# Pocket Light Meter

> Pocket light meter for manual film photography, measures reflected light and reciprocity. (iPhone/iPad app by Nuwaste studios.)

- Source: https://appshunter.io/ios/app/pocket-light-meter/id381698089 (this page in markdown: same URL + `.md`)
- Developer: [Nuwaste studios](https://appshunter.io/developer/338524950)
- Category: Photo & Video, Utilities
- Price: $9.99 with in-app purchases
- Rating: 4.50/5 from 1,045 App Store ratings · 1,058 written reviews indexed
- Age rating: 4+
- Requires: iOS 15.6 · 34 MB
- Languages: American English, French (France), German (Germany), Italian, Japanese, Russian, Chinese (Simplified, China), Ukrainian
- Released: 2010-07-29
- Data updated: 2026-08-28
- Monetization: free with in-app purchases
- User reviews in markdown: https://appshunter.io/ios/app/pocket-light-meter/id381698089/reviews.md

## What is Pocket Light Meter?

A light meter that is always in your pocket. It is indispensable for film photography with all manual camera. Measures reflected light, and allows reciprocity calculations.

## Key features

- Portable light meter
- Reflected light measurement
- Reciprocity calculations
- Indispensable for film photography
- Manual camera compatible

## Pricing and in-app purchases

Base price: $9.99.

**One-time purchases**

| Purchase | Price | Type |
| --- | --- | --- |
| pint for the developer and get rid of the ads | $5.99 | one-time |
| ads remover | $1.99 | one-time |
| donation to the developer | $5.99 | one-time |


## Chart rankings

- #127 in Top Paid · Photo & Video (US App Store)

## What do users think of Pocket Light Meter?

Overall sentiment: positive

**Pros**

- 👍 Accurate light metering
- 📷 Useful for film photography
- 🔍 Spot metering feature
- 🔧 Customizable settings
- 🔋 Always available on phone
- 💰 Cost-effective alternative to dedicated light meters

**Cons**

- 🐛 Freezes or crashes in low light or with recent iOS updates
- 🔍 Unclear if spot or average metering
- 📊 Outdated user interface design
- 🔌 Ads can be distracting

**Commonly reported bugs**

- Crashes or freezes with recent iOS updates
- Inconsistent metering in low light conditions
- Issues with saving metering data to photos

**Most requested features**

- Add histogram display
- Implement manual mode to lock aperture/shutter
- Support for flash metering
- Improve low-light performance
- Provide more metering mode options (spot, center-weighted, etc.)
- Add option to save metering data to photo metadata

## Recent user reviews (10 of 1,058)

All indexed reviews: https://appshunter.io/ios/app/pocket-light-meter/id381698089/reviews.md

### 4/5 — The best reflective light meter option on the App Store.

*2026-08-09, version 9.6.1*

No layers of UI to work through like many of the other options and the ‘old’ UI mode operates much faster (like a real light meter). 

It would be nice if the UI was based more around a real light meter, but functionally it’s great for checking white balance of lights on set and spot metering for film cameras.

### 5/5 — front camera only??

*2026-03-13, version 9.6.1*

Opening the app, it only uses the front facing camera. There is no option to turn it around.

### 5/5 — Efficace

*2026-01-13, version 9.6.1*

Très pratique et efficace

### 5/5 — Excellent- But..

*2025-11-07, version 9.6.1*

Gives excellent readings comparable to handheld light meters. Shame that the last update causes the app to freeze if you navigate away from it. The solution is to simply switch from front to rear camera and vice-versa. Then all back working.

### 1/5 — camera doesn’t show

*2025-09-11, version 9.6.1*

when i open the app my camera isn’t being used

### 4/5 — Needs a bug update.

*2025-09-05, version 9.6.1*

It’s a great, simple to use app and I’ve been using it for years. However, there’s a bug which causes the app to freeze and not respond to light changes (what is worse is that it is not obvious as the app seems to work normal, so it can lead to completely wrong readings).  I hope it gets updated soon. It tends to happen when the front facing camera is used (not sure if also present when main camera is used).

