Comparison

Artemis Director's Viewfinder vs prefx

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

Head to head
About

Artemis Director's Viewfinder

This app provides a comprehensive database of professional cameras and lenses, allowing filmmakers to visualize shots with custom formats. It streamlines communication between directors and cinematographers, ensuring everyone is aligned on the exact frame.

Highlights
  • Professional camera and lens database
  • Custom camera format support
  • Accurate shot visualization
  • Streamlined crew communication
  • Location scouting tool
  • Blocking rehearsal recording
Read full description

Artemis offers a comprehensive database of professional motion picture cameras and lenses, with the facility to add any custom camera format. Hear from our users: Roger Deakins ASC, BSC: Cinematographer (Two Academy Awards wins, 16 nominations) Blade Runner 2049, Sicario, James Bond: Skyfall, The Shawshank Redemption - “It’s great having Artemis on my iPhone. Since I always have my phone with me, I always have a viewfinder at hand. Not only convenient but extremely accurate.” Claudio Miranda ASC: Cinematographer Top Gun: Maverick, F1, Life of Pi, Benjamin Button, Oblivion - “I've been using Artemis from the very beginning. I love that it's a shared tool. First between the director and myself. Then once we approve shots, the images from Artemis get shared with the crew.” Kate Dennis DGA: Director The Handmaid’s Tale, Glow, The Serpent Queen - "Artemis has streamlined my communication with cinematographers, VFX supervisors and other Heads of Department. Now we all know that we are talking about the exact same frame!" Linus Sandgren FSF: Cinematographer Saltburn, La La Land, Babylon, Joy, American Hustle - "Artemis is an amazing Swiss army knife style lens kit that has helped me frame up countless shots in any format in an instant.” Matthew Libatique ASC: Cinematographer Maestro, A Star is Born, Black Swan, Requiem for a Dream, The Fountain - "Not only do I frame every shot with Artemis , I use it to record blocking rehearsals and as part of my process when debating lens and format choices as I work with a director and production designer while location scouting.” Nicolas Winding Refn: Director Too Old to Die Young, The Neon Demon, Only God Forgives, Pusher - "Artemis Pro has tapped into the way of the future by taking full advantage of the digital revolution. The app quickly became an essential tool to capturing my vision.” Mandy Walker ASC, ACS: Cinematographer Elvis, Mulan,, Hidden Figures, Truth, Australia - "Both Artemis & Artemis Prime are essential tool when scouting locations, allowing accurate information to pass from the director and DP to the crew" Barry Ackroyd BSC: Cinematographer Jason Bourne, The Big Short, Captain Phillips, Hurt Locker - "Artemis makes me feel smarter than I was without it. It’s the sharpest tool on my iPhone.” Toby Oliver ACS Cinematographer Get Out, M3GAN 2.0, Happy Death Day, Insidious IV, Wolf Creek 2 - "Artemis Pro is so well thought out. You can precisely choose the camera package and lenses you have to hand to obtain exact ideas of shot angles and sizes on the location survey.” Darius Khondji ASC, AFC, ACS: Cinematographer Bardo, Okja, The Lost City of Z, Delicatessen, Se7en - "Artemis is the best cinematic tool of modern times. I started using Artemis in 2010 and have loved it ever since. It is so accurate with up to date lenses, cameras and formats. It is always with us on scouts and during shoots. Artemis allows the director and I to share how we see things with each other and with the rest of the crew.” Robert McLachlan ASC, CSC: Director / Cinematographer Landman, Yellowstone, Game of Thrones, Westworld - “On Game of Thrones we scouted locations months in advance. Artemis allowed me to communicate our needs to the VFX and art departments. It was critical in planning the Dance of Dragons sequence.” Artemis also offers: - Virtual Stand-Ins, to assist in blocking actors - Custom Frame-lines - Share camera & lens setups with other Artemis users - Record Images & Videos - Gallery for sorting and planning - Export of Shot-lists & Storyboards - Export of detailed Shot-Plans with sun position data (if paired with the Helios app) https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/

About

prefx

Transform your device into an interactive digital prop for film and video production. Customize on-screen content, simulate social media feeds, and utilize professional VFX tools for seamless on-set integration and post-production.

Highlights
  • Interactive prop themes
  • Customizable UI and social media simulation
  • Professional VFX tools (Chroma Key, Markers)
  • On-set utility (Emissive Lighting, Status Bar Control)
  • Privacy-focused, offline ready
  • Global language support
Features
Read full description

Turn your iPhone, iPad or connected display into an interactive screen prop for film and TV. Script a conversation, stage a call, scroll a social feed or put navigation on screen for a scene. prefx gives filmmakers controllable interfaces that actors can use during a take. TRY EVERY TOOL FREE Explore the entire app with a watermark, with no time limit. Set up your scenes and test the tools before you buy. One in-app purchase removes the watermark. New purchases are one-time, not subscriptions. SCREEN PROPS FOR YOUR SCENE - Operator: a simulated phone with a lock screen, home screen, calls, Messages and Contacts. - Messenger: scripted conversations, typing and multiple chat styles, including Glass, Classic, Encrypted and AI Chat with a voice mode. - Maps: simulated turn-by-turn navigation with City, Suburb and Countryside maps. Script 3 to 8 directions and set the destination, traffic and accent colour. Maps is a screen prop, not a navigation service. - Social: a scrolling feed and Activity tab. - Streamer: a streaming-style interface with Top 10, Continue Watching, New & Hot and My List. - News: a news interface with a new Modern edition. - Scrambler: Scramble any photo or video like a signal from something not of this world. (Output to External Screen) SET UP. LAUNCH. REPEAT. Save setups and return to them for another take. Hold two fingers on any prop or screen to open the Director menu, where you can restart, change settings or exit. Control the fake status bar, including an optional carrier name, and edit the photos you add with the built-in Photo Editor. VFX BACKGROUNDS AND SCREEN LIGHTING Prepare green, blue or grey chroma backgrounds and tracking markers for screen replacement in post-production. Use RGB and colour-temperature controls for screen-based practical lighting. PHONE, IPAD AND EXTERNAL DISPLAYS Use props on iPhone and iPad, with full-screen props on iPad during a take. Send supported props and screens to a compatible external display connected through USB-C/HDMI. REDESIGNED FOR THE WAY YOU WORK Find props in Apps and VFX tools in Screens. Choose Light, Dark or Match iPhone appearance. The on-screen apps have been rebuilt with iOS 26-style interfaces, and prefx is available in 11 languages. Try your next scene free. When you're ready to film without the watermark, remove it with one purchase. Use Restore Purchases to restore an existing purchase. Developed by baffe, LLC. Terms of Use: https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/ Privacy Policy: https://www.baffefilms.com/privacy

