Light Meter Ultra vs Camera Trap Journal
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
Light Meter Ultra
This app provides precise light metering for film photography, eliminating the need for external hardware. It offers various metering modes and customizable profiles to ensure perfect exposures for manual cameras. Advanced features like reciprocity failure correction are available with a PRO plan.
- Aperture Priority Metering
- Shutter Priority Metering
- Exposure Priority Metering
- Customizable ISO, Shutter Speed, Aperture
- Exposure Compensation
- Reciprocity Failure Correction
- Custom Camera Profiles
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Fast, precise and easy to use. Get perfect exposures every time. No additional hardware required. Say goodbye to arcane Sunny 16. Figuring out the best exposure settings for your manual camera doesn’t have to be difficult. Light Meter Ultra for iPhone gives you the exact readings you need for your camera by simply pointing your device at the scene. Precise measurements mean you can dial in the perfect exposure settings for capturing the widest dynamic range, whilst customizable shooting profiles allow you to switch between settings with a single tap. Download now and take advantage of our free plan which includes our precision Aperture Priority metering mode, limited settings, and single-use shooting profiles. Or choose one of our PRO plans and gain access to everything the app has to offer, including our full suite of professional metering modes, quick-select reusable shooting profiles, plus advanced features such as reciprocity failure correction that you won't find elsewhere. Capture your creative vision with powerful features, including: - Aperture Priority Metering Mode - Shutter Priority Metering Mode* - Exposure Priority Metering Mode* - Stop increment selection of full, half or third stops* - Customizable ISO, Shutter Speed and Aperture ranges* - Exposure Compensation - Exposure Lock - Sample Offset - Custom Camera Profiles* - Detachable Lens Profiles* - Film/Emulsion Profiles* - Bulb-mode* - Reciprocity Failure Correction* *Features marked with an asterisk require an active PRO plan Download now and start metering on your iPhone today. Terms of Use: https://lightmeterultra.com/terms Privacy Policy: https://lightmeterultra.com/privacy
Camera Trap Journal
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Camera Trap Journal is the field notebook that makes camera trap setups repeatable. Built by Camtraptions, it gives wildlife photographers a structured, visual way to document deployments, track changes, and work methodically in the field. THE PROBLEM Your camera saves aperture, shutter speed, ISO, and focal length in every image. But it does not record the flash positions, flash powers, aiming, modifiers, sensor placement, or overall layout that actually created the shot. That means successful camera trap images are often difficult to repeat. If you want to recreate a setup, improve the lighting, or explain a change to someone else in the field, you are often left relying on memory, rough notes, and trial and error. THE SOLUTION Camera Trap Journal gives every setup a complete visual record. Document where your camera, flashes, sensors, and subject area were positioned, along with the settings for each piece of equipment. Use built-in checklists to guide deployments and maintenance visits, make targeted changes, and track how each setup evolved over time. The result is a more repeatable, methodical workflow for camera trap photography. VISUAL SETUP EDITOR • Place cameras, flashes, sensors, and subject markers on a top-down canvas • Flash direction indicators with power settings • Freehand drawing for paths, obstacles, and vegetation • Text labels for extra notes and annotations COMPLETE SETTINGS CAPTURE • Camera settings: lens, focal length, crop factor, aperture, ISO, shutter speed, and exposure mode • Flash settings: power, zoom, modifier, and distance to subject • Sensor settings: position, sensitivity, and height CHECKLISTS FOR EVERY DEPLOYMENT • Built-in Setup Checklists and Visit Checklists based on real-world camera trap workflows • 24-item default Setup Checklist for deployments • 16-item default Visit Checklist for maintenance and routine checks • Fully customizable — edit, reorder, add, or remove items • Add one-off reminders for a specific visit • Quick actions let you add photos, voice notes, or diagram updates without leaving the checklist • Completed checklists are saved with your visit history VISIT LOGGING Every visit can be logged as a new version of the setup, with the canvas, settings, notes, photos, and completed checklists saved together. Track changes over time and relate each version to the images it produced. EQUIPMENT LIBRARY Save your gear as presets and quickly add it to new setups with your preferred defaults already in place. PHOTO ATTACHMENTS Attach photos in four categories: Setup, Trap Results, Reference, and Other. Choose a cover photo for each setup. VOICE NOTES Record audio notes in the field when it is too dark, wet, or inconvenient to type. MAP VIEW See all your setups on a map, filter by status or tags, and open details or directions with a tap. BUILT FOR THE FIELD • Works fully offline • Night Vision mode helps preserve dark adaptation • iCloud sync keeps your setups across devices • Supports import and export of .cameratrap setup files TEMPLATES & SHARED SETUPS Download example setups and import them into the app as templates for your own deployments. Learn from proven configurations, adapt them to your location, and export your own setups to share with others. • Import example setups from online sources • Use imported setups as templates for new deployments • Learn from proven configurations • Export your own setups to share with collaborators or the community FROM THE EXPERTS Camera Trap Journal is made by Camtraptions, founded by wildlife photographer Will Burrard-Lucas. It was built to solve the real problems photographers face in the field, because we face them too. Start free with limited setups. Upgrade to Camera Trap Journal Pro for unlimited setups and the full feature set. Terms of Use: https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is update cadence: Light Meter Ultra at every 8 days against Camera Trap Journal's every 3 weeks. On price, ads, in-app purchases and device support 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. Light Meter Ultra sells 3 in-app purchases, starting at $7.99 per 7 days and Camera Trap Journal sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $1.99 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.
Light Meter Ultra ships an update every 8 days, Camera Trap Journal every 3 weeks. The most recent releases landed on October 24, 2026 and October 8, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | Light Meter Ultra | Camera Trap Journal |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 4.7 (738 ratings) — better | — |
| Positive reviews | 36.2% of reviews | — |
| Number of ratings | 738 — better | — |
| Update frequency | Every 8 days — better | Every 3 weeks |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | — |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | iPhone, iPad |
| Requires iOS | 18.6 | 17.0 — better |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 81 MB | 9 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | Ultrafine | WILLIAM BENJAMIN BURRARD-LUCAS |
Bugs and requests
Light Meter Ultra
Reported bugs
2 issues- Camera integration issues causing failed exposures
- Inconsistent metering results compared to standalone meters
Requested features
4 requests- Offline mode for remote shooting
- Wider aperture and shutter speed range
- Support for more camera/film types
- Customizable exposure bias/compensation
Camera Trap Journal
Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.
In-app purchases
Light Meter Ultra
- Light Meter7 Days trial2 variants$7.997 Days
- Light Meter2 variants$11.991 Month
- Light Meter2 variants$39.991 Year
Camera Trap Journal
- Pro Monthly7 Days trial$1.991 Month
- Pro Yearly$9.991 Year
Questions
Is Light Meter Ultra free?
Is Camera Trap Journal free?
Do Light Meter Ultra or Camera Trap Journal have ads?
Which is updated more often, Light Meter Ultra or Camera Trap Journal?
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