Comparison

CineLenses vs Magic Reds ViewFinder

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

Head to head
About

CineLenses

Explore a vast database of cinema lenses with detailed specifications. Find, buy, sell, or rent lenses globally. Connect with professionals and discover lenses used in films.

Highlights
  • Search 5,000+ cinema lenses
  • Filter by format, type, and manufacturer
  • Browse by technical specifications
  • Buy and sell cinema lenses
  • Rent lenses worldwide
  • Create professional profiles
  • Discover lenses used in movies
Read full description

Welcome to the ecosystem of cinema lenses Search Lenses: The World's Largest Database of Cinema Lenses Consult data and technical specifications of more than 5.000 lenses. Easy Surfing: The material you need for your project can be easily found. It is categorized according to the Spheric or Anamorphic formats. And also to the different types of lenses: Primes, Zooms, Macros, Teles, etc. Another available option is to do the search considering the manufacturer. If you prefer you can start the search by manufacturer, as you prefer and as it is simpler. Browsing using technical specifications: The search engine will allow you to find the target lenses straightforwardly, based on the t stop, close focus, weight, etc. Marketplace: Buy and sell cameras and cinema lenses Crew: Show your work and create a profile to reach potential clients. They will contact you directly through your profile. Rent Lenses: Find the lens you need to rent around the world Do you know where the material can be rented? You have at your disposal a list of more than 800 users who rent all over the world. If you enter the name of a country and a city, the application will link it to the stores you are looking for. You can even contact them from the App, check their location or website. Credits: Find the lenses that have been used in the movies Search Dealers: Find all over the world the new lens you need to buy Our social networks reach over 150,000 specialized users and a targeted group of professional cinematographers. By joining the CineLenses Ecosystem, manufacturers, distributors and rental houses benefit from engaging with this community.

About

Magic Reds ViewFinder

This tool simulates camera lens fields of view for filmmaking professionals. It helps visualize shots by selecting cameras and focal lengths, with options for aspect ratios and color presets. Save your compositions with detailed metadata.

Highlights
  • Simulates camera and lens field of view
  • Supports various RED digital cinema cameras
  • Adjustable focal length and aspect ratio
  • Apply color presets (LUTs)
  • Save shots with metadata
  • Lock exposure and focus
  • Adjust white balance
Features
Read full description

Magic Reds ViewFinder presents a precise framing preview for the real camera/lens combination you'll be shooting with, right where you stand with your iPhone / iPad. It simulates the field of view of cinema digital cameras or lens and can help thousands of professionals in filmmaking at the preproduction. PLEASE READ: this app does not turn your Apple device into an external monitor, but operates as a stand-alone tool. The app contains ad banners, which can be turned off with additional in-app purchase (in 'About the App' menu). The app is a digital directors viewfinder - it helps you see the exact field of view for your future shot. Select the camera from the menu and rotate the wheel to select the focal length of the lens. Supported cameras ( http://www.red.com/products ): - Helium 8K - Gemini - Weapon 8K - Scarlet-W, - Weapon Dragon - Epic Dragon / Mysterium-X - Scarlet Dragon / Mysterium-X - Red One Magic ViewFinder simulates using tele adapters or anamorphic optics on your camera. From the menu you can also select the aspect ratio of the frame guide overlaying your image. Magic ViewFinder also lets you apply some commonly used color presets (also known as LUTs) to the live picture, which brings you even closer to the final shot. When you have found the right view, you may save it for future reference, with additional data like the focal length, date and time and camera / lens information. While taking a photo, you may lock exposure and turn on and off the auto focus to better control the captured picture. You can set camera to work in constant auto-focus mode, or lock the focus temporarily. You can also tap the live screen to focus on particular objects (which turns on the focus-locked mode). White balance may work in Auto, Locked or Manual mode. If the field of view of your real camera is wider than your in-device camera, the app adds 'padding' around the image, since the device cannot 'see' what is beyond. It is the best solution that we developed first amongst other viewfinder apps. Please note that position of your iPhone or iPad should correspond to the 'nodal point' of your real lens, which is somewhere in the middle of the lens. Ad policy: The ads are designed to appear non-intrusively. Ads can be turned off (see below). Additional info about the app may be read at: http://dev.kadru.net/index.php/magic-viewfinder/ If you have any issues please email us for a quick support: dev@kadru.net To activate additional settings (i.e. to use all available optical adapters and frame guides) and to turn off advertising, please subscribe to (Option #1) or purchase Premium Features (Option #2) in 'About the App' menu. In-App Purchase Option #1: - Title of service: Premium features: subscription - Length of subscription: a month (auto-renewable) - Contents of service: Turned off ads and additional options for frame guides, optical adapters, anamorphic indices, more LUTs - Payment will be charged to iTunes Account at confirmation of purchase - Subscription automatically renews unless auto-renew is turned off at least 24-hours before the end of the current period - Account will be charged for renewal within 24-hours prior to the end of the current period, and identify the cost of the renewal - Subscriptions may be managed by the user and auto-renewal may be turned off by going to the user’s Account Settings after purchase - Any unused portion of a free trial period will be forfeited when the user purchases a subscription to that publication, where applicable Terms of Use: http://dev.kadru.net/tos.html In-App Purchase Option #2: - Title of service: Premium features: purchase - Length of subscription: once and forever - Contents of service: Turned off ads and additional options for frame guides, optical adapters, anamorphic indices, more LUTs Privacy Policy: http://dev.kadru.net/privacy_policy/Privacy_Policy_Magic_Red_ViewFinder.html

