Comparison

Datacolor LightColor Meter vs Sideline Local

Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.

Head to head
About

Datacolor LightColor Meter

This pocket-sized device streams real-time light and color data to your smartphone, offering precise control over exposure and color consistency for photos, videos, and cinema. It measures various light types and color parameters, and includes gel filter libraries for creative adjustments.

Highlights
  • Real-time light and color data streaming
  • Exposure and lighting ratio control
  • Color consistency across setups
  • Measures Lux, Chromaticity, CCT, DUV
  • Includes gel filter libraries
  • Simultaneous measurements from multiple meters
  • Hands-free functionality
Features
Read full description

· The Datacolor LightColor Meter is a Bluetooth-enabled, multifunctional tool that fits in your pocket, continuously streaming both light and color data in real-time, to your smartphone. · Perfect for photos, videos, cinema and hybrid photo/video shoots, the LightColor Meter takes the guesswork out of exposure settings, giving you better control of lighting ratios as well as color consistency across varied lighting conditions and multiple camera setups. · The Datacolor LightColor Meter accurately measures all types of lighting, from fluctuating outdoor light, mixed natural/artificial location lighting, plus any type of studio lighting, including continuous lighting and strobe/flash. · It goes beyond a regular light meter to also measure color temperature, Lux, Chromaticity, CCT and DUV. Additionally, the device comes with filter libraries from Profoto®, LEE® and Rosco® to help you choose the right color gels for functional or creative color adjustments. · The rugged, travel-friendly device goes anywhere you’re shooting, providing you with a wireless versatility that lets you easily fine-tune your lighting and exposure without having to leave your camera. · You can attach the device to a light stand or tripod, use the through-hole for lanyards to hang the meter where needed, use the alligator clip that’s included to attach the LightColor Meter to clothing or other fabrics or use the rare earth magnet on the back of the device for easy magnetic attachment. · You can seamlessly sync multiple Datacolor LightColor Meters to get light and color temperature measurements from several locations simultaneously. The device accurately measures light and color temperature from a distance of up to 80 feet, allowing you to cover wide areas and is perfect for ensuring uniform lighting for green screens for easy and effective chroma keying in post-production. Key Feature Highlights o Incident Metering for Ambient & Flash o Mobile App/Wireless Bluetooth 4.0 LE o Photo, Video, Cine Exposure Modes o Measures Lux, Chromaticity, CCT, and +/- Green (Duv) o Measures Any Kind of Light Source o Color Temperature Range: 1,600K - 20,000K o Luminance Range: 1.0 - 1,000,000 lux o Cine Settings: Frame Rate, Shutter Angle/Speed & ND Filter Compensation o HSS Flash & Flash Duration Measurements o Included: Gel Filter Libraries from Profoto®, LEE® and Rosco® o Simultaneous Measurements from Multiple Meters Up to 80 ft Away o Hands-Free Functionality - incl. Magnet, ¼”-20 Mount o Cord-in (PC Sync) o Custom Exposure Profiles

About

Sideline Local

Read full description

Sideline Local is the fastest way to get photos from your camera to your device on a local network. Run a simple local FTP receiver, send photos directly from your camera, and keep your workflow moving from capture to delivery. Sideline Local also helps you apply consistent IPTC metadata and manage files quickly on-device. * Receive photos directly from your camera over local Wi‑Fi * Support for JPEG and RAW transfers * Apply your IPTC template automatically during ingest * Export RAW photos as JPG with IPTC metadata included * Save to Photos automatically (JPEG only or JPEG + RAW) * Quick metadata viewing and editing tools * Flexible connection setup: Manual IP or Persistent Hostname Built for fast, reliable field workflows where every second counts. Sideline Local is subject to Apple's EULA, which may be found here: https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/

Screenshots

Datacolor LightColor Meter4 screens
Sideline Local4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: Datacolor LightColor Meter at none against Sideline Local's 1. Datacolor LightColor Meter also leads on iOS requirement (12.0 vs 17.0). On price, ads and device support there is nothing between them.

Scored on Price · Rating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings · Update frequency · Ads · In-app purchases · Monetization · Best chart rank · Devices · Requires iOS

CostPrice · In-app purchases · Ads · Monetization

Both are free to download. Sideline Local sells 1 in-app purchase, starting at $14.99 per month. Datacolor LightColor Meter asks for nothing beyond the download.

Scorecard2 real differences · 8 level
Datacolor LightColor Meter versus Sideline Local: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterDatacolor LightColor MeterSideline Local
PriceFreeFree
Rating1.7 (7 ratings) — better—
Positive reviews16.7% of reviews—
Number of ratings7 — better—
Update frequencyFortnightly—
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNo — betterYes
MonetizationFree with in-app purchases—
DevicesiPhone, iPodiPhone, iPad
Requires iOS12.0 — better17.0
Further details — not scored
Size30 MB3 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperDatacolor Inc.Crawford Ifland

In-app purchases

None

Datacolor LightColor Meter

No in-app purchases

1 purchases

Sideline Local

Subscriptions1
  • Sideline Local Monthly$14.991 Month

Questions

Is Datacolor LightColor Meter free?
Datacolor LightColor Meter is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is Sideline Local free?
Sideline Local is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Do Datacolor LightColor Meter or Sideline Local have ads?
Neither Datacolor LightColor Meter nor Sideline Local shows ads.

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