Massive Dev Chart Timer vs Lumu Light Meter
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
Lumu Light Meter
This app functions as a standalone reflective light meter or pairs with hardware for professional flash and color temperature measurements. It offers various modes for photography and videography, storing measurements with notes and location.
- Standalone reflective light meter
- Flash and color temperature metering
- Photo and cine/video modes
- Spot metering
- Color temperature in Kelvin
- Store measurements with notes
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The light metering tool for every great image maker. Use the standalone app as a reflective light meter or use it in combination with Lumu Power hardware for professional Flash and Color Temperature measurements. Lumu Power is an easy-to-use digital incident color and light meter that works seamlessly with the free Lumu app to deliver Color Temperature, Illuminance, Spot, Ambient, and Flash Exposure metering functionality on your iPhone. A new expression of what a light meter can be, Lumu meets the needs of enthusiasts, professionals, and students who find existing light metering solutions too bulky, expensive, and complicated. “The Lumu Power is without any doubt the most full featured light meter I have ever owned. It’s tiny, it weighs hardly anything, it manages to offer a feature set that expands way beyond what most will ever need from such a device.” - www.35mmc.com Key features: - SPOT METERING: Use your phone’s camera as a reflective light meter. With Lumu Power: - PHOTO SINGLE mode: Giving you exact parameters: exposure time, f-number, ISO, EV, lux. - PHOTO MULTI mode: Calculating average value or contrast between multiple measurements. - PHOTO PINHOLE mode: Measuring exposure time for custom pinhole camera settings. - CINE/VIDEO mode: Set FPS, F-number, exposure time and ISO. Get the values for the ambiental light. - FLASH EXPOSURE: See the graph of flash duration, measure its intensity. - COLOR TEMPERATURE: Read light Color temperature in Kelvin and Green/Magenta shift. - CHROMATICITY: See light colour in CIE1931 diagram and get X,Y,Z coordinates. - ILLUMINANCE mode: showing incident light level in lux / foot-candle values. - NOTES: Store all your measurements together with geo-location, custom notes and your photo in one place. + ND FILTERS, EXPOSURE COMPENSATION and more… Visit http://lu.mu/ to learn more.
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is price: Lumu Light Meter at Free against Massive Dev Chart Timer's $9.99. Lumu Light Meter also leads on update cadence (monthly vs every 5 months). Massive Dev Chart Timer's advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 3) and rating (3.7 vs 3.4). On ratings volume, ads, device support and iOS requirement 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
Lumu Light Meter is free to download; Massive Dev Chart Timer costs $9.99 up front. Lumu Light Meter sells 3 one-off in-app purchases. Massive Dev Chart Timer asks for nothing beyond the download.
Massive Dev Chart Timer holds the better App Store score, 3.7 against 3.4. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 54 and 99 respectively. Written reviews point the same way: 71% of Massive Dev Chart Timer's written reviews are positive against 53% of Lumu Light Meter's.
Massive Dev Chart Timer ships an update every 5 months, Lumu Light Meter monthly. The most recent releases landed on September 23, 2026 and September 19, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | Massive Dev Chart Timer | Lumu Light Meter |
|---|---|---|
| Price | $9.99 | Free — better |
| Rating | 3.7 (54 ratings) — better | 3.4 (99 ratings) |
| Positive reviews | 70.8% of reviews — better | 52.8% of reviews |
| Number of ratings | 54 | 99 — better |
| Update frequency | Every 5 months | Monthly — better |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | No — better | Yes |
| Monetization | Paid | Free with in-app purchases — better |
| Best chart rank | #22 — better | — |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Requires iOS | 12.0 | 12.0 |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 14 MB | 52 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | Freestyle Photo & Imaging | Lumu d.o.o. |
Customer experience
Massive Dev Chart Timer
Lumu Light Meter
User reviews
Massive Dev Chart Timer
From 54 App Store ratingsWhat we love
- 📚 Comprehensive film and developer database
- ⏱️ Reliable timer with agitation reminders
- 🎯 Easy-to-use interface for darkroom work
- 🌙 Darkroom mode with red/black display
- ✏️ Customizable development times and profiles
Room to improve
- 🚫 Black and white film only (no color film support)
- 🐛 Recent update broke HC110 dilution display
- 🐛 App crashes on certain devices/iOS versions
- 💰 Price point ($8.99-$11.99) for limited functionality
- 🔍 Poor search functionality for films
Lumu Light Meter
From 99 App Store ratingsWhat we love
- ✨ Accurate light metering
- ✨ Precise color meter readings
- 👍 Intuitive and clean UI
- 👍 Great for film photography
- 👍 Convenient pocket-sized tool
Room to improve
- 😞 Terrible customer service
- 😞 Unresponsive support
- 😞 Expensive hardware
- 😞 Misleading advertising
- 😞 Inconsistent accuracy
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
Lumu Light Meter
Reported bugs
14 issues- 🐛 LUX value shown as FootCandle
- 🐛 ISO keeps changing when metering
- 🐛 Color temp readout option disappeared
- 🐛 Error when factory resetting module
- 🐛 Cannot read CCT
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- 🐛 App no longer recognizes original Lumu
- 🐛 Photo Ambient mode turns off
- 🐛 Device not recognized after app update
- 🐛 High-pitched squeal on app open
- 🐛 Loud painful high frequency noise with earphones
- 🐛 Saved files not found
- 🐛 App not working with older iPhones
- 🐛 Exposure compensation backwards
- 🐛 Extremely high pitched squeal
Requested features
11 requests- 💡 Aperture priority mode
- 💡 Ability to lock aperture
- 💡 Analog style shutter speed/aperture display
- 💡 Option to see all equivalent exposure settings at a glance
- 💡 Ability to take two readings and see difference in stops
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- 💡 Use phone's volume button to take reading
- 💡 Add lower ISO options (below 50)
- 💡 Half-stop increments for ISO/aperture
- 💡 Video mode
- 💡 Location tracking for readings
- 💡 Sync only on Wi-Fi setting
In-app purchases
Massive Dev Chart Timer
No in-app purchases
Lumu Light Meter
- Lite to Power Upgrade$69.99
- Power to Pro Upgrade$229.99
- Lite to Pro Upgrade$249.99
Questions
Is Massive Dev Chart Timer free?
Is Lumu Light Meter free?
Which has better reviews, Massive Dev Chart Timer or Lumu Light Meter?
Do Massive Dev Chart Timer or Lumu Light Meter have ads?
Which is updated more often, Massive Dev Chart Timer or Lumu Light Meter?
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