Comparison

Buff Flash Control vs Datacolor LightColor Meter

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

Head to head
About

Buff Flash Control

Control your lighting setups remotely from your phone. Adjust flash and modeling lamp power, save custom setups, and update firmware for compatible units. Designed for photographers using specific hardware.

Highlights
  • Smart remote control for flash units
  • Adjust power output
  • Control modeling lamps
  • Save and recall lighting setups
  • Firmware updates for LINK800WS
Read full description

The Buff Flash Control app was created to help photographers take control of their lighting setups directly from their phone. - KEY FEATURES - SMART REMOTE CONTROL Use the HUB remote to find Paul C. Buff, Inc. flash units in your setup. Once added to your setup, you can control the power outputs of both the flash and modeling lamp, turn them on/off directly from your phone, and save your setups for future use. LINK800WS FIRMWARE UPDATES Update the firmware of the LINK800WS Flash Unit directly from the app using the HUB remote. *Note: The Buff Flash Control app is only compatible with the Paul C. Buff, Inc. HUB remote and Paul C. Buff, Inc. flash units (AlienBees and newer). At this time this app is only capable of controlling the flash and model light outputs and saving lighting setups. Additional features are in development and will be released periodically.

About

Datacolor LightColor Meter

This pocket-sized device streams real-time light and color data to your smartphone, offering precise control over exposure and color consistency for photos, videos, and cinema. It measures various light types and color parameters, and includes gel filter libraries for creative adjustments.

Highlights
  • Real-time light and color data streaming
  • Exposure and lighting ratio control
  • Color consistency across setups
  • Measures Lux, Chromaticity, CCT, DUV
  • Includes gel filter libraries
  • Simultaneous measurements from multiple meters
  • Hands-free functionality
Features
Read full description

· The Datacolor LightColor Meter is a Bluetooth-enabled, multifunctional tool that fits in your pocket, continuously streaming both light and color data in real-time, to your smartphone. · Perfect for photos, videos, cinema and hybrid photo/video shoots, the LightColor Meter takes the guesswork out of exposure settings, giving you better control of lighting ratios as well as color consistency across varied lighting conditions and multiple camera setups. · The Datacolor LightColor Meter accurately measures all types of lighting, from fluctuating outdoor light, mixed natural/artificial location lighting, plus any type of studio lighting, including continuous lighting and strobe/flash. · It goes beyond a regular light meter to also measure color temperature, Lux, Chromaticity, CCT and DUV. Additionally, the device comes with filter libraries from Profoto®, LEE® and Rosco® to help you choose the right color gels for functional or creative color adjustments. · The rugged, travel-friendly device goes anywhere you’re shooting, providing you with a wireless versatility that lets you easily fine-tune your lighting and exposure without having to leave your camera. · You can attach the device to a light stand or tripod, use the through-hole for lanyards to hang the meter where needed, use the alligator clip that’s included to attach the LightColor Meter to clothing or other fabrics or use the rare earth magnet on the back of the device for easy magnetic attachment. · You can seamlessly sync multiple Datacolor LightColor Meters to get light and color temperature measurements from several locations simultaneously. The device accurately measures light and color temperature from a distance of up to 80 feet, allowing you to cover wide areas and is perfect for ensuring uniform lighting for green screens for easy and effective chroma keying in post-production. Key Feature Highlights o Incident Metering for Ambient & Flash o Mobile App/Wireless Bluetooth 4.0 LE o Photo, Video, Cine Exposure Modes o Measures Lux, Chromaticity, CCT, and +/- Green (Duv) o Measures Any Kind of Light Source o Color Temperature Range: 1,600K - 20,000K o Luminance Range: 1.0 - 1,000,000 lux o Cine Settings: Frame Rate, Shutter Angle/Speed & ND Filter Compensation o HSS Flash & Flash Duration Measurements o Included: Gel Filter Libraries from Profoto®, LEE® and Rosco® o Simultaneous Measurements from Multiple Meters Up to 80 ft Away o Hands-Free Functionality - incl. Magnet, ¼”-20 Mount o Cord-in (PC Sync) o Custom Exposure Profiles

Screenshots

Buff Flash Control4 screens
Datacolor LightColor Meter4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is rating: Buff Flash Control at 2.4 against Datacolor LightColor Meter's 1.7. Buff Flash Control also leads on monetization model (free vs free with in-app purchases). Datacolor LightColor Meter's advantage is update cadence (fortnightly vs every 2 months) and review sentiment (17% vs 0%). On price, ratings volume, ads and in-app purchases 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. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

Buff Flash Control holds the better App Store score, 2.4 against 1.7. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 7 and 7 respectively. Written reviews complicate that: 0% of Buff Flash Control's written reviews are positive against 17% of Datacolor LightColor Meter's, so the app with the better star average is not the one people write more warmly about.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Buff Flash Control ships an update every 2 months, Datacolor LightColor Meter fortnightly. The most recent releases landed on September 26, 2026 and October 14, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard4 real differences · 6 level
Buff Flash Control versus Datacolor LightColor Meter: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterBuff Flash ControlDatacolor LightColor Meter
PriceFreeFree
Rating2.4 (7 ratings) — better1.7 (7 ratings)
Positive reviews0.0% of reviews16.7% of reviews — better
Number of ratings77
Update frequencyEvery 2 monthsFortnightly — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNoNo
MonetizationFree — betterFree with in-app purchases
DevicesiPhone, iPodiPhone, iPod
Requires iOS13.012.0 — better
Further details — not scored
Size16 MB30 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperPaul C. Buff, Inc.Datacolor Inc.

Customer experience

Buff Flash Control

All ratings7 ratings
Positive28.6%
Neutral0.0%
Negative71.4%
Written reviews8 reviews
Positive0.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative100.0%

Datacolor LightColor Meter

All ratings7 ratings
Positive14.3%
Neutral0.0%
Negative85.7%
Written reviews6 reviews
Positive16.7%
Neutral0.0%
Negative83.3%

In-app purchases

None

Buff Flash Control

No in-app purchases

None

Datacolor LightColor Meter

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is Buff Flash Control free?
Buff Flash Control is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is Datacolor LightColor Meter free?
Datacolor LightColor Meter is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Which has better reviews, Buff Flash Control or Datacolor LightColor Meter?
Buff Flash Control is rated higher. Buff Flash Control averages 2.4 out of 5 from 7 ratings, while Datacolor LightColor Meter averages 1.7 from 7 ratings.
Do Buff Flash Control or Datacolor LightColor Meter have ads?
Neither Buff Flash Control nor Datacolor LightColor Meter shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Buff Flash Control or Datacolor LightColor Meter?
Buff Flash Control ships an update every 2 months, and Datacolor LightColor Meter fortnightly. Most recently, Buff Flash Control was updated on September 26, 2026 and Datacolor LightColor Meter on October 14, 2026.

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