Screenshots

CineLenses4 screens
Magic Reds ViewFinder4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is rating: Magic Reds ViewFinder at 4.9 against CineLenses's 2.6. Magic Reds ViewFinder also leads on review sentiment (67% vs 50%). CineLenses's advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 2) and ads (none vs shown). On price, ratings volume, update cadence 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. Magic Reds ViewFinder sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $1.49 per month. CineLenses asks for nothing beyond the download.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

Magic Reds ViewFinder holds the better App Store score, 4.9 against 2.6. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 22 and 23 respectively. Written reviews point the same way: 50% of CineLenses's written reviews are positive against 67% of Magic Reds ViewFinder's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Both ship on a similar rhythm, roughly every 2 months. Both last shipped on October 16, 2026.

Scorecard5 real differences · 5 level
CineLenses versus Magic Reds ViewFinder: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterCineLensesMagic Reds ViewFinder
PriceFreeFree
Rating2.6 (22 ratings)4.9 (23 ratings) — better
Positive reviews50.0% of reviews66.7% of reviews — better
Number of ratings2223 — better
Update frequencyEvery 2 monthsEvery 2 months
AdsNo — betterYes
In-app purchasesNo — betterYes
MonetizationFree — betterFree with in-app purchases
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPodiPhone, iPad, iPod
Requires iOS13.012.0 — better
Further details — not scored
Size57 MB19 MB
Age rating4+4+
Developeralvaro solisRoman Medvid

Customer experience

CineLenses

All ratings22 ratings
Positive40.9%
Neutral0.0%
Negative59.1%
Written reviews46 reviews
Positive50.0%
Neutral8.7%
Negative41.3%

Magic Reds ViewFinder

All ratings23 ratings
Positive95.7%
Neutral4.3%
Negative0.0%
Written reviews6 reviews
Positive66.7%
Neutral16.7%
Negative16.7%

In-app purchases

None

CineLenses

No in-app purchases

2 purchases

Magic Reds ViewFinder

Subscriptions1
  • Premium features: subscription$1.491 Month
One-time1
  • Premium features: purchase$4.99

Questions

Is CineLenses free?
CineLenses is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is Magic Reds ViewFinder free?
Magic Reds ViewFinder is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Which has better reviews, CineLenses or Magic Reds ViewFinder?
Magic Reds ViewFinder is rated higher. CineLenses averages 2.6 out of 5 from 22 ratings, while Magic Reds ViewFinder averages 4.9 from 23 ratings.
Do CineLenses or Magic Reds ViewFinder have ads?
Magic Reds ViewFinder shows ads; CineLenses does not.
Which is updated more often, CineLenses or Magic Reds ViewFinder?
CineLenses ships an update every 2 months, and Magic Reds ViewFinder every 2 months. Most recently, CineLenses was updated on October 16, 2026 and Magic Reds ViewFinder on October 16, 2026.

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