Comparison

Lighting Designer vs Artemis Director's Viewfinder

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

Head to head
About

Lighting Designer

Create professional overhead lighting plots for film, TV, theater, and events. Quickly illustrate and communicate lighting setups with a vast library of equipment and intuitive tools. Sync your work across all Apple devices.

Highlights
  • Create overhead lighting plots
  • Extensive equipment library (2000+ items)
  • Organize setups into Shows
  • Custom fixture creation with own images
  • Detailed light specifications
  • Floor plan drawing tools
  • Email editable Plots
Features
Read full description

Never draw a lighting setup on a scrap of paper again. Lighting Designer is a quick and intuitive way to create overhead lighting plots for film, theater, television, concerts, and anything else you can light. The wide selection of equipment and simple yet powerful interface makes it easier than ever to illustrate and communicate your lighting setups, from most Apple devices. Your Silicon Mac is powerful and gives you the most screen to work with; your iPad is large and versatile; your iPhone will go with you anywhere. And if you like, your work can sync among all your Apple devices using iCloud, so you can start plotting on one and finish on another. LD is perfect for tech scouts, working while traveling, or just choosing the couch over your desk chair. While expensive drafting programs can take hours to use and years to master, Lighting Designer is an accessible way to plan your next show! Features: • Organize your setups into Shows, with details like shooting dates and crew members • Choose from over 2000 built-in types of lights, grip equipment, camera gear, actors, and objects like furniture and musical instruments • With a Crescit Premium account, you can have access to an additional 25,000+ pieces of lighting equipment, gels, and gobo templates • Use your own images to create custom fixtures on your Plots (read the User Guide for image specs) • For each light, specify wattage, beam spread, light output, DMX address, color, and many other details • Certain fixtures include info for exposure approximation; all can be user-configured and have their exposure reverse-calculated from real-world readings • Use Groups to create flexible collections of lights • Notes allow you to describe every detail of your setup • Pack your Truck to share gear among multiple Plots • Draw a Floor Plan using basic shapes, and images from your device • Lights can target other objects, and objects can rig onto each other for easy adjustments • Email editable Plots to the crew, with images, equipment, and crew lists • Undo/Redo functionality • Dark Mode presents a dark workspace to reduce eyestrain and minimize your device's light in a dark environment

About

Artemis Director's Viewfinder

This app provides a comprehensive database of professional cameras and lenses, allowing filmmakers to visualize shots with custom formats. It streamlines communication between directors and cinematographers, ensuring everyone is aligned on the exact frame.

Highlights
  • Professional camera and lens database
  • Custom camera format support
  • Accurate shot visualization
  • Streamlined crew communication
  • Location scouting tool
  • Blocking rehearsal recording
Read full description

Artemis offers a comprehensive database of professional motion picture cameras and lenses, with the facility to add any custom camera format. Hear from our users: Roger Deakins ASC, BSC: Cinematographer (Two Academy Awards wins, 16 nominations) Blade Runner 2049, Sicario, James Bond: Skyfall, The Shawshank Redemption - “It’s great having Artemis on my iPhone. Since I always have my phone with me, I always have a viewfinder at hand. Not only convenient but extremely accurate.” Claudio Miranda ASC: Cinematographer Top Gun: Maverick, F1, Life of Pi, Benjamin Button, Oblivion - “I've been using Artemis from the very beginning. I love that it's a shared tool. First between the director and myself. Then once we approve shots, the images from Artemis get shared with the crew.” Kate Dennis DGA: Director The Handmaid’s Tale, Glow, The Serpent Queen - "Artemis has streamlined my communication with cinematographers, VFX supervisors and other Heads of Department. Now we all know that we are talking about the exact same frame!" Linus Sandgren FSF: Cinematographer Saltburn, La La Land, Babylon, Joy, American Hustle - "Artemis is an amazing Swiss army knife style lens kit that has helped me frame up countless shots in any format in an instant.” Matthew Libatique ASC: Cinematographer Maestro, A Star is Born, Black Swan, Requiem for a Dream, The Fountain - "Not only do I frame every shot with Artemis , I use it to record blocking rehearsals and as part of my process when debating lens and format choices as I work with a director and production designer while location scouting.” Nicolas Winding Refn: Director Too Old to Die Young, The Neon Demon, Only God Forgives, Pusher - "Artemis Pro has tapped into the way of the future by taking full advantage of the digital revolution. The app quickly became an essential tool to capturing my vision.” Mandy Walker ASC, ACS: Cinematographer Elvis, Mulan,, Hidden Figures, Truth, Australia - "Both Artemis & Artemis Prime are essential tool when scouting locations, allowing accurate information to pass from the director and DP to the crew" Barry Ackroyd BSC: Cinematographer Jason Bourne, The Big Short, Captain Phillips, Hurt Locker - "Artemis makes me feel smarter than I was without it. It’s the sharpest tool on my iPhone.” Toby Oliver ACS Cinematographer Get Out, M3GAN 2.0, Happy Death Day, Insidious IV, Wolf Creek 2 - "Artemis Pro is so well thought out. You can precisely choose the camera package and lenses you have to hand to obtain exact ideas of shot angles and sizes on the location survey.” Darius Khondji ASC, AFC, ACS: Cinematographer Bardo, Okja, The Lost City of Z, Delicatessen, Se7en - "Artemis is the best cinematic tool of modern times. I started using Artemis in 2010 and have loved it ever since. It is so accurate with up to date lenses, cameras and formats. It is always with us on scouts and during shoots. Artemis allows the director and I to share how we see things with each other and with the rest of the crew.” Robert McLachlan ASC, CSC: Director / Cinematographer Landman, Yellowstone, Game of Thrones, Westworld - “On Game of Thrones we scouted locations months in advance. Artemis allowed me to communicate our needs to the VFX and art departments. It was critical in planning the Dance of Dragons sequence.” Artemis also offers: - Virtual Stand-Ins, to assist in blocking actors - Custom Frame-lines - Share camera & lens setups with other Artemis users - Record Images & Videos - Gallery for sorting and planning - Export of Shot-lists & Storyboards - Export of detailed Shot-Plans with sun position data (if paired with the Helios app) https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/

