Comparison

pCAM Pro vs ARRI ECS

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

Head to head
About

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.

Highlights
  • Depth of Field calculations
  • Field of View preview
  • Focal Length matching
  • Exposure calculations
  • HMI Flicker-free settings
  • Speed Booster adapter calculations
  • VFX tracking markers
Features
Read 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."

About

ARRI ECS

Features
Read full description

The “ECS Sync” iPhone app functions as a direct communication platform between ARRI and users of ARRI’s Electronic Control System (ECS). Adaptable to any camera and any lens, ARRI ECS tools include wireless hand units and digital controllers, intelligent lens motors, and distance measurers. With the ECS Sync app, users can receive up-to-the-minute software updates, news, and answers to frequently asked questions relevant to these products. In addition, the ECS Sync app enables Bluetooth file sharing between ECS devices and the app via the new Hi-5 hand unit, without the need of a bulky laptop on set. Software versions can be synchronized, and transferred from the app to the connected devices. Lens files and user settings can be archived in the app, or forwarded on, including to the user’s Google Drive or Drop Box. Lens files can also be displayed graphically, contributing to the app’s usefulness as a portable and intuitive filmmaking tool. Features: • Save and load lens tables and user setup files to/from the Hi-5 hand unit via Bluetooth • Create a personalized lens data archive in the ECS Sync app • Update the Hi-5 hand unit and connected LBUS devices via the app • Get the latest news about ARRI ECS products • Distribute lens tables and user setup files from the app via email, WhatsApp, Dropbox, Google Drive and more

Screenshots

pCAM Pro4 screens
ARRI ECS3 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is price: ARRI ECS at Free against pCAM Pro's $34.99. ARRI ECS also leads on in-app purchases (none vs 3) and iOS requirement (15.6 vs 17.0). pCAM Pro's advantage is update cadence (every 9 days vs every 14 months). 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

CostPrice · In-app purchases · Ads · Monetization

ARRI ECS is free to download; pCAM Pro costs $34.99 up front. pCAM Pro sells 3 one-off in-app purchases. ARRI ECS asks for nothing beyond the download.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

pCAM Pro ships an update every 9 days, ARRI ECS every 14 months. The most recent releases landed on September 23, 2026 and August 31, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard4 real differences · 6 level
pCAM Pro versus ARRI ECS: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterpCAM ProARRI ECS
Price$34.99Free — better
Rating4.9 (221 ratings) — better
Positive reviews97.4% of reviews
Number of ratings221 — better
Update frequencyEvery 9 days — betterEvery 14 months
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesNo — better
MonetizationPaid
DevicesiPhone, iPadiPhone, iPod
Requires iOS17.015.6 — better
Further details — not scored
Size42 MB23 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperDavid EubankARRI Group

Bugs and 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

ARRI ECS

Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.

In-app purchases

3 purchases

pCAM Pro

One-time3
  • Small Tip$1.99
  • Medium Tip$4.99
  • Large Tip$7.99
None

ARRI ECS

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is pCAM Pro free?
pCAM Pro costs $34.99, and also offers in-app purchases.
Is ARRI ECS free?
ARRI ECS is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Do pCAM Pro or ARRI ECS have ads?
Neither pCAM Pro nor ARRI ECS shows ads.
Which is updated more often, pCAM Pro or ARRI ECS?
pCAM Pro ships an update every 9 days, and ARRI ECS every 14 months. Most recently, pCAM Pro was updated on September 23, 2026 and ARRI ECS on August 31, 2026.

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