Comparison

This App is a Light Meter vs Lightme

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

Head to head
About

This App is a Light Meter

This app transforms your phone into a light meter for pinhole photography. It helps calculate precise exposure times and includes a timer and inverter for developing your negatives.

Highlights
  • Light meter for pinhole cameras
  • Calculates exposure time
  • Integrated timer
  • Negative inverter
  • Works with any pinhole camera
Read full description

Take the guesswork out of calculating your pinhole camera’s exposure time by using your phone or tablet as a light meter. The meter is designed to work with any pinhole camera, and its particularly well suited for Kelli Anderson’s ‘This Book is a Camera.’ Includes a timer to count down every second to your ideal exposure, and an inverter to reveal the final image of your pinhole negative.

About

Lightme

This powerful light meter app offers a clean, intuitive interface optimized for one-handed use. It displays multiple aperture and shutter speed combinations simultaneously, aiding quick setting selection. Suitable for beginners and experienced photographers alike, it includes advanced features like spot metering, reciprocity failure compensation, and pinhole mode.

Highlights
  • Multiple exposure settings display
  • One-handed operation
  • Spot metering with zoom
  • Reciprocity failure compensation
  • Pinhole mode
  • Incident light metering
  • Film database
Features
Read full description

Lightme - Lightmeter is a clean, simple to use yet very powerful lightmeter. It is optimised for an easy one-handed use, both for left-handed and right-handed users, with the main controls within your thumb's reach, without the fatiguing juggling of your precious smartphone. A core distinguishing feature of Lightme - Lightmeter is that - differently from most of the other apps - it can show multiple combinations of valid settings for aperture and shutterspeed at the same time by working like a - stretched out - old needle and wheel lightmeter. This allows the user to quickly pick the desired settings without having to scroll on a tiny wheel picker. The app is designed to be welcoming to people who are just starting out, with a simple one-button use. But it offers many useful and advanced features for the more experienced shooters/users: Continuous metering (by pressing and holding or double tapping the measure button) Spot metering with a variable zoom (for more precision) which also supports average metering, and a very intuitive implementation of the zone system Automatic reciprocity failure compensation (for 25+ films, if you see exposure times in red, they are being compensated) A dedicated pinhole mode with precise exposure times for user defined apertures (multiple apertures at a time), with the possibility of setting a timer (through a shortcut) Incident light metering with calibration when using the front facing camera And more ... It also includes some other features that are enjoyable by any kind of user: Black and white preview The ability to use any of the cameras on your smartphone (swipe left/right on the preview) Multiple presets for your different camera/film/lens setups Framelines for previewing your shot, before setting up your tripod etc. A searchable list of useful tips to make better use of the application's potential A searchable list of more than 70 films to choose from with the possibility of selecting a few favourites Dark mode support and a useful level of customisation You can find even more info in the tips inside the app or you can have a look at full user manual by tapping on manual (in the settings) The app is free in all its many functionalities, but it offers In-App-Purchases in order to support the project. The only minor perk you can enable only via certain IAPs is the replacement of the Ad button with a label containing the name of your current preset, check under settings -> coffee for more info. Don't panic though, even if there's an Ad button it doesn't mean I'm going to show you ads. In fact unless you decide to tap on that button I'm never going to show you any. But if you have a few minutes to spare, watching a few of them sure helps keeping this project alive :) Try it, and, if you like it, share it with your friends and consider writing a (mini) review ;) Have a nice day, and good light!

Screenshots

This App is a Light Meter4 screens
Lightme4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is rating: Lightme at 4.8 against This App is a Light Meter's 4.1. Lightme also leads on ratings volume (912 vs 13) and update cadence (every 3 weeks vs every 3 months). This App is a Light Meter's advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 6) and iOS requirement (12.1 vs 17.0). On price, 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

Both are free to download. Lightme sells 6 one-off in-app purchases. This App is a Light Meter asks for nothing beyond the download.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

Lightme holds the better App Store score, 4.8 against 4.1. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Lightme has 912 ratings behind it against 13, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 78% of This App is a Light Meter's written reviews are positive against 91% of Lightme's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

This App is a Light Meter ships an update every 3 months, Lightme every 3 weeks. The most recent releases landed on August 23, 2026 and September 23, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard7 real differences · 3 level
This App is a Light Meter versus Lightme: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterThis App is a Light MeterLightme
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.1 (13 ratings)4.8 (912 ratings) — better
Positive reviews77.8% of reviews90.5% of reviews — better
Number of ratings13912 — better
Update frequencyEvery 3 monthsEvery 3 weeks — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNo — betterYes
MonetizationFree — betterFree with in-app purchases
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPod — betteriPhone, iPad
Requires iOS12.1 — better17.0
Further details — not scored
Size10 MB9 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperOak Studios, LLCGiuseppe Bertolini

Customer experience

This App is a Light Meter

All ratings13 ratings
Positive76.9%
Neutral7.7%
Negative15.4%
Written reviews9 reviews
Positive77.8%
Neutral11.1%
Negative11.1%

Lightme

All ratings912 ratings
Positive96.5%
Neutral1.3%
Negative2.2%
Written reviews211 reviews
Positive90.5%
Neutral1.9%
Negative7.6%

Bugs and requests

This App is a Light Meter

Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.

Lightme

Reported bugs

2 issues
  • Crashes on iOS 16
  • Metering issues with certain camera/lens combinations

Requested features

5 requests
  • Add shutter angle adjustment for cinematography
  • Implement ISO lock feature
  • Add more film stock profiles
  • Improve film selection process (e.g. search, categories)
  • Provide more customization options (e.g. interface themes)

In-app purchases

None

This App is a Light Meter

No in-app purchases

6 purchases

Lightme

One-time6
  • Espresso ristretto$1.99
  • Pecorino Romano$4.99
  • Guanciale$9.99
Show 3 more
  • Parmigiano$16.99
  • Pizza for two$29.99
  • Do this full-time$59.99

Questions

Is This App is a Light Meter free?
This App is a Light Meter is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is Lightme free?
Lightme is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Which has better reviews, This App is a Light Meter or Lightme?
Lightme is rated higher. This App is a Light Meter averages 4.1 out of 5 from 13 ratings, while Lightme averages 4.8 from 912 ratings.
Do This App is a Light Meter or Lightme have ads?
Neither This App is a Light Meter nor Lightme shows ads.
Which is updated more often, This App is a Light Meter or Lightme?
This App is a Light Meter ships an update every 3 months, and Lightme every 3 weeks. Most recently, This App is a Light Meter was updated on August 23, 2026 and Lightme on September 23, 2026.

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