About this project
Lumu Power - a Light Meter for the Future.
$318,877
1,705
If you want to make a change, your world view should be different.
Failure isn't the end of the world for it makes you stronger.
Say no to comfort, go out and do something.
Be afraid, embrace the fear, explore the unknown.
Learn from it all to create something new, something better.
We did it again. We changed the light metering industry once again.
We made Lumu Power.
Take it, use it. Express yourself.
You are the ultimate and the only judge of the product. So we listened closely. We take every suggestion seriously, fix every mistake we make, to improve, to make your life better.
By taking untrodden paths, we can change things, we can make something great. Every step is a giant leap. It’s a journey.
Let's make it together.
Innovation is saying no to good things and settling only for the best ones. It’s not how many features we make. It’s how many features you can’t live without. It's not appearance. It's the way it makes you feel, the way it interacts with you, the way it inspires you.
Until now you need to use multiple tools. They have too much limitations, are too complex and take time and work to use. Lumu Power is just one device that has the power of many.
It is the obvious, but never before seen solution.
Lumu Power - a Light Meter for the Future.
Color Temperature, White Balance, Flash and Ambient Exposure or Illuminance. You can measure all of them with one simple device and one simple app.
New Lumu app knows the orientation of the Lumu Power. It opens the right measuring mode automatically.
The light that comes from the overhead fluorescent lights in your office is nothing like the light that pours from your favourite chandelier at home or of that of the bedside lamp that lets you read your favourite novel to help you fall asleep. Know the difference. Explore it. Make it work for you.
Like music in an elevator or a doctor's waiting room, color has the power to influence how we feel without us even noticing it. Film directors have been exploiting the way we see color for decades.
White Balance mode in the new Lumu app is designed to show you
- measured Color Temperature value and
- value of required Tint compensation (Green vs. Magenta cast) for the perfect white.
If you work as a lighting designer or Director of Photography, "Filters" mode will help you to measure the color difference between multiple light sources and help you to choose the right filter to match them.
In addition to measuring ambient incident light, new Lumu Power is capable of measuring flash light.
The main "flash" features:
- measuring flash exposure and Flash vs. Ambient light ratio
- adjusting Flash vs. Ambient light ratio and auto compensating with shutter time (and vice versa).
Flash functionality currently works in a non-cord mode, where the meter waits for the flash and then takes the measurement.
Our next goal is to make it compatible with WiFi enabled flash units, such as Broncolor Siros or Elinchrom Skyport system. This is the future. And the future is bright with Lumu Power.
Measure illuminance as simple as possible.
We're adding presets to set and check if the right illuminance levels are reached and save your measurements.
Exposure
- Measuring range: EV -4 to 20 at ISO 100
- Accuracy: +/- 0.1 EV
- Light receptor: fast-response Silicon photo diode, CIE spectral luminous efficiency
- Hemispherical Diffuser, Cardioid-type responses
Color (Temperature)
- Light receptor: True Color Sensor, CIE 1931 Color standard Human eye perception
- Sensitivity: Visible light
- Dynamic range: 1:1,000,000
- Accuracy: < 0.6 deltaE, Repeatability: < 0.2 deltaE
- Flat Diffuser, Cosine-type response
Illuminance
- Measuring range: 0.15 - 250,000 lux
- Accuracy: +/- 3%
- Flat Diffuser, Cosine-type response
Other
- Power source: iOS device
- Materials: Housing: Stainless Steel, Diffusers: Polycarbonate Lexan
- Compatibility: iOS devices using Lightning connector, running iOS 8+
- Lumulabs is back with a significantly more powerful light meter gizmag
- a next-gen attachment Petapixel
- ingenious little gadget phoneArena
- Really cool, huh? ThePhoblographer
- a good photographer doesn’t say “I’ll fix it later in Photoshop” Cult of Mac
- it takes light metering to the next level No Film School
- the iPhone light meter just got a lot better Cinema 5D
- Lumu Power will make traditional light meters obsolete Hypebeast
- you don’t have to carry around a full light meter DIY Photography
- there is nothing similar available that comes close to the price Pro Video Coalition
We have been developing Lumu Power as our side project since we shipped our first Lumu in December 2013. With your help we learned a lot with our first Kickstarter project. Headset jack is not powerful enough to support insanely fast communication, which is crucial for Lumu Power to be as fast as we want it to be. We chose Apple's Lightning port, became Apple's certified MFi developers and are now already working with Apple MFi certified manufacturers.
