Mea Camera Obscura vs SmartLab35
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side โ with what reviewers say about each.
Mea Camera Obscura
Read full descriptionHide full description
Side by side with you in your darkroom, start at the develop and advise you with sound periodically or before the end of the baths (stop, fixing, etc.); another sound at the end of the baths. All without need of manual intervention. Became a safe light with a single tap, while continuing to count the running time or times. Also as a dark green light to inspect film.
SmartLab35
Read full descriptionHide full description
With the innovative photo enlarger, you can create prints from your film negatives in a completely new way. This is possible for colour and black and white photos. In black and white mode, you can set an exposure time of up to 999 seconds. You can set the intensity of the enlarger to up to -4.0 f-stops. For multi-grade paper, you can select the gradation from 00.0 to 5.0. Use the function buttons to control the enlarger. Use the FOCUS light to adjust the sharpness of your image. Use the SAFE light to insert the paper. Start and pause the exposure with the centre button. In colour mode, you can set an exposure time of up to 999 seconds. You can control the colour gradation of your image by setting the intensity of the individual colour channels. In the options menu, you can choose between CMY and RGB colour systems. Control the enlarger with the function buttons. You can use the FOCUS light to adjust the sharpness of your image. Start and pause the exposure with the centre button.
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is price: SmartLab35 at Free against Mea Camera Obscura's $8.99. SmartLab35 also leads on update cadence (every 5 weeks vs every 10 months). On ads, in-app purchases, device support and iOS requirement there is nothing between them.
Scored on Price ยท Rating ยท Positive reviews ยท Number of ratings ยท Update frequency ยท Ads ยท In-app purchases ยท Monetization ยท Best chart rank ยท Devices ยท Requires iOS
SmartLab35 is free to download; Mea Camera Obscura costs $8.99 up front. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.
Mea Camera Obscura ships an update every 10 months, SmartLab35 every 5 weeks. The most recent releases landed on November 3, 2026 and November 4, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | Mea Camera Obscura | SmartLab35 |
|---|---|---|
| Price | $8.99 | Free โ better |
| Update frequency | Every 10 months | Every 5 weeks โ better |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, Mac โ better | iPhone, Apple Watch |
| Requires iOS | 16.4 | 16.0 โ better |
| Further details โ not scored | ||
| Size | 2 MB | 23 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | Luca Barbina | SANTIAGO FRANCISCO RAMIREZ SONNTAG |
In-app purchases
Mea Camera Obscura
No in-app purchases
SmartLab35
No in-app purchases
Questions
Is Mea Camera Obscura free?
Is SmartLab35 free?
Do Mea Camera Obscura or SmartLab35 have ads?
Which is updated more often, Mea Camera Obscura or SmartLab35?
Other comparisons