Screenshots

Artemis Director's Viewfinder4 screens
prefx4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is rating: prefx at 5.0 against Artemis Director's Viewfinder's 4.1. Artemis Director's Viewfinder's advantage is monetization model (free vs freemium) and ratings volume (188 vs 3). On price, ads, in-app purchases 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. Artemis Director's Viewfinder sells 5 in-app purchases, starting at $3.99 per month and prefx sells 4 in-app purchases, starting at $9.99 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

prefx holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 4.1. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Artemis Director's Viewfinder has 188 ratings behind it against 3, so its average is the more settled of the two.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Artemis Director's Viewfinder ships an update every 3 days, prefx every 9 days. The most recent releases landed on October 29, 2026 and October 26, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard4 real differences · 6 level
Artemis Director's Viewfinder versus prefx: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterArtemis Director's Viewfinderprefx
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.1 (188 ratings)5.0 (3 ratings) — better
Positive reviews63.0% of reviews—
Number of ratings188 — better3
Update frequencyEvery 3 days — betterEvery 9 days
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesYes
MonetizationFree — betterFreemium
DevicesiPhone, iPadiPhone, iPad
Requires iOS18.017.0 — better
Further details — not scored
Size85 MB33 MB
Age rating4+12+
DeveloperChemical Weddingbaffe, LLC

Customer experience

Artemis Director's Viewfinder

All ratings186 ratings
Positive76.9%
Neutral3.2%
Negative19.9%
Written reviews227 reviews
Positive63.0%
Neutral8.8%
Negative28.2%

prefx

All ratings3 ratings
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%

Bugs and requests

Artemis Director's Viewfinder

Reported bugs

19 issues
  • App crashes on launch after iOS updates
  • Photos disappear from library and app after taking them
  • Focus issues in viewfinder - won't focus or loses focus during recording
  • App freezes when viewing previously taken photos
  • Performance degradation with photo albums exceeding 80 images
Show 14 more
  • 4-second delay between photo captures
  • Photo button not registering properly
  • App closes when changing camera or format settings
  • Folder order reverses unexpectedly
  • Cloud sync failures between devices
  • Photo archiving errors - wrong photos get archived
  • Export functionality extremely slow and difficult
  • App crashes on iPad without apparent cause
  • Lag in photo trigger - photos taken 2 seconds late
  • Focal length display blur in some cases
  • Custom frame line ratios don't affect composition guide overlay
  • Scene viewing causes app to freeze
  • Keyboard won't dismiss when reporting bugs
  • Data loss after version 7.0 update

Requested features

16 requests
  • Add Nikon ZR camera support
  • Update database with newer camera models (Canon RF mount, Fuji X-H2S, Lumix models)
  • Widget for quick app launch
  • Save multiple camera and lens profiles for quick switching
  • Custom anamorphic squeeze ratios
Show 11 more
  • Crosshair composition tool
  • Lock screen widget functionality
  • Ability to import custom logos instead of Artemis branding
  • QR code export for camera/lens settings
  • Live depth of field calculator on screen
  • Better LUT options
  • Support for more prosumer lenses (Sigma, Tamron, Sony G Master)
  • PDF export for shot lists
  • Ability to customize frame guide ratios independent of camera sensor ratio
  • Video recording at higher frame rates
  • S16 lens support expansion

prefx

Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.

In-app purchases

5 purchases

Artemis Director's Viewfinder

Subscriptions2
  • Monthly$3.991 Month
  • Annual$16.991 Year
One-time3
  • External Camera Mode$9.99
  • Helios View$9.99
  • Core License$29.99
4 purchases

prefx

Subscriptions2
  • prefx Monthly$9.991 Month
  • prefx Annual$59.991 Year
One-time2
  • prefx Pro$29.99
  • prefx Lifetime$99.99

Questions

Is Artemis Director's Viewfinder free?
Artemis Director's Viewfinder is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is prefx free?
prefx is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Which has better reviews, Artemis Director's Viewfinder or prefx?
prefx is rated higher. Artemis Director's Viewfinder averages 4.1 out of 5 from 188 ratings, while prefx averages 5.0 from 3 ratings.
Do Artemis Director's Viewfinder or prefx have ads?
Neither Artemis Director's Viewfinder nor prefx shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Artemis Director's Viewfinder or prefx?
Artemis Director's Viewfinder ships an update every 3 days, and prefx every 9 days. Most recently, Artemis Director's Viewfinder was updated on October 29, 2026 and prefx on October 26, 2026.

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