Dr.meter LX1330B Digital Illuminance Light Meter, 0-200,000 Measurement Range Lux Meter, Lighting Intensity Brightness Measurement for Indoor Outdoor, Light Meters for Plants

This meter is excellent! It works perfectly and is superb. I purchased in 2017. After reading reviews from 2012 the supplier has upgraded based on feedback. Kudos!!!(Sensor cover and case clasps are two examples of fixes.)There is a lot of back and forth chatter in reviews and questions about whether this works for LEDs. They are missing the misunderstanding introduced by shorthand in the original question asked by some random closet grower.The answer to that: No, this is not a good tool to compare plant available light output between a new blue/red LED and an old HPS or MH full spectrum. At that task it will certainly fail. As it and any $5000 meter of this kind should. This is the wrong instrument.There is nothing special about LED light versus other types of light. It is all about the spectral response of the sensor head. The manual gives that response. I will try to add as a photo later.Overall a great sensor. Not only did it help me determine approximate light output if my home lettuce grow (yes, lettuce, not the other green) as one step to mitigate tip burn, but it also helped me identify some major problems with lighting setups at work.

Works great, like how intuitive it is to use and fast results.

I'm a photographer and videographer and shoot in a studio with CFLs in softboxes. I wanted a method of quickly measuring the output of light heads and CFLs. And Dr.Meter seems to be just what the doctor ordered.BUILD quality is good: sturdy plastics, rubberized buttons and a thick rubber bumper. It feels solid and confident in hand. The LCD looks like something from the 1980s (no gray scale or color) and lacks a backlight. The light sensor is under a translucent dome and attached to a coiled cable hardwired to the device. It might be a little too easy to snag the cable on something and damage it. A plug-in/replaceable cable would be preferable.OPERATION: Peel off the rubber bumper, lift off the battery door and install a 9v battery (included). Squeeze the bumper back on and you're ready to rock. Hit power and point the dome at the light source. If it shows "1" on the LCD, that's Dr.Meter speak for "out of range." Press the range button to calibrate to a higher measure value. You have a choice of LUX or FC and can retain/stop metering by pressing the hold button. That's pretty much it. If you plan on comparing or recording a lot of data points, bring a pencil and paper. This is a barebones meter and has no data transmission or memory ability.One thing I learned after metering my lights is manufacturer specs for CFLs are totally whack. In other words, Dr.Meter confirms what my eyes suspected: some 60W bulbs are brighter than 105W bulbs! So I need to balance lights by actual light output and not according to manufacturer specs. The other useful thing about this meter is I can record output of each light head from the subject's position, write it down, and precisely recreate the light balance of the set at a later date.FINAL BLURB: All in a great meter for measuring light levels in studios, offices, stage sets and homes: easy to use, accurate and priced reasonably.

I recently received the Mastech meter to monitor the lighting in my nursery. I found it easy to use although the directions might be a bit improved. For instance, putting in the supplied battery it's necessary to remove the rubber casing. The instructions said to slide off the battery cover in the direction of the arrow but there was no arrow and the cover wouldn't securely fit unless the rubber case was on. It took a little practice to figure out the scales since pushing the range button wasn't simply reflected on the LCD, especially on the lower ranges (afterwords it would show 10x,100x, etc.)It would have been nicer had it shown the actual amount on the readout within a particular range rather than having to multiply it by one of the factors. I should emphasize that the above quibbles are very minor and that the meter performs it's functions very well. The meter is well built and the rubber casing and sensor cover afford it excellent protection. Both the sensor and main unit are light weight and easy to grip. The readings I got were consistent time after time.I think that for the money it's an excellent buy and superior to most others on the market in its price range or even some higher priced ones. I would recommend this meter for anyone who wants a reliable meter that covers a great range and is very affordable.

I bought this so I could test output from flashlights and write reviews. If you’re buying this for camera work, don’t. It’s not designed to be used as a camera light meter. Hopefully this will save you a return if that’s what you had in mind.The item is easy to use. It has a cover for the sensor, comes with batteries, and the included booklet outlines how to use it. I was up and running in just a few minutes. One thing you’ll need to know – the battery compartment is underneath the rubberized wrap. You’ll want to pull it off to access that, but it doesn’t take more than a minute to get everything connected. The battery compartment is a bad design on an otherwise good product.This product is pretty fantastic for the price. For under $40, I was able to consistently able to get good lux readings, so it does its job well. Once I finish building an integrated sphere, I think this product will help me get repeatable numbers.Readings are consistently within the documented range (Accuracy ±3%, Repeatability ±2%). The meter comes with a 1 year warranty, though I hope to never need to try it out. If I do have any issues, I’ll come back and update the review.I am an Amazon Prime customer that enjoys writing reviews as a hobby, so I ask vendors for products I want in exchange for an unbiased review. I strongly believe that’s my only obligation. When reviewing, I consider the items worth as it pertains to its full price. This review reflects my honest opinion of the product.