When it comes to light meters, especially compact ones, these past couple of years have seen many new meters hit the market and crowd funding circles. With several hot-shoe mounted meters and a recently released spot meter, how about a simple incident meter with a trick up its sleeve? Enter the Negative Supply Light Meter LM1.
The Negative Supply Light Meter LM1 is a pocket-sized digital incident meter that quickly and easily measures ambient light for accurate exposures. The Light Meter LM1 also measures colour temperature, making it ideal for determining which filters or film stocks to use — and an indispensable tool for cinematographers and photographers alike. Designed for accuracy and ease of use, the Light Meter LM1 supports 1/3-stop adjustments for ISO, aperture, and shutter speed. It features a backlit display with multiple viewing modes to suit every environment. The Light Meter LM1 features an elegant, 4-button design ideal for single-handed, ambidextrous use. An automatic sleep mode extends battery life when not in use, and the quick-wake feature ensures you’ll be ready to meter at a moment’s notice. The integrated rechargeable battery provides up to several weeks of standby and reaches full charge in under 2-hours via USB-C. We designed the Light Meter LM1 to be the best meter that fits in your pocket. Getting to this point has involved over a year of design, product development, and testing, though the road to this new product started many years before. The journey began when we realized many of our customers’ cameras and we were using had meters that no longer worked or no meter at all. The handheld light meters on the market were large, plastic, and didn’t live up to the look and feel of the cameras we all love. We knew we could make something better, so in 2020 we started working on our own handheld meter, one we would all truly enjoy using. The result is a pocket-sized light meter with a stunning display and a beautiful all-metal body that looks at home next to our favourite film and digital cameras.
- Pocket-sized design. Measuring 44mm x 90mm (and just 15mm deep), the LM1 is only slightly larger than a roll of 120 film. Once it’s in your pocket, you’ll forget it’s there.
- Color Temperature sensor. Filmmakers, rejoice! Measuring the temperature of ambient light is now easier and more affordable than ever with the LM1. Photographers can also take advantage of this sensor when using daylight film with non-daylight illumination, to confirm consistent color temperature with on-set lighting, and to determine correct compensation filters.
- Built to last. The LM1 features an all-metal body, CNC-machined from aviation-grade aluminum or solid brass. Multiple scratch-resistant anodized color options (or, on brass models, a high-quality black finish that will age beautifully), custom aluminum buttons, and a custom-molded bulb, all add up to make the LM1 a mighty, small meter.
- Integrated, long-life battery. No more carrying spares: the LM1’s Lithium-ion battery charges in under 2-hours (via USB-C), and offers up to 2 weeks of use.
- Multiple color options. In addition to the standard black aluminum enclosure, LM1 is also available with special anodized finishes in 3 gorgeous colors: Satin Metallic Green, High Gloss Slate Grey, or Satin Metallic Silver.
- Backlit display. Our backlit, 144 x 168px resolution, reflective active-matrix TFT-LCD display is readable in the brightest sunlight and pitch-black night, while remaining incredibly power efficient. This is one screen you won’t mind looking at all day.
The one thing that grabbed me is the overall design. It honestly looks like the Microsoft Zune MP3 player, but I’m confident that the LM1 will have a much better time on the market than the Zune. In addition to the compact pocketable size, the ability to read colour temperature is an excellent bonus. As someone who does have trouble getting white balance and colours right, having that added capacity is a major selling point. Having used meters with a similar screen, I can say for certain that it will perform as described and maybe even a little better. If you haven’t already, head on over to the Kickstarter to sign up for the crowdfunding launched today at 9 am PST (Noon EST). I know that I certainly have already!
Negative Supply was founded in 2019 with a primary focus on developing tools for the film photography industry. With a debut Kickstarter campaign for the Film Carrier MK1 in the summer of 2019, the foundation was laid for a portfolio of solution-based tools to make film scanning quick, easy, and (even) enjoyable. Over the past two years, the Negative Supply team launched an entire range of offerings. With 35mm, medium, and large format film scanning tools being successfully launched alongside a system of useful accessories, Negative Supply users have come to know and trust this system for its innovation, durability, and beauty. Based in Ventura County, California, all design, manufacturing, assembly, and shipping are completed by a small team of craftspeople who take great pride in their work.
Press Contact: AJ Holmes aj@negativesupply.co
Alex Luyckx
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