Comparison

Lightme vs Camera Red

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

Head to head
About

Lightme

This app helps analog photographers meticulously track their film rolls, shots, and development processes. It allows for detailed logging of gear and consumables, with features for data visualization and export. Users can also manage film holders and add post-development notes with photos of final results.

Highlights
  • Log film rolls, shots, and development
  • Track gear and consumables
  • Data visualization with graphs/histograms
  • Data export in JSON/CSV formats
  • Manage large format film holders
  • Post-development notes with photos
Features
Read full description

Lightme - Logbook is a clean and powerful tool to record and keep track of your rolls, shots, developments, and all the gear that revolves around shooting film — from 35mm to medium and large format. The idea behind it is simple: logging a shot should take seconds, not steal time from actually shooting. Lightme pairs a beautiful, immediate interface with enough depth and flexibility to fit any workflow, whether you shoot a couple of rolls a year or fill several large format holders in an afternoon. LOGGING, EFFORTLESSLY • Log a shot in seconds: aperture, shutter speed, focal length, filters, bellows correction, measured EV, notes and more • Log straight from your wrist with the companion Apple Watch app, with Siri and Shortcuts, or from the home screen and lock screen widgets • Together with the Lightme Lightmeter app, your meter readings can prefill a new shot automatically • Every shot can carry a location and address, a preview photo, and later its final scan, plus a star rating ROLLS, SHEETS AND DEVELOPMENTS • Track rolls from loading to unloading, with film stocks from a growing database and a processing pipeline: waiting for development, off to the lab, back from the lab, to be scanned, scanned • Keep detailed development notes — developer, dilution, time, temperature, agitation — for rolls and single sheets alike, including push/pull (N+ / N-) development • Add post-development notes and a photo of the final result to rolls, sheets and individual shots YOUR GEAR, ORGANIZED • Cameras and lenses with nicknames, formats (including custom formats you define), pinhole and bellows flags, custom shutter speeds and selectable shutter step sizes • Roll film backs and lens filters with their exposure compensation • Film holders and backs can be marked as compatible with specific cameras, and everything is searchable from a single bar LARGE FORMAT, COVERED • Keep track of your film holders with three states — unloaded, loaded and exposed — always knowing which film is inside each one • Group holders together and follow every sheet from exposure through development INSIGHTS FROM YOUR DATA • Build and save custom queries, filtering by date (fixed or rolling windows), camera, lens, film stock, format, ISO, aperture, shutter speed, focal length and notes • Visualize results with histograms — by camera, lens, film stock, shutter speed, aperture, focal length, ISO, format, rating or hour of the day — alongside aggregate stats like mean aperture and average exposure • Save the queries you use most and re-run them anytime YOUR DATA, YOURS • Everything syncs privately through iCloud across your iPhone and iPad • Export any selection of data as CSV or JSON, or as a beautifully formatted PDF with customizable columns and a contact-sheet mode, bundled with your images in a single ZIP • Batch-write shooting metadata (EXIF) onto your scans — for a whole roll at once, or by matching files from the Files app • Viewing and exporting your data is free, forever; adding and editing is unlocked with a one-time purchase or a subscription AND MORE • Full-text search, favourites and an archive to keep things tidy • Available in English, Italian, Spanish, Japanese and Simplified Chinese • A roadmap of what's coming next lives right in the app — new very cool features are on the way :) If you have any suggestion or issue, write me at lightme.apps@gmail.com Terms of use: https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/

