Comparison

FoCal Mobile vs Live for Studio

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

Head to head
About

FoCal Mobile

This app helps photographers calibrate and analyze their DSLR camera's autofocus system for sharper images. It offers automatic testing and tuning, with advanced features available through a subscription.

Highlights
  • Automatic DSLR autofocus analysis
  • Camera and lens calibration
  • Test setup verification
  • One-tap autofocus testing
  • Comparison database
  • Historical data review
  • Camera time synchronization
Features
Read full description

FoCal Mobile brings Reikan FoCal's DSLR camera calibration and analysis tools to your mobile device! Connect your camera to your device* and FoCal takes control to analyse the performance of your autofocus system and tune it for better shots. The free FoCal Mobile app features: - Automatic control of all Canon and Nikon DSLRs and Mirrorless cameras which support AF tuning (AF Microadjustment/AF Fine Tune) - Automatic verification of test setup, including camera position, lighting, camera and lens settings and more - One-tap testing of autofocus system performance, with scores and crops to review - Camera time synchronisation With a FoCal Pro subscription or FoCal Pro (Desktop) license (within support), you can add: - Calibration of your lenses, tuning your autofocus for the best performance possible. Get the very best from your camera and lenses. - Check your autofocus with cameras that have already been calibrated. - FoCal Comparison Database: compare the performance of your kit with 1,000s of other users to find out how it compares to *real-world* use, NOT artificial lab tests! - Review historical data, recall tests and calibrations you've run to find out how your equipment is holding up. - Export data to FoCal Pro Desktop for more detailed analysis, charting, reports and more. - One-tap Time Sync - synchronise your camera time with one tap right from the first screen of FoCal. - Calibrate and analyse lenses with focal lengths over 400mm. * Connection is via USB or the Reikan Wireless Camera Control Module. - For iPhone and iPad with lightning connectors, you will require a Lightning to USB Adapter in order to connect a camera - further details are provided in the app help, but a standard Lightning to USB adapter will work in most cases. - For iPad with USB-C, you can directly connect to the camera with just an appropriate cable. FoCal requires the use of a FoCal Target, which you can download and print using links from within the app, or purchase from the FoCal store. You will need a FoCal account, which can be created for free from within the app. With a FoCal Pro (Desktop) license which is within the support period, you will have automatic access to all Mobile Pro features. FoCal can control the following cameras (a complete list and help with each camera is available at: https://reikanfocal.com/supported-cameras.html) Canon: - EOS-1D Mark III - EOS-1Ds Mark III - EOS-1D Mark IV - EOS-1D X - EOS-1D X Mark II - EOS-1D X Mark III - EOS 5D Mark II - EOS 5D Mark III - EOS 5D Mark IV - EOS 5DS - EOS 5DSr - EOS 6D - EOS 6D Mark II - EOS 7D - EOS 7D Mark II - EOS 50D - EOS 70D - EOS 80D - EOS 90D Nikon: - D3 - D3S - D3X - D4 - D4S - D5 - D6 - D300 - D300S - D500 - D600 - D610 - D700 - D750 - D780 - D800 - D800E - D810 - D810A - D850 - Df - D7000 - D7100 - D7200 - D7500 - Z30 - Z50 - Z50ii - Zfc - Z5 - Z5ii - Z6 - Z6ii - Z6iii - Z7 - Z7ii - Z8 - Z9 - Zf End User License Agreement available at: https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/

About

Live for Studio

This app enables secure, real-time collaboration for photo shoots without an internet connection. It allows teams to follow sessions, provide feedback, and use devices as extra screens, enhancing production speed and efficiency.

Highlights
  • Offline collaboration
  • Real-time session following
  • Instant feedback and tagging
  • Use devices as extra screens
  • Secure and private feedback exchange
  • Speedy production on local connections
Features
Read full description

Live for Studio is a Capture One Studio companion app that lets you collaborate easily and securely without an internet connection. With Live for Studio, you can run your sessions on a closed network and have your team follow the shoot in real-time without internet restrictions. Exchange offline feedback effortlessly while staying secure and private across your work. The session is stable when you work on a local connection, allowing for speedy production without interruptions. Live for Studio can function as an extra screen for team members on their devices, eliminating the need for everyone to gather around your desk or monitor. Users can provide instant feedback by rating and tagging images as they browse – making sure you always shoot and select the best shots.

Screenshots

FoCal Mobile4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: Live for Studio at none against FoCal Mobile's 1. Live for Studio also leads on rating (4.0 vs 3.8). FoCal Mobile's advantage is ratings volume (17 vs 2) and device support (3 vs 1). On price, update cadence and ads 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. FoCal Mobile sells 1 in-app purchase, starting at $19.99 per year. Live for Studio asks for nothing beyond the download.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

Live for Studio holds the better App Store score, 4.0 against 3.8. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: FoCal Mobile has 17 ratings behind it against 2, so its average is the more settled of the two.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

FoCal Mobile ships an update every 6 weeks, Live for Studio monthly. The most recent releases landed on October 8, 2026 and September 30, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard6 real differences · 4 level
FoCal Mobile versus Live for Studio: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterFoCal MobileLive for Studio
PriceFreeFree
Rating3.8 (17 ratings)4.0 (2 ratings) — better
Positive reviews0.0% of reviews—
Number of ratings17 — better2
Update frequencyEvery 6 weeksMonthly — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesNo — better
MonetizationFreemiumFree — better
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPod — betteriPad
Requires iOS13.0 — better16.0
Further details — not scored
Size87 MB11 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperReikan Technology LtdCapture One A/S

Customer experience

FoCal Mobile

All ratings17 ratings
Positive64.7%
Neutral5.9%
Negative29.4%
Written reviews7 reviews
Positive0.0%
Neutral14.3%
Negative85.7%

Live for Studio

All ratings2 ratings
Positive50.0%
Neutral50.0%
Negative0.0%

In-app purchases

1 purchases

FoCal Mobile

Subscriptions1
  • FoCal Mobile Pro$19.991 Year
None

Live for Studio

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is FoCal Mobile free?
FoCal Mobile is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is Live for Studio free?
Live for Studio is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Which has better reviews, FoCal Mobile or Live for Studio?
Live for Studio is rated higher. FoCal Mobile averages 3.8 out of 5 from 17 ratings, while Live for Studio averages 4.0 from 2 ratings.
Do FoCal Mobile or Live for Studio have ads?
Neither FoCal Mobile nor Live for Studio shows ads.
Which is updated more often, FoCal Mobile or Live for Studio?
FoCal Mobile ships an update every 6 weeks, and Live for Studio monthly. Most recently, FoCal Mobile was updated on October 8, 2026 and Live for Studio on September 30, 2026.

Other comparisons