light meter apps

jimmuller

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p.2 #1light meter apps

sean_s wrote:
Fascinating, are you suggesting that the type of battery can have an impact on the read-out?

Absolutely. I researched battery sources when I decided to revive my Nikkormat FTn which used a 3.3v 625 mercury battery that has not been produced for a long time. (I believe the FT3 switched to alkaline with the same form factor.) Alkaline batteries produce 3.7v. There is a replacement for the 625 (Wein mrb625) which uses a zinc-air chemistry IIRC. It works well in the Nikkormat though will supposedly have a shorter life than the original 625 and ages slowly even when not turned on. Then I revived an F with Photomic viewfinder which uses two batteries in series. That's .8v higher than original spec. Running ISO 200 requires a camera setting of about 2 1/3 stops higher, or about 1130, determined by comparing it to the Z5ii, the Nikkormat, and Lightme. Alkaline has another issue that the voltage drops with use. So if you use it enough you need to re-calibrate the ISO setting.

sean_s wrote:
Overall, it sounds like accuracy is not the primary variable so much as form factor — some folks prefer a shoe-mount; some prefer an external device; and some are just as contented with a phone app.

I have been using the Black Cat Exposure Guide as an attempt to "learn the light" and it has been a lot of fun, albeit slow.

Well, yes, the form factor of an in-camera meter is always more convenient, but if you want to use an external device then either a phone or a dedicated meter wold seem equivalent, at least for me.

My first 35mm camera ages ago did not have a meter and I tried to "learn light". I did okay but still missed quite often, big waste of film that was. Eventually I bought a meter but didn't use it as much as I expected. Once I bought the Nikkormat the meter was never used again. But YMMV.

Edited on Jul 22, 2026 at 08:19 AM · View previous versions

Jul 22, 2026 at 06:37 AM

RoamingScott

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p.2 #2light meter apps

MyLightMeter is still the best I've tried on iOS.

Jul 22, 2026 at 07:15 AM

jimmuller

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p.2 #3light meter apps

FWIW, the Wein mrb625 in my Nikkormat finally died today. That's five months with sporadic use. Not bad, I'd say. I replaced it with an alkaline because I had one, but had to raise the ISO by bout 1 1/2 stops to make it match my Z5ii and phone meter. That's about half of what I had to tweak the F which uses two batteries in series. S it looks good.

Aug 25, 2026 at 01:27 PM

Patrickzee

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p.2 #4light meter apps

Light meter on android is sufficient. But I find when I. Metering for portraits in shadow areas, nothing beats a good incident meter

Sep 21, 2026 at 04:45 PM

oleybr

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p.2 #5light meter apps

I'm casting my vote for Lightme. It's awesome being able to see all the possible various shutter speed / aperture combos for the given meter reading. It's a lot faster than having to change settings to see what the right shutter speed is if you change from f2.8 to f8, with Lightme you see them all at once. I also love that with a single tap you can turn it into a spot meter, and that the live view updates to reflect the exposure it's suggesting. Also crazy that its free.

Nov 06, 2026 at 12:33 PM

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