Comparison

MetaLog vs Lightme

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

Head to head
About

MetaLog

This app helps film photographers meticulously record and log photo settings, locations, and equipment details. It offers a simple interface for tracking film rolls, individual shots, and managing your camera gear for cataloging or post-processing.

Highlights
  • Log film roll details (load/unload dates, frames)
  • Record photo settings (lens, aperture, shutter speed, location)
  • Intelligent pre-fill and filtering for quick logging
  • Manage multiple film rolls and cameras
  • Pinpoint photo locations on a map
  • Export logged data as CSV
  • Create a gear inventory with camera/lens details
Read full description

Are you a meticulous film photographer that prefers to record settings/locations for the film photos that you take? Are you looking for a simple and easy to use app for tracking and logging that information? Are you tired of the buggy, crash-prone, or convoluted photo logging apps currently available? I happen to be all of those things. Which is why I developed MetaLog. MetaLog is a simple yet powerful data logging utility for photographers who want to quickly record photo metadata for photo cataloging or EXIF tagging during post-processing. In addition to keeping track of the settings for each photo, MetaLog can also act as an equipment inventory for your gear. Feature Highlights: • See all of your added film rolls at a glance, including the number of frames added to each roll, as well as load/unload dates to show which rolls are still in use. • Quickly log settings for each photo including date, lens, aperture, shutter speed, exposure compensation, as well as location coordinates, accessories, and notes about the shot. • Intelligent pre-fill and filtering for dates, locations, and equipment, making adding new frames a snap. • Easily manage multiple rolls loaded into multiple cameras simultaneously. • Pinpoint photo locations with a simple and familiar pinch-and-zoom map interface. • Export all logged data as convenient CSV files. • Gear pages can record camera and lens models as well as serial numbers, allowing for a complete gear inventory that's handy for tracking and insurance.

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

MetaLog4 screens
Lightme4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is price: Lightme at Free against MetaLog's $0.99. Lightme also leads on rating (4.8 vs 3.8) and ratings volume (912 vs 12). MetaLog's advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 6). On update cadence, ads, device support and iOS requirement 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

Lightme is free to download; MetaLog costs $0.99 up front. Lightme sells 6 one-off in-app purchases. MetaLog asks for nothing beyond the download.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

Lightme holds the better App Store score, 4.8 against 3.8. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Lightme has 912 ratings behind it against 12, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 70% of MetaLog's written reviews are positive against 91% of Lightme's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Both ship on a similar rhythm, roughly every 3 weeks. The most recent releases landed on August 1, 2026 and September 23, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard6 real differences · 4 level
MetaLog versus Lightme: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterMetaLogLightme
Price$0.99Free — better
Rating3.8 (12 ratings)4.8 (912 ratings) — better
Positive reviews70.0% of reviews90.5% of reviews — better
Number of ratings12912 — better
Update frequencyEvery 3 weeksEvery 3 weeks
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNo — betterYes
MonetizationPaidFree with in-app purchases — better
DevicesiPhone, iPadiPhone, iPad
Requires iOS17.617.0 — better
Further details — not scored
Size2 MB9 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperChristopher CurzioGiuseppe Bertolini

Customer experience

MetaLog

All ratings12 ratings
Positive75.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative25.0%
Written reviews10 reviews
Positive70.0%
Neutral10.0%
Negative20.0%

Lightme

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

Bugs and requests

MetaLog

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

MetaLog

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 MetaLog free?
MetaLog costs $0.99, with no in-app purchases.
Is Lightme free?
Lightme is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Which has better reviews, MetaLog or Lightme?
Lightme is rated higher. MetaLog averages 3.8 out of 5 from 12 ratings, while Lightme averages 4.8 from 912 ratings.
Do MetaLog or Lightme have ads?
Neither MetaLog nor Lightme shows ads.
Which is updated more often, MetaLog or Lightme?
MetaLog ships an update every 3 weeks, and Lightme every 3 weeks. Most recently, MetaLog was updated on August 1, 2026 and Lightme on September 23, 2026.

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