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.
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.
- Light meter for pinhole cameras
- Calculates exposure time
- Integrated timer
- Negative inverter
- Works with any pinhole camera
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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.
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.
- Multiple exposure settings display
- One-handed operation
- Spot metering with zoom
- Reciprocity failure compensation
- Pinhole mode
- Incident light metering
- Film database
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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
Verdict
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
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.
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.
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.
| Parameter | This App is a Light Meter | Lightme |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 4.1 (13 ratings) | 4.8 (912 ratings) — better |
| Positive reviews | 77.8% of reviews | 90.5% of reviews — better |
| Number of ratings | 13 | 912 — better |
| Update frequency | Every 3 months | Every 3 weeks — better |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | No — better | Yes |
| Monetization | Free — better | Free with in-app purchases |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod — better | iPhone, iPad |
| Requires iOS | 12.1 — better | 17.0 |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 10 MB | 9 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | Oak Studios, LLC | Giuseppe Bertolini |
Customer experience
This App is a Light Meter
Lightme
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
This App is a Light Meter
No in-app purchases
Lightme
- Espresso ristretto$1.99
- Pecorino Romano$4.99
- Guanciale$9.99
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- Parmigiano$16.99
- Pizza for two$29.99
- Do this full-time$59.99
Questions
Is This App is a Light Meter free?
Is Lightme free?
Which has better reviews, This App is a Light Meter or Lightme?
Do This App is a Light Meter or Lightme have ads?
Which is updated more often, This App is a Light Meter or Lightme?
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