Screenshots

Lighting Designer4 screens
Artemis Director's Viewfinder4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is price: Artemis Director's Viewfinder at Free against Lighting Designer's $24.99. Artemis Director's Viewfinder also leads on update cadence (every 3 days vs every 3 weeks) and review sentiment (63% vs 46%). Lighting Designer's advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 5) and iOS requirement (14.0 vs 18.0). 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

Artemis Director's Viewfinder is free to download; Lighting Designer costs $24.99 up front. Artemis Director's Viewfinder sells 5 in-app purchases, starting at $3.99 per month. Lighting Designer asks for nothing beyond the download.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 4.0 for Lighting Designer against 4.1 for Artemis Director's Viewfinder. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 145 and 185 respectively. Written reviews are what separate them: 46% of Lighting Designer's written reviews are positive against 63% of Artemis Director's Viewfinder's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Lighting Designer ships an update every 3 weeks, Artemis Director's Viewfinder every 3 days. The most recent releases landed on October 23, 2026 and October 22, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard6 real differences · 4 level
Lighting Designer versus Artemis Director's Viewfinder: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterLighting DesignerArtemis Director's Viewfinder
Price$24.99Free — better
Rating4.0 (145 ratings)4.1 (185 ratings) — better
Positive reviews46.3% of reviews63.0% of reviews — better
Number of ratings145185 — better
Update frequencyEvery 3 weeksEvery 3 days — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNo — betterYes
MonetizationFreemiumFree — better
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPod — betteriPhone, iPad
Requires iOS14.0 — better18.0
Further details — not scored
Size80 MB79 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperScenario Software LLCChemical Wedding

Customer experience

Lighting Designer

All ratings145 ratings
Positive74.5%
Neutral6.2%
Negative19.3%
Written reviews80 reviews
Positive46.3%
Neutral18.8%
Negative35.0%

Artemis Director's Viewfinder

All ratings164 ratings
Positive73.8%
Neutral3.0%
Negative23.2%
Written reviews227 reviews
Positive63.0%
Neutral8.8%
Negative28.2%

Bugs and requests

Lighting Designer

Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.

Artemis Director's Viewfinder

Reported bugs

19 issues
  • App crashes on launch after iOS updates
  • Photos disappear from library and app after taking them
  • Focus issues in viewfinder - won't focus or loses focus during recording
  • App freezes when viewing previously taken photos
  • Performance degradation with photo albums exceeding 80 images
Show 14 more
  • 4-second delay between photo captures
  • Photo button not registering properly
  • App closes when changing camera or format settings
  • Folder order reverses unexpectedly
  • Cloud sync failures between devices
  • Photo archiving errors - wrong photos get archived
  • Export functionality extremely slow and difficult
  • App crashes on iPad without apparent cause
  • Lag in photo trigger - photos taken 2 seconds late
  • Focal length display blur in some cases
  • Custom frame line ratios don't affect composition guide overlay
  • Scene viewing causes app to freeze
  • Keyboard won't dismiss when reporting bugs
  • Data loss after version 7.0 update

Requested features

16 requests
  • Add Nikon ZR camera support
  • Update database with newer camera models (Canon RF mount, Fuji X-H2S, Lumix models)
  • Widget for quick app launch
  • Save multiple camera and lens profiles for quick switching
  • Custom anamorphic squeeze ratios
Show 11 more
  • Crosshair composition tool
  • Lock screen widget functionality
  • Ability to import custom logos instead of Artemis branding
  • QR code export for camera/lens settings
  • Live depth of field calculator on screen
  • Better LUT options
  • Support for more prosumer lenses (Sigma, Tamron, Sony G Master)
  • PDF export for shot lists
  • Ability to customize frame guide ratios independent of camera sensor ratio
  • Video recording at higher frame rates
  • S16 lens support expansion

In-app purchases

None

Lighting Designer

No in-app purchases

5 purchases

Artemis Director's Viewfinder

Subscriptions2
  • Monthly$3.991 Month
  • Annual$16.991 Year
One-time3
  • External Camera Mode$9.99
  • Helios View$9.99
  • Core License$29.99

Questions

Is Lighting Designer free?
Lighting Designer costs $24.99, with no in-app purchases.
Is Artemis Director's Viewfinder free?
Artemis Director's Viewfinder is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Which has better reviews, Lighting Designer or Artemis Director's Viewfinder?
Artemis Director's Viewfinder is rated higher. Lighting Designer averages 4.0 out of 5 from 145 ratings, while Artemis Director's Viewfinder averages 4.1 from 185 ratings.
Do Lighting Designer or Artemis Director's Viewfinder have ads?
Neither Lighting Designer nor Artemis Director's Viewfinder shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Lighting Designer or Artemis Director's Viewfinder?
Lighting Designer ships an update every 3 weeks, and Artemis Director's Viewfinder every 3 days. Most recently, Lighting Designer was updated on October 23, 2026 and Artemis Director's Viewfinder on October 22, 2026.

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