would hesitate between two tenths of a value, the new one quickly decided for either one.
Of course, the flash color metering is the flagship feature, so I tested that one over and over again. What I found was that the Lumu Pro comes closer than the other iOS light meters I used for the test (it was on par with the one “real” meter I used). In addition, it can handle HSS flash, which the others couldn’t, and for a fraction of the price of a dedicated top-end meter. ■
