Comparison

pCAM Pro vs starCTRL

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

starCTRL

Design custom lighting setups with this app. Connect and control compatible fixtures, adjusting color, intensity, and effects. Save presets and group lights for complex designs.

Highlights
  • Auto-discovery of compatible fixtures
  • Control lamp color and intensity
  • Adjust color temperature and green offset
  • Access built-in lighting effects
  • Group lights for larger designs
  • Save favorite colors and effects
  • Set smooth transitions with fade times
Features
Read full description

Designed for Litepanels Astra IP and Quasar Science Rainbow 2 and Double Rainbow, starCTRL is a simple-to-use app that allows users to connect wirelessly, create custom lighting designs and quickly adjust standard parameters. Unlock fast and creative lighting designs with the starCTRL app. 1. Connect instantly The starCTRL app is compatible with the following fixtures: - Quasar Science Rainbow 2 and Double Rainbow 
 - Litepanels Astra IP series Supported fixtures are automatically discovered by starCTRL for fast easy setup. Simply set your lights to starCTRL mode in the fixture menu and open the starCTRL app — it’s that simple! 2. Control simply Take full control of your lights from your fingertips. Quasar Science control parameters: Intensity, CCT (1750-10000K), ±Green, Hue, Saturation, Output Mode, and FX Litepanels Astra IP control parameters: DIM and CCT (2700-6500K) Quickly adjust color and temperature using common presets. Access the full range of Rainbow series lighting effects, with the ability to fine-tune individual effect parameters. 3. Customize Group lights for more complex designs. Apply settings to an entire group or fine-tune individual fixtures. Save your own Colors and FX settings to Favorites for quick recall onto any selected fixture or group. Enable smooth transitions by setting a fade time of up to 5 seconds. Firmware Requirements Rainbow 2 & Double Rainbow 
 - Recommended*: QS 0.9B with TimoTwo v1.1.1.5 
 - Minimum compatible: QS 0.8B with TimoTwo v1.0.7.2 *iOS26 users must update to recommended versions or later Litepanels Astra IP 
 - Firmware v1.5.0 with VLPM v1.0.2m (or later)

Screenshots

pCAM Pro4 screens
starCTRL3 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is review sentiment: pCAM Pro at 97% against starCTRL's 25%. pCAM Pro also leads on rating (4.9 vs 2.9) and update cadence (every 9 days vs every 6 months). starCTRL's advantage is price (Free vs $34.99) and in-app purchases (none vs 3). 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

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

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

pCAM Pro holds the better App Store score, 4.9 against 2.9. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: pCAM Pro has 221 ratings behind it against 7, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 97% of pCAM Pro's written reviews are positive against 25% of starCTRL's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

pCAM Pro ships an update every 9 days, starCTRL every 6 months. The most recent releases landed on September 23, 2026 and June 1, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard9 real differences · 2 level
pCAM Pro versus starCTRL: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterpCAM ProstarCTRL
Price$34.99Free — better
Rating4.9 (221 ratings) — better2.9 (7 ratings)
Positive reviews97.4% of reviews — better25.0% of reviews
Number of ratings221 — better7
Update frequencyEvery 9 days — betterEvery 6 months
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesNo — better
MonetizationPaidFree — better
Best chart rank#167 — better—
DevicesiPhone, iPadiPhone, iPad, iPod — better
Requires iOS17.014.0 — better
Further details — not scored
Size42 MB3 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperDavid EubankVidendum Production Solutions, Inc.

Customer experience

pCAM Pro

All ratings221 ratings
Positive98.6%
Neutral0.5%
Negative0.9%
Written reviews38 reviews
Positive97.4%
Neutral2.6%
Negative0.0%

starCTRL

All ratings5 ratings
Positive20.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative80.0%
Written reviews4 reviews
Positive25.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative75.0%

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

starCTRL

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

starCTRL

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is pCAM Pro free?
pCAM Pro costs $34.99, and also offers in-app purchases.
Is starCTRL free?
starCTRL is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Which has better reviews, pCAM Pro or starCTRL?
pCAM Pro is rated higher. pCAM Pro averages 4.9 out of 5 from 221 ratings, while starCTRL averages 2.9 from 7 ratings.
Do pCAM Pro or starCTRL have ads?
Neither pCAM Pro nor starCTRL shows ads.
Which is updated more often, pCAM Pro or starCTRL?
pCAM Pro ships an update every 9 days, and starCTRL every 6 months. Most recently, pCAM Pro was updated on September 23, 2026 and starCTRL on June 1, 2026.

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