Color Checker not included
The Isolight Color illuminance and chrominance meter system is an excellent addition to any image quality workflow. By measuring light level, uniformity, and color at all four corners of a tech chart, the Isolight Color ensures calibration and test images are perfectly lit for the best quality calibration and accurate readings.
What’s included:
- Isolight Color four-channel illuminance & color meter
- AC power supply
- 3m (10ft) mini-B USB cable
- Hardshell storage case
- User manual
If you only need to measure illuminance, you may want to consider the Isolight.
- The Isolight body is colored an industry standard matte 18% gray, to avoid disturbing auto exposure and auto white balance algorithms
- Light/Color Sensors – four sensors, one in each corner, simultaneously measure illuminance in lux and color in either correlated color temperature or CIE1931 chromaticity coordinates
- LED Indicators – show when the light levels or color temperature are too low, too high, or within user-programmable ranges
- Chart Holding Clips – holds standard test charts securely
- LED Chaser – for testing a host of time-related imaging and audio parameters
- LCD Display Modes – multiple modes to clearly show data and trends
- Programmable Presets – for quickly switching between light levels and modes
- Remote Operation – Built-in USB interface enables data acquisition and remote operation
- Mounting Options – hold and display your Isolight securely
- Powered by USB, DC adapter, or 3 or 6 AAA batteries
- Dimensions: 13.6in x 11.6in x 0.8in (345mm x 295mm x 21mm)
| Specification | Value | Conditions |
| Display | 40×4 alphanumeric backlit TFT LCD | |
| Operating temperature | 0ºC to 40ºC (32ºF to 104ºF) | |
| Storage temperature | -10ºC to 50ºC (14ºF to 140ºF) | |
| Humidity | Less than 80% RH | Non-condensing |
Optical Specifications – General
| Specification | Value | Conditions |
| Detector area | 78.5 mm2 (10mm diameter disc) | |
| Angular response | TBD% | Deviation from ideal cosine response |
| Range selection | Fully automatic | |
| Measurement rate | 0.25 to 2.0 sec |
Optical Specifications – Luminance
| Specification | Value | Conditions |
| Spectral response | TBD % deviation from CIE photopic curve | method under tungsten (A) light |
| Luminance measurement range | 0.1 Lux to 1.0Mlux | |
| Resolution | 0.25 Lux or 1% of reading, whichever is greater | |
| Repeatability (single channel) | TBD | Tested under standard A (2856K tungsten) light |
| Channel to channel mismatch | <3.0% Typical | Tested under standard A (2856K tungsten) light |
| Accuracy | TBD | Tested under standard A (2856K tungsten) light |
Optical Specifications – Chrominance
| Specification | Value | Conditions |
| Detector type | Three silicon photodiodes with color filters | |
| Spectral response | TBD % deviation from CIE photopic curves | method under tungsten (A) light |
| Color measurement (CCT) | 2,000K to 50,000K | CCT is valid within pprox.. 0.05 units from the Plankian blackbody radiator curve |
| Resolution | 0.25 Lux or 1% of reading, whichever is greater | |
| Repeatability (single channel) | TBD | Tested under standard A (2856K tungsten) light |
| Channel to channel mismatch | <3.0% Typical | Tested under standard A (2856K tungsten) light |
| Accuracy | TBD | Tested under standard A (2856K tungsten) light |
| Specification | Value | Conditions |
| Input voltage | 3.5VDC to 9.0VDC | |
| Power requirements | TBD W | See note [1] |
| Battery life | TBD Hours | See note 3 |
| Specification | Value | Conditions |
| Dimensions | 346mm x 295mm x 21mm (13.6in x 11.6in x 0.83in) | |
| Mass (without batteries) | 995 g | |
| Mass (with batteries) | 1065 g | Includes 6 AAA alkaline batteries |
[1] Varies depending on system settings
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Isolight Color product brochure Half-page flyer including product highlights and features. |
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Isolight Color User Manual 1.3 Current version of the user manual. Includes set-up instructions, background theory, programming guide, and mechanical specifications. |
Four Cosine Corrected Illuminance/Chrominance Sensors
The Isolight Color measures luminance and chrominance in all four corners of the chart using cosine-corrected sensors. Illuminance is reported in lux. Chrominance is reported in correlated color temperature (CCT) in Kelvin, or in CIE 1931 xy coordinates.
