What it does
Candela reads the ambient light sensor that most phones carry near the top edge and shows the light level in lux, foot-candles or EV at ISO 100. The number sits on a log-scale ring marked from 0.1 to 100,000 lux, with a zone word under it: Dark, Dim, Comfortable, Bright or Harsh.
A chip next to the number names the nearest of 16 everyday reference levels, such as a reading light at 400 lux or an overcast day at 2,000 lux. You also get Fast or Slow response, a peak marker, the session’s minimum, average and maximum, and a 60-second trend chart. In EV mode it suggests one matching exposure, for example ISO 100 · f/5.6 · 1/125.
Phone light sensors are uncalibrated, and many stop rising somewhere between 30,000 and 65,000 lux. Candela says so in the app, warns when a reading nears the sensor’s limit, and offers a manual ±30 % offset. Its readings are good for comparing places and for rough exposure, not for compliance measurements. If a phone has no light sensor, the app says so instead of showing a number.
Who it is for
- Photographers and videographers who want a rough incident-light EV and one matching exposure
- Plant growers comparing windowsills and grow lights in lux
- Anyone checking whether a desk, office, workshop or nursery has enough light
- People comparing lamps, bulbs and where to put them
- You need an Android phone with an ambient light sensor, Android 6.0 or newer
Features
- Reads the phone’s light sensor; says so if the phone has none
- Lux, foot-candles or EV at ISO 100
- A log-scale ring marked from 0.1 to 100,000 lux
- Five zones: Dark, Dim, Comfortable, Bright and Harsh
- Fast (about 125 ms) or Slow (about 1 s) response
- A peak marker keeps the recent high for 3 seconds
- Session minimum, average and maximum, and a 60-second trend chart
- A ≈ chip names the nearest of 16 everyday reference levels
- EV mode suggests one exposure: ISO, aperture and shutter speed
- A manual ±30 % offset if readings seem high or low
- Warns when a reading nears the sensor’s limit
- Reminds you to point the top of the phone at the light
- Light, dark or system theme; tablet and landscape layouts
- Says plainly that phone light sensors are uncalibrated
- No runtime permissions
- No account or sign-up
- No ads and no in-app purchases in the test build
Languages
English and Urdu. The names of the 16 reference levels stay in English.
Privacy
Light readings are handled on the phone and never uploaded, your settings stay on the device, and there is no account. Read the Candela privacy policy.
Candela is in a closed test on Google Play, so it has no public store page yet. When it is public, this page will link to it.
