colour temperature meter
Quick Summary
A color temperature meter is a device used in photography to measure the color temperature of light sources. Color temperature is a concept from physics that describes the color of light emitted by a theoretical blackbody when heated to a certain temperature, measured in kelvins (K). Different light sources have different color temperatures; for example, ordinary household bulbs are around 2,800 K, while daylight can range from 5,000 K upwards.123
In photography, matching the film's sensitivity to the light source's color temperature is crucial for accurate color reproduction. A color temperature meter helps determine if the light is biased towards red (lower K) or blue (higher K). This information allows photographers to use specific filters or film types to ensure that white appears white and colors are rendered naturally, rather than having an unwanted reddish or bluish cast.23
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