Massive Dev Chart Timer vs Pinhole Assist
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
Massive Dev Chart Timer
This app provides an offline film development chart and a multi-step timer for photographers. It includes customizable agitation, darkroom themes, and support for various developing and fixing steps. It also offers automated compensation for development time and temperature.
- Offline film development chart
- Multi-step timer with sound notifications
- Customizable agitation schemes
- Darkroom themes
- Dilution mixer
- Automated time/temperature compensation
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The Massive Dev Chart is the world's largest film development chart with easy to use multi step timer and darkroom support for iPhone and iPad. Watch the instructional video at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P915z6THiY8. *** Features *** • Offline copy of The Massive Dev Chart in your pocket • Multi Step Timer with sound notifications • Customizable agitation scheme • Darkroom themes • Dilution Mixer • Support for two-step development and two-step fixing • Support for optional hypoclear and photo flo steps • Automated development time/temperature compensation
Pinhole Assist
This app acts as a light meter and exposure calculator for various photographic techniques, including pinhole, view camera, and wet-plate. It offers features like reciprocity compensation, built-in timers, and the ability to save camera and film settings.
- Light meter with spot and incident metering
- Exposure calculation with reciprocity compensation
- Built-in exposition timer and bubble level
- Save and recall camera and film settings
- Extensive library of pinhole cameras and films
- Log shot information and export data
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*** Feb 8, 2019 "My favorite pinhole app!! "This is my go to app for pinhole photography…this has made getting good results much easier…" bizzy *** Dec 16, 2016. "Wow. This app blew me away with its features and calculations (especially reciprocity fail). - Horacekenneth *** Feb 19, 2014 Wonderful!! "This app is perfect for the pinhole photographer in the field. I love that I can save settings for all my cameras and recall them instantly in the moment. - Papskier" *** So useful! May 26, 2013 "This takes the guesswork out of exposure calculation, since it turns your iPhone into a light meter and suggests the correct exposure! Works like a charm. Great app for pinhole photographers." *** May 16, 2012 : "Pretty much the perfect app for pinhole", Gavin Lucas *** March 26, 2012 "Pinhole photography - Great app! This will make pinhole photography much simpler to do", Zone v *** November 28, 2011 "Great solution !! - Thank you for this Pinhole timing app. I have many different pinhole cameras and this will help me figure timing on all of them. Thank you !!Greg." Pinhole Assist will be your companion to argentic and numeric pinhole, as well as view camera photography and wet-plate . The range of aperture and sensitivity (starting at 0.05 ASA ) allows for film, photo paper, wet-plate and as well as pinhole. * Built-in camera computes exposure; * alternatively enter EV reading for any lightmeter * or enter time metering to compute reciprocity effect. * Use built-in exposition timer and bubble level for optimal shot; * The light meter has a spot-meter feature and allows for incident metering; * Enter your camera aperture from the predefined list (170+ pinhole cameras) or compute it; * Let the assistant automatically compensate for reciprocity of film (correction for long exposures, 60+ different curves included), or use your own curves. * Save, restore and presets (combos) : aperture, predefined cameras, ASA and reciprocity settings • 30+ builtin filters (red, ND…), add your own, mafast acess your favorites , * Log shot information : preview, exposure, metering, location, interactive map , date and a shot. Export as picture, CSV or JSON file. You can create film and set reciprocity curve from within Pinhole Assist. Crete new ones, or tweak existing ones. Use iTunes (on Mac/PC) to import/export access the films you created, or exchange them via email m curves (Go to the app Web Site for instructions) * timer usability : now tapping the chrono icon directly starts the timer starting the chronometer automatically create a log. * Combos : edit for your camera+ film combination (combo) the aperture or the predefined camera, as well as film speed and reciprocity. * Choosing a film reciprocity now sets the film speed. * 119 different films, including Multigrade paper and Harman positive paper * 300+ different pinhole and zone plate cameras : Ondu, Diana, Holga, Sténoflex, Reality soSubtle, Lensless, Ilford, Stenopéika, Vermeer, 8banners, ZeroImage, Leonardo, Carlos, Nopo, Spiral, Sharan… Any other camera can be accommodated. Go to the Settings to : * adjust scales can be by ½ EV or ⅓ EV, * enable bellow correction: a button will appear on the main screen to allow bellow adjustment, allowing to use view cameras; * adjust the cell and incident metering constant; * start the timer automatically or not; * adjust log behavior. Please note: this is not a camera app: it does not take picture. This is a sophisticated exposure calculator to take argentic (ou DSLR) shots with an pinhole camera.
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is rating: Pinhole Assist at 4.9 against Massive Dev Chart Timer's 3.7. Pinhole Assist also leads on price ($2.99 vs $9.99) and review sentiment (98% vs 71%). Massive Dev Chart Timer's advantage is chart position (#32 vs unranked) and iOS requirement (12.0 vs 15.6). On ratings volume, update cadence, 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
Massive Dev Chart Timer costs $9.99 and Pinhole Assist $2.99 up front. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.
Pinhole Assist holds the better App Store score, 4.9 against 3.7. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 54 and 19 respectively. Written reviews point the same way: 71% of Massive Dev Chart Timer's written reviews are positive against 98% of Pinhole Assist's.
Massive Dev Chart Timer ships an update every 5 months, Pinhole Assist every 3 months. The most recent releases landed on October 9, 2026 and October 12, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | Massive Dev Chart Timer | Pinhole Assist |
|---|---|---|
| Price | $9.99 | $2.99 — better |
| Rating | 3.7 (54 ratings) | 4.9 (19 ratings) — better |
| Positive reviews | 70.8% of reviews | 97.8% of reviews — better |
| Number of ratings | 54 — better | 19 |
| Update frequency | Every 5 months | Every 3 months — better |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Monetization | Paid | Paid |
| Best chart rank | #32 — better | — |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Requires iOS | 12.0 — better | 15.6 |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 14 MB | 9 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | Freestyle Photo & Imaging | Le bord de la piscine |
Customer experience
Massive Dev Chart Timer
Pinhole Assist
Bugs and requests
Massive Dev Chart Timer
Reported bugs
12 issues- HC110 dilution section displays only letters, not ratios
- Dilution ratios not calculating when solution amount adjusted
- App crashes after selecting film speed
- Crashes on iPad with new update
- Timer display shows three dots instead of seconds
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- UI elements overlap on older iPhone models
- Safelight mode white banner blocks display on iPad
- Crashes during development process
- Home screen line emits bright light in darkroom mode
- App incompatible with newer iOS versions on older devices
- Notes don't word wrap properly
- Inconsistent film/developer availability between iPhone and iPad
Requested features
15 requests- Color film support (C-41, E-6, ECN-2 processes)
- Search functionality by film brand/name
- Ability to add custom process steps (presoak, toning)
- Individual agitation control per development stage
- Continuous agitation option
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- Volume calculator for stop bath and fixer
- Background timer functionality
- Custom step name editing
- Pull/push development times
- Stand development support with hour-based timing
- Apple Watch app
- Syncing between iPhone and iPad
- Fahrenheit temperature option
- Additional common film stocks (Portra, Fuji 400H, Ektar)
- Ability to add films not in database to custom times
Pinhole Assist
Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.
In-app purchases
Massive Dev Chart Timer
No in-app purchases
Pinhole Assist
No in-app purchases
Questions
Is Massive Dev Chart Timer free?
Is Pinhole Assist free?
Which has better reviews, Massive Dev Chart Timer or Pinhole Assist?
Do Massive Dev Chart Timer or Pinhole Assist have ads?
Which is updated more often, Massive Dev Chart Timer or Pinhole Assist?
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