About

Camera Red

Features
Read full description

MODERN CONTROLS FOR OLDER SONY CAMERAS Many older Sony cameras are still excellent—but the apps available for them are often limited, outdated or no longer supported. Camera Red gives compatible cameras a modern companion app with live view, full remote control, advanced timelapse shooting, memory-card browsing and several ways to transfer photos to your iPhone. REMOTE SHOOTING FROM ANYWHERE Connect directly to your camera over its own Wi‑Fi and use your iPhone as a wireless viewfinder. See the live image, release the shutter, control focus and adjust shutter speed, aperture, ISO and white balance. Settings are placed on dials you can drag instead of tapping through values one at a time. Frame the picture, focus and take the shot without standing behind the camera. CREATE TIMELAPSES YOUR CAMERA CAN’T Add interval shooting to cameras that do not have it built in. Choose the interval and number of frames, and Camera Red shows the total shooting time and finished video length before you begin. While the timelapse is running, scrub through the captured frames to watch the light and scene change. When shooting is complete, the app assembles the video automatically. Every frame is kept, so you can rebuild the timelapse later at a different frame rate—or at a higher resolution after transferring the full-size originals. BROWSE THE MEMORY CARD Explore your camera’s memory card by date or folder, select the photos you want and transfer them to your iPhone. If the camera offers several transfer sizes, you choose which version to download. RECEIVE RAW AND JPEG FILES AS YOU SHOOT Camera Red supports several ways of working with your files. Use the camera’s “Send to Smartphone” function to browse and download photos, or configure its FTP function to send RAW and JPEG files directly to the app as they are captured. FTP transfer can also work with supported cameras from other manufacturers. Nothing is uploaded to the cloud. Your iPhone is the destination. REVIEW EVERY SHOT Camera Red includes a complete photo library and viewer: • Pinch to zoom • View a histogram with numerical values • Check the exposure settings recorded by the camera • Pick or reject photos to quickly narrow down a session • Play videos • Share or save your files wherever you choose TRY EVERYTHING FREE FOR SEVEN DAYS Every camera feature is available free for seven days. After that, one purchase unlocks the complete app permanently—no subscription and nothing to cancel. Photos already stored on your iPhone remain accessible whether or not you purchase the app. A built-in demo camera lets you explore the app before connecting a real camera. CAMERA COMPATIBILITY Remote shooting requires a Sony camera that supports Sony’s Camera Remote API and includes “Ctrl w/ Smartphone” in its network menu. This includes many models released from approximately 2014 to 2019, such as: • Sony α7 III and α7R III • Sony α9 • Sony α6000, α6300 and α6400 • Sony RX100 IV and later compatible models Memory-card browsing uses the camera’s “Send to Smartphone” function. Automatic file transfer requires a camera with FTP support. Available features may vary depending on the camera model, firmware and selected file format. Camera Red is an independent application and is not made by, endorsed by or affiliated with Sony Group Corporation.

Screenshots

Lightme4 screens
Camera Red4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is update cadence: Camera Red at every 4 days against Lightme's every 2 weeks. Lightme's advantage is device support (4 vs 1) and iOS requirement (15.6 vs 17.0). On price, 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. Lightme sells 8 in-app purchases, starting at $2.99 per month and Camera Red sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Lightme ships an update every 2 weeks, Camera Red every 4 days. The most recent releases landed on October 13, 2026 and October 2, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard3 real differences · 7 level
Lightme versus Camera Red: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterLightmeCamera Red
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.8 (102 ratings) — better—
Positive reviews75.0% of reviews—
Number of ratings102 — better—
Update frequencyEvery 2 weeksEvery 4 days — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesYes
MonetizationFree with in-app purchases—
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPod, Apple Watch — betteriPhone
Requires iOS15.6 — better17.0
Further details — not scored
Size13 MB6 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperGiuseppe BertoliniOleksii Baliuk

In-app purchases

8 purchases

Lightme

Subscriptions4
  • 1 Cappuccino7 Days trial$2.991 Month
  • Focaccia Barese7 Days trial$12.991 Year
  • Spaghetti Carbonara7 Days trial$29.991 Year
Show 1 more
  • Homemade Pizza party7 Days trial$49.991 Year
One-time4
  • A smile :)Free
  • Box of Prosecco$59.99
  • Fuel for my '90s camper$119.99
Show 1 more
  • Terme for two$239.99
1 purchases

Camera Red

One-time1
  • Unlock Camera Red$2.99

Questions

Is Lightme free?
Lightme is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is Camera Red free?
Camera Red is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Do Lightme or Camera Red have ads?
Neither Lightme nor Camera Red shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Lightme or Camera Red?
Lightme ships an update every 2 weeks, and Camera Red every 4 days. Most recently, Lightme was updated on October 13, 2026 and Camera Red on October 2, 2026.

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