Colour accuracy made simple with Datacolor
Posted on Dec 10, 2025 by Pro Moviemaker
Datacolor’s Lightcolor Meter wins our launch of the year award for its modern take on precision colour and exposure control
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When thousands of filmmakers vote in the Pro Moviemaker Gear of the Year Awards, the results reflect not just what looks good on paper, but what’s really working on-set. This year, in the hotly contested launch of the year category, the standout winner was a piece of kit that combines old-school requirements with cutting-edge relevance: the Datacolor Lightcolor Meter.
For decades, handheld light meters were a non-negotiable of a professional shoot. But with the rise of digital cameras and on-screen monitoring tools, they had gradually disappeared. Datacolor has turned that perception on its head. Its Lightcolor Meter isn’t a nostalgic throwback but a smart, compact and modern device that delivers critical data that digital cameras alone can’t give you. And filmmakers have enthusiastically responded, voting it to the very top of the year’s product launches.
What sets the Lightcolor Meter apart is its dual role: it reads both exposure and colour information, giving users forensic-level control over their lighting environments. Where a camera’s monitor may show you a rough approximation, the Lightcolor Meter reveals exactly what’s happening – the true colour temperature of a fixture, the precise green-magenta shift and how those values interact across multiple sources.
This is invaluable on-set: very few productions rely on one single type of light any more. Instead, crews mix daylight with LEDs, HMIs, fluorescents or practicals. And while manufacturers may promise a perfect 5600K daylight balance, the reality is often different and can drift throughout the day or across the lifespan of a fixture. Without accurate measurement, it’s easy to end up with mismatched hues that no amount of grading in post can fully fix. With the Lightcolor Meter, filmmakers know exactly what they’re working with.
But Datacolor hasn’t stopped at measurement. The meter also integrates with filter libraries from Rosco, Lee and Profoto, so it can suggest the precise gels required to correct your light sources. For bi-colour or fixed-temperature lamps, this is an enormous timesaver. You’re no longer guessing which gel might balance a fixture as the meter tells you instantly.
The free Lightcolor Meter app is the heart of the system, connecting to the device via Bluetooth. Available on iOS and Android, it supports stills or video workflows, whether you prefer shutter speed and f-stops or shutter angle and T-stops. Stills shooters gain flash metering and sync triggering, making it as valuable for photographers as filmmakers. Data can be displayed as straightforward Kelvin and tint readings or colour graphs and chromaticity charts for pro analysis.
In practice, this means the Lightcolor Meter is just as at home in a documentary interview set-up as it is on a VFX-heavy commercial shoot. On green screen, it helps ensure consistent exposure and white-balance. On multi-light product shoots, it guarantees all sources match perfectly; and on fast-moving productions where time is money, it reduces the trial and error that wastes precious minutes.
Physically, the Lightcolor Meter is compact, sturdy and designed to last. It runs on standard AAA batteries, features an ergonomic three-sided design and also includes a mounting plate for attaching to various stands or tripods. The retractable dome allows for ambient and directional readings, making it flexible enough for any environment.
The Lightcolor Meter’s win shows that the filmmaking community recognises how crucial accurate colour management has become in the digital era. Cameras are capturing a higher resolution and more dynamic range than ever before, but those perks can only be achieved if the footage starts from a technically solid base. Correct in-camera exposure and colour are the foundation of professional results.
That’s why the Pro Moviemaker readers – the people using this gear every single day – chose the Lightcolor Meter. It’s not just another gadget; it’s a genuine problem-solver. Taking the guesswork out of lighting empowers filmmakers to work faster, more intelligently and with greater confidence, ensuring more reliable results.
In many ways, the award represents a comeback story for the handheld meter. It’s now back at the centre of professional production – thanks to Datacolor’s innovative rethink. For any filmmaker who has ever doubted whether their lights were truly balanced or has spent hours in post correcting mismatched colour, the Lightcolor Meter provides the answer.
How it works in practice
Take a reading
Place the Lightcolor Meter at your subject’s position, point the dome toward the key light and press measure. Within seconds, you get comprehensive exposure, Kelvin and green/magenta shift data.
Balance your lights
Check each fixture in turn. If your daylight LED claims 5600K but reads 5200K, adjust its setting or note the correction. The Lightcolor Meter app shows everything clearly, so you can match sources fast.
Use the filter libraries
If a fixture can’t be dialled in, then the app suggests Rosco, Lee or Profoto gels that will bring it into line.
Lock in consistency
Now every light matches, so skin tones look natural and composites line up. With exposure nailed and your white-balance locked in, post-production becomes more efficient and effective.
For more information, visit datacolor.com
This article was first published in the November/December 2025 issue of Pro Moviemaker
