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.
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.
- Smart remote control for flash units
- Adjust power output
- Control modeling lamps
- Save and recall lighting setups
- Firmware updates for LINK800WS
Read full descriptionHide 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.
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.
- 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
Read full descriptionHide 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
Verdict
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
Both are free to download. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.
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.
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.
| Parameter | Buff Flash Control | Datacolor LightColor Meter |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 2.4 (7 ratings) — better | 1.7 (7 ratings) |
| Positive reviews | 0.0% of reviews | 16.7% of reviews — better |
| Number of ratings | 7 | 7 |
| Update frequency | Every 2 months | Fortnightly — better |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Monetization | Free — better | Free with in-app purchases |
| Devices | iPhone, iPod | iPhone, iPod |
| Requires iOS | 13.0 | 12.0 — better |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 16 MB | 30 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | Paul C. Buff, Inc. | Datacolor Inc. |
Customer experience
Buff Flash Control
Datacolor LightColor Meter
In-app purchases
Buff Flash Control
No in-app purchases
Datacolor LightColor Meter
No in-app purchases
Questions
Is Buff Flash Control free?
Is Datacolor LightColor Meter free?
Which has better reviews, Buff Flash Control or Datacolor LightColor Meter?
Do Buff Flash Control or Datacolor LightColor Meter have ads?
Which is updated more often, Buff Flash Control or Datacolor LightColor Meter?
Other comparisons















