Comparison

Viewfinder Preview vs ssssampler

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

Head to head
About

Viewfinder Preview

Preview camera framing for any camera and lens combination. Select film/sensor size and focal length to visualize framing before setting up your main camera. Ideal for photographers and filmmakers for pre-visualization, location scouting, and storyboarding.

Highlights
  • Camera and lens framing preview
  • Customizable film/sensor formats
  • Configurable light meter
  • Photo capture with metadata
  • Photo gallery with data display
  • Album and PDF creation
  • Film stock emulation
Features
Read full description

Viewfinder Preview is an iPhone app for previewing camera framing for any combination of camera and lens. Instead of spending all that time setting up your big camera, just choose your desired film/sensor size and focal length in the app and point the iPhone camera at what you want to photo to verify framing. If you are happy with the framing then you can get the big camera out. The app has a large database of camera sensors details and film formats but if the format you desire isn’t there you can add your own custom format. The app is targeted at stills photographers or film makers working in either film or digital. If you don’t have your big camera with you, Viewfinder Preview is still great for photo sketching, location scouting or story boarding. The app includes - Customisable menus so you can include the film/sensor formats and focal lengths you care about. - A fully configurable light meter. - You can take photos with it, so you have a record of shots you were framing. - Photos taken with the app include additional data that describe the film format, focal length and lighting meter settings at the time the shot was taken - Add notes to your photos - A photo gallery for viewing photos taken with the app which also displays the additional data - Share images in emails, messages - Create albums of photos from the same project, trip etc - Create PDF documents of albums - Film stock emulation - Wide angle lens adapter support

About

ssssampler

Capture four distinct moments in a single exposure with this analog-style camera app. It fires four shots at 0.5-second intervals, creating unique images with a spontaneous feel. No settings or previews, just pure analog charm.

Highlights
  • Four-frame capture
  • 0.5-second interval shots
  • Analog-inspired look
  • Launch-to-capture under 2 seconds
  • Adjustable grain intensity
  • Multiple film styles
Read full description

Four frames. Zero second thoughts. One true analog feel. Capture four frames in a single exposure — one press, four moments, 0.5 seconds apart. No settings. No preview. Just spontaneous motion and happy accidents. ssssampler brings that analog experience to iPhone. Press the shutter. Four shots fire at 0.5-second intervals. They’re composited into one image with an analog-inspired look. ssssampler captures the moments you’d miss with a regular camera. DESIGNED FOR SPONTANEITY - Launch-to-capture in under 2 seconds - Hardware shutter support (volume buttons + Camera Control on compatible iPhones) - Shoot your friends dancing, kids jumping, streets bustling, athletes competing, yourself unleashing your emotions — anything that moves. Or move yourself and recompose on the fly. PRRRRO PACK - Film styles: cinematic, black-and-white, and “no style” - Adjustable grain intensity - Multi-lens selection (compatible iPhones) - Composition mode (shooting with 2-second intervals) - Reverse frame ordering - Manual focus and exposure controls - Self-timer Buy once, own forever. No subscription. Your move now.

Screenshots

Viewfinder Preview3 screens
ssssampler4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: Viewfinder Preview at none against ssssampler's 1. Viewfinder Preview also leads on ratings volume (295 vs 2) and chart position (#76 vs unranked). ssssampler's advantage is rating (5.0 vs 4.7) and update cadence (monthly vs every 3 months). On ads and monetization model 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

Viewfinder Preview costs $4.99 and ssssampler $2.99 up front. ssssampler sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. Viewfinder Preview asks for nothing beyond the download.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

ssssampler holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 4.7. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Viewfinder Preview has 295 ratings behind it against 2, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 86% of Viewfinder Preview's written reviews are positive against 100% of ssssampler's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Viewfinder Preview ships an update every 3 months, ssssampler monthly. The most recent releases landed on October 13, 2026 and September 29, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard9 real differences · 2 level
Viewfinder Preview versus ssssampler: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterViewfinder Previewssssampler
Price$4.99$2.99 — better
Rating4.7 (295 ratings)5.0 (2 ratings) — better
Positive reviews86.4% of reviews100.0% of reviews — better
Number of ratings295 — better2
Update frequencyEvery 3 monthsMonthly — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNo — betterYes
MonetizationPaidPaid
Best chart rank#76 — better—
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPod — betteriPhone
Requires iOS12.0 — better16.0
Further details — not scored
Size18 MB4 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperAdam FowlerNatalia Pokrovskaya

Customer experience

Viewfinder Preview

All ratings295 ratings
Positive94.2%
Neutral2.7%
Negative3.1%
Written reviews103 reviews
Positive86.4%
Neutral4.9%
Negative8.7%

ssssampler

All ratings2 ratings
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%
Written reviews2 reviews
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%

Bugs and requests

Viewfinder Preview

Reported bugs

11 issues
  • White screen on startup
  • App crashes repeatedly
  • Exposure offset resets when app closes
  • Notes and shot data disappear after weeks
  • In-app purchase screen loops indefinitely
Show 6 more
  • Focal length inaccuracy on iPhone 14 Pro
  • Manual metering mode shows darker frame than preview
  • Tiny 1px border on cropped images
  • Battery drains excessively
  • App not loading on iOS 16
  • Glitches requiring app restart

Requested features

20 requests
  • Embed camera/lens metadata directly in saved images
  • Save custom film stock names
  • Persistent exposure offset settings
  • More film stock options (Kodak Gold 200, Fuji 400H, Catlabs 320 Pro, Ilford XP2, etc.)
  • Lower ISO settings (support for ISO 0.5 and below)
Show 15 more
  • Additional aspect ratios (6x17, 65x24)
  • Save images with exposure data as overlay or separate versions
  • Grid lines and level indicators
  • Focus distance display
  • Telephoto lens support (65mm-400mm)
  • Wider focal lengths (below 35mm)
  • Camera profile presets for quick switching
  • Custom aperture values (e.g., f/3.5)
  • Shift lens simulation for architectural photography
  • Watermark saved photos with camera data
  • Toggle HDR on/off for better film simulation
  • Video tutorial or in-app help guide
  • Ability to disable auto-display of config on images
  • Telephoto lens compatibility
  • Correct focal length rendering for newer iPhone models

ssssampler

Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.

In-app purchases

None

Viewfinder Preview

No in-app purchases

1 purchases

ssssampler

One-time1
  • prrrro$3.99

Questions

Is Viewfinder Preview free?
Viewfinder Preview costs $4.99, with no in-app purchases.
Is ssssampler free?
ssssampler costs $2.99, and also offers in-app purchases.
Which has better reviews, Viewfinder Preview or ssssampler?
ssssampler is rated higher. Viewfinder Preview averages 4.7 out of 5 from 295 ratings, while ssssampler averages 5.0 from 2 ratings.
Do Viewfinder Preview or ssssampler have ads?
Neither Viewfinder Preview nor ssssampler shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Viewfinder Preview or ssssampler?
Viewfinder Preview ships an update every 3 months, and ssssampler monthly. Most recently, Viewfinder Preview was updated on October 13, 2026 and ssssampler on September 29, 2026.

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