Over countless iterations of not working prototypes we came to the point where we are confident enough that we can make Lumu Power a reality. We are at 80% of the way. Join us for the best part of Lumu Power's journey.
We tested 4 Color sensors which were good on paper. Gladly we found one which was good in reality too. You can use only the best components to make the best thing.
In order to be able to make the chosen True Color sensor perform at its best we had to develop a collimator (filter) which not only enables the sensor to make accurate measurements but also allows us to build the device (even) thinner, in other words, just the right size.
Lumu Power will be first light meter that measures flash real time with algorithm. It sends all the data lightning fast through Lightning connector to your iPhone and does all the magic in Lumu App.
Size does matter. We chose a perfect one. It's functional, sexy, simple, elegant. It's how we do. Simply Lumu.
How do you design an app that supports a device like Lumu Power with so many different ways in which it can be used? We had to structure the most useful features to make it handy for people who use them most often.
An architect can use it to measure the levels of light in different areas of a building. A light designer measures the color of light as a new lamp is being designed. A photographer can set the ratio of flash so the photos turn out just like imagined.
We designed the app with people and their practices in mind. We tested it and now we’re putting some screens out there to hear what you have to say. If you have any thoughts or would like to talk about the app we’re making, drop us a line: app@lu.mu
Over the past two years, our community grew into something we could have never fathomed it to be when we started out “Lumu – a light meter for the 21st Century”. Now there are amateur, film, digital, studio and other photographers, cinematographers, lighting designers, lighting retrofit industry companies, medical and dental doctors, plastic surgeons, horticulture students, architects, etc. in Lumutribe. It’s the diversity of the community that drives us forward.
You are the reward for all of our hard work. You trusting us made this brand new product. Your wishes drove us further in what we can do for you. Not just to change, but to improve. We need your support once again, to make Lumu Power a reality. Back us up. Thanks!
Check our community at following places: Instagram, Flickr and Lumu blog.
As we did it with the Lumu, we'll be opening an SDK for the Lumu Power as well so you can be creative right from the start.
We are on 80% of Lumu Power becoming reality. For the last and most important part we need your help. As we did it with the Lumu, we'll be opening an SDK for the Lumu Power as well so you can be creative right from the start. Furthermore, we need tools for diffusers, collimators and cases, which are not very cheap.
Working hard for something we love is called passion. To continue our passion we need your help. And that after all, is why Kickstarter exists. Let's make Lumu Power a reality, together.
Marko Pirc - Optics, physics, photography. In reverse order. Pixelperfect.
Anže Lemovec - Skater and mechanical engineering student.
Rok Pregelj - UX aficionado, fixieDJvegan.
Silvo Katalenić - Pretty fly for a spy guy.
Tadej Beravs - Electronic geek, car enthusiast and everything in between.
Staš Stankovič - Builder and constructor, glider pilot and lover of all things beautiful.
Niko Klansek - Business Advisor, electric bikes lover.
Special thanks to:
Peter Prevec - filming the project video
Nejc Gazvoda - directing the project video
Disclaimer: iPhone, Apple, and Apple logo are registered trademarks of Apple Inc. Minolta, Kenko, Gossen, Broncolor, Elinchrom and Sekonic are individual registered trademarks.
Risks and challenges
Over the past 3 years, since we started developing our first Lumu, we learned a lot. It hasn't always been easy, but we've made it anyway.
What we learned from our first Kickstarter project was that honesty works. As long as you are honest about your progress, make a conservative production plan, have established relations with suppliers, know how to produce, and how to meet the mass of orders, you are OK.
This is far from being a finished project, but we are more than confident that we will make it.
The only thing we won't do, is to keep you dissatisfied. If it means having to return your pledge, we will do it.
Questions about this project? Check out the FAQ
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Funding period
- (30 days)