Comparison

LightSpectrum Pro vs Portacapture Control

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

Head to head
About

LightSpectrum Pro

Measure light source color temperature and spectrum accurately without expensive equipment. View the color spectrum from 360nm to 800nm, and analyze the white point on the CIE 1931 diagram. Overlay filtered wavelengths on camera images to see frequency reflections and intensity.

Highlights
  • Color temperature measurement
  • Color spectrum analysis (360nm-800nm)
  • CIE 1931 white point display
  • Wavelength filtering and overlay
  • High accuracy compared to professional devices
Features
Currently charting
Read full description

With LightSpectrumPro EVO you can measure the color temperature of a light source without having to spend hundreds of dollars on professional devices. LightSpectrumPro EVO has an error of 2 - 8% compared to existing professional products on the market. in addition to the color temperature measurement in Kelvin, LightSpectrumPro EVO allows you to view the color spectrum of the light being examined with a band ranging from 360nm to 800nm. in addition to the spectrum it is possible to display the position of the white point on the CIE 1931 diagram and to apply a filter for wavelengths to display in overlay on the image captured by the cameras which elements reflect a specific frequency and with what intensity.

About

Portacapture Control

Control your Portacapture device remotely with this app. Adjust settings, monitor recording status, and manage parameters like gain and effects from your smartphone or tablet. Requires a Bluetooth adapter for connectivity.

Highlights
  • Remote REC start/stop
  • Gain adjustment
  • Mixer control
  • Mark registration
  • Input level monitoring
  • Recording progress/remaining time
  • Parameter settings (low-cut, limiter)
Features
Read full description

■Portacapture’s operability at the palm of your hands The Portacapture Control is an app that provides operability with the same user interface as the touch panel on Portacapture. In addition to the basic REC start/stop, gain adjustment, mixer control, mark registration, and all the other controls that can be performed on the main unit are available on this app. Moreover, you can always check information about the input level, recording progress/remaining time, battery level, as well as set various parameters including low-cut, limiter, and many more effects. ※The AK-BT1 Bluetooth adapter (separately sold) is needed to be able to control the main unit via the Portacapture Control app. For more information on how to connect Portacapture and AK-BT1 or how to use Portacapture Control, please refer to the instruction manual. ※This app does not support monitoring of the main unit’s input sound. To monitor this, please use the headphones output or the speaker function on Portacapture. Please carefully read the license agreement below before using this application. http://tascam.jp/content/downloads/products/862/license_e_app_license.pdf

Screenshots

LightSpectrum Pro4 screens
Portacapture Control4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is price: Portacapture Control at Free against LightSpectrum Pro's $1.99. Portacapture Control also leads on review sentiment (40% vs 28%) and iOS requirement (12.0 vs 15.6). LightSpectrum Pro's advantage is rating (4.1 vs 3.6) and chart position (#48 vs unranked). On update cadence, ads, in-app purchases and monetization model 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

Portacapture Control is free to download; LightSpectrum Pro costs $1.99 up front. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

LightSpectrum Pro holds the better App Store score, 4.1 against 3.6. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 39 and 9 respectively. Written reviews complicate that: 28% of LightSpectrum Pro's written reviews are positive against 40% of Portacapture Control's, so the app with the better star average is not the one people write more warmly about.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

LightSpectrum Pro ships an update every 3 months, Portacapture Control every 4 months. The most recent releases landed on October 18, 2026 and October 13, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard6 real differences · 5 level
LightSpectrum Pro versus Portacapture Control: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterLightSpectrum ProPortacapture Control
Price$1.99Free — better
Rating4.1 (39 ratings) — better3.6 (9 ratings)
Positive reviews28.5% of reviews40.0% of reviews — better
Number of ratings39 — better9
Update frequencyEvery 3 months — betterEvery 4 months
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNoNo
MonetizationFreeFree
Best chart rank#48 — better—
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPodiPhone, iPad, iPod
Requires iOS15.612.0 — better
Further details — not scored
Size88 MB30 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperAM PowerSoftwareTEAC CORP.

Customer experience

LightSpectrum Pro

All ratings39 ratings
Positive76.9%
Neutral2.6%
Negative20.5%
Written reviews172 reviews
Positive28.5%
Neutral5.8%
Negative65.7%

Portacapture Control

All ratings9 ratings
Positive66.7%
Neutral0.0%
Negative33.3%
Written reviews10 reviews
Positive40.0%
Neutral10.0%
Negative50.0%

Bugs and requests

LightSpectrum Pro

Reported bugs

11 issues
  • App crashes on startup or during use
  • Camera feed not accessible or showing red X icon
  • Screen blinking/flashing on first launch
  • UI elements cut off on larger screens
  • Buttons unresponsive or sticky
Show 6 more
  • App freezes and cannot be exited
  • Black screen on launch
  • Inconsistent readings that change rapidly
  • App stuck on opening screen
  • Camera focus issues on iPhone X and newer models
  • Incompatibility with iOS 5, 6, and newer iPhone models

Requested features

11 requests
  • Spot metering with crosshairs or target reticle
  • Direct DUV (Delta uv) display calculation
  • Flicker detection for light sources
  • Calibration function for improved accuracy
  • Support for fluorescent light preset adjustments
Show 6 more
  • Tap-to-focus camera control
  • Landscape orientation support
  • Ability to disable tutorial tips
  • Screenshot capability in landscape mode
  • Better documentation and user guide
  • Device compatibility information in app store listing

Portacapture Control

Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.

In-app purchases

None

LightSpectrum Pro

No in-app purchases

None

Portacapture Control

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is LightSpectrum Pro free?
LightSpectrum Pro costs $1.99, with no in-app purchases.
Is Portacapture Control free?
Portacapture Control is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Which has better reviews, LightSpectrum Pro or Portacapture Control?
LightSpectrum Pro is rated higher. LightSpectrum Pro averages 4.1 out of 5 from 39 ratings, while Portacapture Control averages 3.6 from 9 ratings.
Do LightSpectrum Pro or Portacapture Control have ads?
Neither LightSpectrum Pro nor Portacapture Control shows ads.
Which is updated more often, LightSpectrum Pro or Portacapture Control?
LightSpectrum Pro ships an update every 3 months, and Portacapture Control every 4 months. Most recently, LightSpectrum Pro was updated on October 18, 2026 and Portacapture Control on October 13, 2026.

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