Indicator LEDs
Customers and industry standards specify test light levels and uniformity, but achieving the right lighting is tricky and tedious. The Isolight Color makes it easy. Innovative LED indicator rings around each light sensor to show when the light level or color temperature are too high, too low, or within target levels. Set your target light level in lux and color temperature in Kelvin. Set uniformity in either absolute units or percent. The indicator LEDs change color to show whether each corner is too bright, too dark, or within specifications. Easy.
Securely Hold Test Charts
Retractable clips and a lipped shelf hold test charts of all sizes.
Large Backlight LCD Display
The LCD display has many display modes, so you can see the information you need most. The backlight automatically adjusts to the ambient light level so that display is readable in captured images. The display modes include:
- Large Average Reading – Best for low resolution cameras and basic operation
- Large Readings – Large individual readings show the level at each sensor
- Reading Details – Shows light details including average level, current uniformity, target high and low levels, and individual sensor readings
- Level Bar Graphs – Auto-scaling horizontal bar display of individual levels with reading details
- Tolerance Bar Graphs – Horizontal bar display of levels relative to tolerance target. Central arrows indicate the target level for each sensor
- LED Chaser Display – Shows all LED chaser settings
- Combination Display – Combination of readings, target and tolerance data, and LED chaser settings
LED Chaser
The Isolight Color includes a 100 LED chaser display. The LEDs light one at a time, in sequence and at a user-settable rate. The LED chaser can be used to measure a wide range of time-related imaging parameters, including frame rate, integration time, frame-to-frame jitter, and shutter lag.
Measure from Milliseconds to Minutes – easily measure the fastest single frame exposures all the way to minute-long exposures or video clips. Step time is programmable from 0.1 ms per step to 1.0 second per step and the total display cycle time is from 10.0 ms to 100 seconds.
Emphasis LEDs for Easier Counting – To make the LED counting process faster and more accurate, Isolight features an LED emphasis mode. The emphasis mode makes every fifth, tenth, or 33rd LED brighter. Those emphasis LEDs make blocks of LEDs easier to count the same way tick marks on a ruler make measurements easier.
Auto LED Brightness – Like other Isolight components, the LED chaser brightness can be set manually or to automatically adapt to ambient light levels. In “auto” mode the LED brightness is set so that the LEDs are clearly visible at any light level but not so bright as to introduce light pollution.
Audio Output for Audio/Video Testing – the Isolight can also generate audio markers (beeps) synchronized with the LED chaser operation for testing camera audio/video synchronization.
Use the LED chaser to measure:
- Integration/Exposure Time – the most basic measurement. Set the LED chaser at an appropriate step rate and capture an image. By counting the number of lit LEDs, you can measure the image’s exposure time.
- Frame Rate – Set the LED chaser so that several LEDs are visible in each image. The frame rate is the number of LEDs from the start of the bar in one image to the start of the bar in a second image
- Frame Rate Jitter – the frame time from one image to the next should be constant. If the frame rate varies more than one LED, there is significant frame rate jitter in your system
- Dropped Frames – Every LED should be visible in at least one video frame. If any LEDs are missing from the sequence, your system is dropping frames. You can estimate the drop-out period as well
- Audio/Video Synchronization – Audio/video track synchronization can be measured by capturing video with audio markers enabled for emphasis LEDs. Each audio marker should sound during the associated video frame. The amount of leading or lagging indicates the audio track desynchronization
- Auto-Exposure Behavior – Using the auto LED brightness mode, you can watch the exposure time change from frame to frame as you adjust the light level. This is very useful for measuring and auto exposure convergence time, stability, and over/undershoot
Mounting Options
The Isolight Color can be mounted almost anywhere – in a light booth, on a table, on a tripod, or against a wall.
Rare earth magnets on back
Built-in folding legs
1/4″-20 tripod mount on bottom
1/4″-20 tripod mount on back
Keyhole slots for hanging
Remote Communications over USB
Get readings and adjust settings remotely using the built-in USB port. Our simple serial-over-USB command protocol is compatible with Windows, MacOS, Linux, and embedded controllers.
Multiple Power Options
The Isolight Color can be powered by 6 “AAA” batteries, the included DC power adapter, or over USB. Please not that due to USB power limitations, the Isolight Color may not be able to operate reliably with all LEDs (chaser, LCD backlight, and corner indicators) at full brightness.
Calibration Services
While our products are designed for a lifetime of reliable performance, we recommend recalibrating once a year to maintain peak accuracy.
Return your Isolight or Isolight Color light meter to our labs and we will perform a full inspection and recalibration.
The whole process typically takes less than a few days, ensuring that you are up and running again quickly.