# Viewfinder Preview vs Phonochrome

The clearest difference is price: Viewfinder Preview at $4.99 against Phonochrome's $9.99. Viewfinder Preview also leads on chart position (#140 vs unranked) and update cadence (every 3 months vs every 6 months). On ads and in-app purchases there is nothing between them.

Viewfinder Preview costs $4.99 and Phonochrome $9.99 up front. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

Viewfinder Preview ships an update every 3 months, Phonochrome every 6 months. The most recent releases landed on November 11, 2026 and November 10, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Viewfinder Preview | Phonochrome |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | **$4.99** | $9.99 |
| Rating | **[4.7 (301 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/viewfinder-preview/id1216484605/reviews)** | — |
| Number of ratings | **301** | — |
| Positive reviews | 86.4% of reviews | — |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | **Every 3 months** | Every 6 months |
| Monetization | Paid | — |
| Best chart rank | **#140** | — |
| Size | 18 MB | 1 MB |
| Requires iOS | **12.0** | 16.6 |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** | iPhone |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Adam Fowler](https://appshunter.io/developer/1216484604) | [Christoph Hoehmann](https://appshunter.io/developer/1855991632) |

## What reviewers say

### Viewfinder Preview

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/viewfinder-preview/id1216484605)

**Currently charting:** #140 Top Paid · Photo & Video (US App Store)

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:** macOS Compatibility, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases:** none

**What reviewers like**

- 📸 Excellent film emulation and visualization
- 💡 Comprehensive light meter functionality
- 📝 Useful note-taking and shot logging features
- 🎯 Customizable camera formats and focal lengths
- 👍 Intuitive interface and easy to use

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 App crashes and white screen issues
- 🔋 High battery consumption
- 📱 Poor image resolution and quality
- ⚠️ Limited focal length range (35mm minimum)
- 🎬 Focal length accuracy issues on newer iPhones

**Reported bugs**

- 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

**Requested features**

- 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)


### Phonochrome

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/phonochrome/id6755740234)

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Viewfinder Preview free?

Viewfinder Preview costs $4.99, with no in-app purchases.

### Is Phonochrome free?

Phonochrome costs $9.99, with no in-app purchases.

### Do Viewfinder Preview or Phonochrome have ads?

Neither Viewfinder Preview nor Phonochrome shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Viewfinder Preview or Phonochrome?

Viewfinder Preview ships an update every 3 months, and Phonochrome every 6 months. Most recently, Viewfinder Preview was updated on November 11, 2026 and Phonochrome on November 10, 2026.

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*Compared by [AppsHunter](https://appshunter.io/) from daily US App Store data. Review summaries are generated from verbatim App Store reviews.*
