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 instrument is super easy to use, and an invaluable aid to have at your disposal to better ensure satisfaction with lighting projects.We're designing a full kitchen remodel. We did a relatively deep dive into all the facets, i.e., cabinetry, appliance placements, plumbing moves, etc.In my long experience as a DIY'er I've come to recognize the line between the DIY and the Farmout project. Farmout or not, I've tried to know or educate myself enough to (at a minimum) be conversant with the contractor or trades about the work and especially expectations. Everyone (myself included) can understand & generally do plumbing, carpentry, tiling, flooring (sometimes!), painting, etc. work. Electricity and lighting work--well ... that's a lot different for most. The few brave venture there, but the rest of us--mostly punt. Lighting is even more mysterious.When it came time to look into lighting I hit the internet and did some self-learning. It's a well worth and doable exercise to 'smarten up' here. Because, you don't want to 'ruin' a remodel job when you finally flip the lights & are greeted by under/over-lit, dim areas, glare, etc. Fixes at this point can cost $$$$$.This tool is practically an indispensable aid in lighting design. And you can do yourself a great service by getting a little smart about lighting & acquiring this tool/aid. You'll be able to walk around your house and measure the "light intensity" with this light meter or experiment with bulbs/lamp to get some sense of what lighting levels you would like to achieve (whether it be in a hall, closet, bathroom, over-counters, utility room, bedroom, etc.). Knowing this, you can spec your desired lighting levels and leave it to your lighting designer to ensure an installation capable of meeting your expectations.

Very nice and seems accurate. I accidentally left a negative review due to confusing this with different product. I can’t find that review to edit it

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.

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