Comparison

ChromaCalc vs Lightframer Pro

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

Head to head
About

ChromaCalc

This tool helps cinematographers match and find equivalent colors for LED lighting fixtures. It uses spectral data from real instruments to achieve desired color intentions with various lighting and camera settings.

Highlights
  • Match LED lighting fixtures
  • Find equivalent light colors
  • Use spectral data
  • Configure lighting instruments
  • Adjust camera settings
  • Achieve color intent
Features
Read full description

With the advent of LED lighting fixtures for cinematography, it can be a challenge to match different lighting instruments to each other or to an intended color reference or to find equivalent light colors under different white points. This calculator uses spectral data measured from real world lighting instruments to help you find the best combination of settings to use on a variety of popular lighting instruments and cameras to achieve your intent. This app is licensed under the standard Apple license agreement which can be found here: https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/

About

Lightframer Pro

This app transforms your iPhone into a professional cinema viewfinder, allowing you to preview shots with specific camera and lens combinations. It also features real-time sun tracking to help plan shoots around natural light conditions and exports scout photos with detailed metadata.

Highlights
  • Real-time AR viewfinder
  • Camera and lens simulation
  • Sun path tracking
  • Customizable frame lines
  • Metadata export
  • Golden hour and blue hour prediction
Features
Read full description

Lightframer Pro turns your iPhone into a professional cinema viewfinder with real-time sun tracking. PREVIEW YOUR FRAME Select from a library of cinema cameras and lenses — ARRI, RED, Sony, Canon, Blackmagic, and more. See exactly how your chosen setup frames the shot, right on location. No guesswork. No rental truck needed. TRACK THE SUN Plan your shoot around the light. Lightframer Pro shows the sun's path across the sky in real time — golden hour, blue hour, sunrise, and sunset — overlaid directly on your viewfinder. Know your light before you call "action." FRAME LINES FOR EVERY RATIO Overlay frame lines for any aspect ratio: 2.39:1 anamorphic, 1.85:1 theatrical, 17:9 DCI, 16:9 HD, 4:3 open gate, or set your own custom ratio. See your final deliverable frame while you scout. EXPORT WITH FULL CINEMA DATA Every capture includes a metadata strip with camera, lens, focal length, aspect ratio, sun position, compass heading, and white balance. Share scout photos your entire crew can reference. BUILT FOR CINEMATOGRAPHERS - Real-time AR viewfinder matched to your camera and lens - Sun path with golden hour, blue hour, sunrise, and sunset times - Compass heading overlay - Portrait and landscape modes - Frame line shading and color controls - Photo export with cinema metadata Whether you're a DP scouting a commercial, an indie filmmaker planning your next short, or a director blocking scenes on location — Lightframer Pro gives you the tools to plan every shot with precision.

Screenshots

ChromaCalc1 screens
Lightframer Pro4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is price: ChromaCalc at Free against Lightframer Pro's $19.99. ChromaCalc also leads on iOS requirement (12.0 vs 17.0). Lightframer Pro's advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 2) and update cadence (every 3 weeks vs every 8 months). On rating, ratings volume, ads 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

CostPrice · In-app purchases · Ads · Monetization

ChromaCalc is free to download; Lightframer Pro costs $19.99 up front. ChromaCalc sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $9.99 per month. Lightframer Pro asks for nothing beyond the download.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 4.8 for ChromaCalc against 4.8 for Lightframer Pro. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 16 and 6 respectively.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

ChromaCalc ships an update every 8 months, Lightframer Pro every 3 weeks. The most recent releases landed on October 29, 2026 and October 28, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard5 real differences · 5 level
ChromaCalc versus Lightframer Pro: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterChromaCalcLightframer Pro
PriceFree — better$19.99
Rating4.8 (16 ratings)4.8 (6 ratings) — better
Positive reviews—100.0% of reviews
Number of ratings16 — better6
Update frequencyEvery 8 monthsEvery 3 weeks — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesNo — better
MonetizationFree with in-app purchases — betterPaid
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPod — betteriPhone, iPad
Requires iOS12.0 — better17.0
Further details — not scored
Size4 MB40 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperChromatic Applications LLCeric Hernandez

Customer experience

ChromaCalc

All ratings16 ratings
Positive93.8%
Neutral0.0%
Negative6.3%

Lightframer Pro

All ratings5 ratings
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%
Written reviews4 reviews
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%

In-app purchases

2 purchases

ChromaCalc

Subscriptions2
  • Monthly Subscription$9.991 Month
  • Yearly Subscription$99.991 Year
None

Lightframer Pro

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is ChromaCalc free?
ChromaCalc is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is Lightframer Pro free?
Lightframer Pro costs $19.99, with no in-app purchases.
Which has better reviews, ChromaCalc or Lightframer Pro?
Lightframer Pro is rated higher. ChromaCalc averages 4.8 out of 5 from 16 ratings, while Lightframer Pro averages 4.8 from 6 ratings.
Do ChromaCalc or Lightframer Pro have ads?
Neither ChromaCalc nor Lightframer Pro shows ads.
Which is updated more often, ChromaCalc or Lightframer Pro?
ChromaCalc ships an update every 8 months, and Lightframer Pro every 3 weeks. Most recently, ChromaCalc was updated on October 29, 2026 and Lightframer Pro on October 28, 2026.

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