### 5/5 — ok

*2025-08-13, version 9.6.1*

Działa poprawnie

### 4/5 — Great needs one more thing for 5 Stars

*2025-06-06, version 9.6.1*

In settings you should be able to set an Aperture min and max setting.  Also a Time min and max setting.

### 3/5 — Sort of works again on iOS 18

*2025-04-09, version 9.6.1*

It doesn’t crash anymore, however you have to force quit half the time (or every time to be sure) since it doesn’t actully react to light changes after coming back to the app, locking and unlocking during a shoot. 
It’s a pity since I’ve been ising it for many years and it was very reliable.

### 4/5 — 色温度計

*2025-04-03, version 9.6.1*

色温度も表示されるので、グレーカードを使えば室内、曇りの日等の撮影の目安になる。

## Frequently asked questions about Pocket Light Meter

### What does this app do?

This application acts as a digital light meter that you can carry in your pocket. It is designed to assist photographers, particularly those using manual film cameras, by measuring light accurately for optimal exposure settings.

### What are the key features of this light meter app?

The app's primary features include measuring reflected light, which is crucial for determining correct exposure. It also offers reciprocity calculations, a vital function for film photography to compensate for long exposure times.

### Is this app free to use?

The app is available for free download and use. However, it does offer in-app purchases, suggesting that some advanced features or functionalities may require an additional purchase.

### Who is this app intended for?

This app is specifically designed for film photographers who utilize manual cameras. It is an indispensable tool for anyone who needs precise control over their camera's exposure settings without relying on automated systems.

### How does this app help with film photography?

For film photography, this app is invaluable as it provides accurate reflected light measurements and performs reciprocity calculations. These functions help ensure correct exposure, especially for challenging lighting conditions or when using slower film speeds with long exposures.

## Version history (last 5 releases)

### 9.6.1 — 2025-02-19

Works on iOS 18!

9.6.1: Text color in Dark Mode is fixed.

The app was completely rewritten to avoid crashes that we experienced recently. Everything is back in order now!

### 9.6 — 2025-02-18

Works on iOS 18!

The app was completely rewritten to avoid crashes that we experienced recently. Everything is back in order now!

### 9.5 — 2019-04-04

* Advertising and in-app purchases are removed
* User interface adjusted to work with iPhone XS
* Multiple bug fixes and corrections

### 9.4 — 2018-02-24

- Low light performance is significantly improved. 
- Fixed bugs with hold button

### 9.3.3 — 2015-02-08

+ Evernote support
Logs can now be uploaded to Evernote©
+ minor bugs smashed

## Apps similar to Pocket Light Meter

| App | Rating | Price | Category |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| [Light Meter Ultra](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/light-meter-ultra/id1558108173) | 4.7 (733) | Free | Photo & Video |
| [myLightMeter PRO](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/mylightmeter-pro/id583922375) | 4.8 (1,109) | $4.99 | Photo & Video |
| [Lumu Light Meter](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/lumu-light-meter/id730969737) | 3.4 (99) | Free | Photo & Video |
| [Cine Meter II](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/cine-meter-ii/id846918884) | 4.5 (25) | $24.99 | Photo & Video |
| [White Balance Kelvin Meter](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/white-balance-kelvin-meter/id6443791592) | 4.7 (508) | Free | Photo & Video |
| [Light Meter by WBPhoto](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/light-meter-by-wbphoto/id1524189195) | 4.4 (41) | $6.99 | Photo & Video |

## More apps by Nuwaste studios

- [Fullbore](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/fullbore/id1021625517)

All apps by Nuwaste studios: https://appshunter.io/developer/338524950

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*Data collected daily from the US App Store and indexed by [AppsHunter](https://appshunter.io/). User reviews are verbatim App Store reviews. Ratings, prices and chart positions refresh continuously; this snapshot is from 2026-08-28.*