LIT DUO 1: All-in-One Light Metering

Most light meters force the user into a trade-off, having to juggle colour metering or exposure metering, rarely both in one unit. Likewise, simple controls or real in-depth functionality, rarely both together. The LIT DUO 1 from Swedish company LIT Systems takes a different approach, combining colour temperature, exposure, illuminance, spectrum and flicker metering into a single device, built into an aluminium body designed to hold up through daily set use.

A compact, all-in-one meter aimed at DPs, gaffers, and crews looking to simplify their set-up, the LIT DUO 1 is built around fast, tactile physical controls, a high-contrast display, and an interface designed to be learned in minutes that won't leave you buried in a manual during your shoot. 

Seven Measuring Modes in One Device
The DUO 1 covers colour temperature, full colour/RGB, exposure (cine/video and photo), illuminance, spectrum, and flicker, all accessible from the same unit rather than switching between separate meters.

Colour Temperature mode measures individual light sources and, in its Colour Filters function, can compare two different lights side by side and calculate the correction filters needed to match them, useful when blending mixed sources or matching a new fixture to existing kit.

Exposure mode covers both cine/video and stills use, with a Difference and Ratios function for measuring contrast between two points, and a Camera Target function that lets you input your camera's parameters manually and light a scene to match before the camera's even on set.

Illuminance mode gives readings in lux or foot-candles. Spectrum mode evaluates the actual quality of a light source, returning CRI, SSI, and TLCI values rather than just colour temperature, useful for checking whether a fixture will render skin tones and colours accurately rather than just hitting the right number on a dial. Flicker mode measures up to 7kHz and tells you which shutter speeds to avoid with a given source.

Built for Speed
The interface leans on physical button controls rather than a touchscreen, with a four-way navigation pad, dedicated function and measure buttons, and a status bar showing the active mode at a glance. The idea is that changing settings or switching modes mid-shoot shouldn't mean stopping to hunt through nested menus, with everything designed to be adjustable with the meter still in hand.

It also switches between wide-angle (dome) and narrow-angle (flat) sensors depending on the reading you need, with the currently active sensor shown as an on-screen indicator. The measure button can be configured to either press-and-hold or press-once-to-toggle, depending on preference.

Bluetooth and the LIT App
The DUO 1 pairs over Bluetooth with the companion LIT App, giving remote control of the meter and handling firmware updates. LIT Systems have also been actively developing the device's onboard software (LIT OS) post-launch, with regular updates adding new functionality.

Available Now from Pro Gear
The LIT DUO 1 is available now through Pro Gear.