SmartLite Director vs pCAM Pro
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
SmartLite Director
Control multiple smart lighting fixtures with intuitive gestures on your mobile device. Match ambient scene colors using your device's camera and save custom presets for dynamic lighting setups.
- Intuitive gesture-based fixture control
- Adjust intensity and color with one/two-finger slides
- Match ambient scene color with device camera
- Create and save custom scene presets
- Group control for multiple fixtures
- Classic left/right fader interface
Read full descriptionHide full description
The next generation in smart lighting control from Litepanels Engineering is here! The innovative Director Interface allows you to intuitively adjust both the color and intensity of multiple connected fixtures: • Create a fixture control box, then slide up and down with one finger to adjust fixture intensity • Slide with two fingers to adjust color • Double tap the control box to deactivate that fixture • The group control box allows you to control the intensity of multiple fixtures all at once Use your iPad or iPhone camera to sense the ambient scene color: • Match the scene color with or without the impact of your Litepanels fixtures • Use with a mobile device stand and match in real time for color dynamic setups. Scene Presets: • Use built in factory color presets or create your own We’ve also retained the classic Devices Interface to allow you to control your fixtures with traditional left/right faders just like you would with the SmartLite!
pCAM Pro
This app provides 27 essential tools for cinematography and photography professionals and students. It offers instant calculations for depth of field, field of view, exposure, and more, with a user-friendly interface designed for on-the-go use.
- Depth of Field calculations
- Field of View preview
- Focal Length matching
- Exposure calculations
- HMI Flicker-free settings
- Speed Booster adapter calculations
- VFX tracking markers
Read full descriptionHide full description
Plan shots, choose lenses, calculate exposure, and pre-visualize the frame in seconds. 27 pro tools. Every result illustrated. 2,000+ camera formats plus unlimited user-defined formats. I've deliberately kept pCAM Pro a one-time purchase, with none of the subscriptions that have crept into so many apps. • Universal app for iPhone, iPad, Apple Silicon Mac, and Apple Vision Pro • Depth of Field (hyperfocal, total depth, near and far, image circle) • Field of View (and angle of view) • Field of View Preview in both Portrait & Landscape camera positions (8 images to pre-visualize & size shots by distance & focal length) • Focal Length (lens) Matching — match to horizontal, vertical, or diagonal dimensions • Relative Size (compares sensors) • Exposure calculations • HMI Flicker-free (safe shutters & safe camera speeds) • Reference (technical charts, lists & tables. Cine film stocks with film can labels, cine lens specs, false color/exposure change, diopter distance table, miniature shooting, safe panning speeds, zone system) • Insert Slate (4 font colors plus white or black backgrounds) • Splits — Aperture Finder calculation • Speed Booster® Adapter — calculate reduced Focal Length & Boosted Aperture with various adapters. Also create camera format profiles with attached adapters for use in other tools • Eye Light (soft-edged light shapes — Full Screen, Oval, Ring, and Strip) • Chroma Key & VFX Tracking (green and blue screen and VFX tracking markers) • Light Effects for handheld light or via Apple AirPlay to HDTV. Includes templates for: fire, television, siren, neon, strobe, flashbulb, lightning. Create unlimited custom animations • Mired Shift — Gel Selector • Conversion calculator • 4 Test Charts (incl. Siemens Star) • Triangulate calculation (calculate distances, image circle, etc.) • Film Running Time to Length • Shooting to Screen Time • Color Correction (chooses color correction filters) • Time Lapse (shooting interval, event duration, screen time) • Scene Illumination (beam intensity) • Light Coverage (width/distance) • Underwater Distance • Diopter (lens focus, diopter power) • Macro (object distance, magnification, corrected stop, DoF, object size, image size, fill percentage) • Built-in user guides on each screen • Calculates instantly & automatically as each entry is entered • 2,000+ camera formats plus unlimited customizable, user-defined camera formats, CoC & filters • Designed by a working camera technician who understands that calculations must be done simply and on-the-run AND ONE THING THAT ISN'T A CALCULATOR Crew Wheel — spin to settle who's buying the coffee. Not a tool, just a small gift for the standing-around time. Every long day needs one. TRUSTED WORLDWIDE BY DPs, Photographers, Camera Assistants, Camera Operators, Production Designers, VFX, Videographers, Gaffers, plus Film, Television, and Digital Media students. INDUSTRY RECOGNITION • Membership in the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (Production and Technology Branch). • 75th Primetime Emmy Awards — Emmy® for "Outstanding Achievement in Engineering, Science & Technology" from the Academy of Television Arts & Sciences. • 62nd Primetime Emmy Awards — Engineering Plaque for "Outstanding Achievement in Engineering Development" from the Academy of Television Arts & Sciences. • Technical Achievement Award from Society of Camera Operators — "For outstanding contributions to cinematography through the design and development of the pCAM Film+Digital Calculator."
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is review sentiment: pCAM Pro at 97% against SmartLite Director's 10%. pCAM Pro also leads on rating (4.9 vs 1.7) and update cadence (weekly vs every 14 months). SmartLite Director's advantage is price (Free vs $34.99) and in-app purchases (none vs 3). On 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
SmartLite Director is free to download; pCAM Pro costs $34.99 up front. pCAM Pro sells 3 one-off in-app purchases. SmartLite Director asks for nothing beyond the download.
pCAM Pro holds the better App Store score, 4.9 against 1.7. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: pCAM Pro has 222 ratings behind it against 23, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 10% of SmartLite Director's written reviews are positive against 97% of pCAM Pro's.
SmartLite Director ships an update every 14 months, pCAM Pro weekly. The most recent releases landed on October 2, 2026 and October 20, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | SmartLite Director | pCAM Pro |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free — better | $34.99 |
| Rating | 1.7 (23 ratings) | 4.9 (222 ratings) — better |
| Positive reviews | 9.5% of reviews | 97.4% of reviews — better |
| Number of ratings | 23 | 222 — better |
| Update frequency | Every 14 months | Weekly — better |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | No — better | Yes |
| Monetization | Free — better | Paid |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod — better | iPhone, iPad |
| Requires iOS | 9.0 — better | 17.0 |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 137 MB | 42 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | Videndum Production Solutions, Inc. | David Eubank |
Customer experience
SmartLite Director
pCAM Pro
Bugs and requests
SmartLite Director
Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.
pCAM Pro
Reported bugs
1 issue- None explicitly mentioned, but feature requests imply areas for improvement.
Requested features
3 requests- Access iPhone camera for exact POV simulation
- Implement a night mode
- Relocate hyperfocal 'apply' button in Depth-of-Field calculator
In-app purchases
SmartLite Director
No in-app purchases
pCAM Pro
- Small Tip$1.99
- Medium Tip$4.99
- Large Tip$7.99









