Shot Designer vs CameraKit
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
Shot Designer
Create detailed camera diagrams and shot lists quickly. Animate characters and cameras in real-time to visualize scene rhythm. Import storyboards and sync projects with your team.
- Real-time camera and character animation
- Integrated shot list generation
- Director's viewfinder and storyboard import
- Set and lighting design tools
- Team sharing and syncing
- Template creation and library
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WHAT IS SHOT DESIGNER? • CAMERA DIAGRAM - Shot Designer dramatically speeds up the Director's process of making camera diagrams. Create full-blown diagrams in seconds. The software does most of the work. • ANIMATION - Animate your characters and cameras to move around your diagram in real-time. Previsualize the rhythm of a scene by seeing it play out. • SHOT LIST - The integrated Shot List is tied into the diagram and writes itself while you work. Edit shots intuitively in the diagram, not in a confusing spreadsheet. • DIRECTOR'S VIEWFINDER / STORYBOARDS - Bring in lens-accurate camera angles via the integrated Director's Viewfinder or Storyboard Import. • MAC/PC DESKTOP VERSION - An identical Mac/PC Desktop Version is included with the Pro Version (in-app upgrade). • SYNC & TEAM SHARING - Sync your scenes across all your devices. Share scene folders with teams. Control who owns which scene. (Pro Feature) Watch the feature-demo at https://www.hollywoodcamerawork.com/shot-designer-videos.html CAMERA-BLOCKING ON STEROIDS Shot Designer was developed by Per Holmes, the creator of the renowned Hollywood Camera Work training, and has been developed in conjunction with major TV and Film productions. Shot Designer is based on the realization that neither Camera Diagrams, Shot Lists, or Storyboards by themselves give you a satisfying understanding of camera-blocking -- you have to use them *together*. Shot Designer is FAST. The app knows how Directing works and automatically does most of the work for you. Cameras rearrange themselves when you move characters. Animate characters and cameras with simple Walk To and Track To commands. Create sophisticated tracking shots with multiple marks. Shot Designer is fast enough that you can rearrange the diagram with actors waiting. OTHER FEATURES • Integrated Set Designer for building floor plans. • Integrated Lighting Designer for DPs, with lighting symbols provided by Ari Golan of Atomic Imaging Studios Chicago. • Import production drawings as backgrounds and block on top of them. • Factory Templates of pre-made camera setups for any situation. • Make your own templates as starting points for new scenes. • Large and growing prop/furniture library. Email us requests, we'll build them. • Scene Freeze: Experiment easily by taking snapshots you can return to (Pro). • PDF/JPG/Excel export and emailing of Camera Diagrams and Shot Lists (Pro). • Unlimited Folder Structure for organizing scenes (Pro). The Free Version of Shot Designer is full-featured except for Save, Export and Sync/Team. Your current scene is always saved, and you can be fully productive working on one scene at a time. The Pro Version (in-app upgrade) adds File Management, identical Mac/PC Desktop Version, Sync and Team Sharing, PDF/JPG/Excel Export and more.
CameraKit
This app provides comprehensive technical specifications and calculations for a wide range of cameras and video formats. It helps filmmakers and videographers estimate storage needs, battery life, transfer times, and compare camera performance.
- Detailed camera specifications
- Storage space calculation
- Battery life estimation
- File transfer time prediction
- Sensor size comparison
- Format compatibility checks
- Notes and favorites
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Everything you need to know about every camera worth using. "How much drive space will I need for this Alexa 35 shoot?” "What's the dynamic range of the Venice 2?” “How long will these batteries last me on a Komodo?” "How big is this file going to be when I export?” If you've ever asked these questions, this is the app for you. Whether you’re making decisions on set, troubleshooting in an edit bay, or figuring out which camera to buy, CameraKit has you covered. Search over 200 cameras with a list that includes Arri, Canon, Red, Sony, Blackmagic, Panasonic and more. Or browse by format, from standards like ProRes and DNxHR to the newer Blackmagic Raw and ProRes Raw. SPECS Includes dynamic range, sensor size, native ISO, lens mounts, resolutions, video outputs, maximum FPS and a link to the manufacturer's website for firmware & manuals. STORAGE Determine how much footage you can fit on your camera card or hard drive-- or how much storage space you'll need for a given recording time. TRANSFER Predict just how long it will take to move your files, whether you’re transferring to a drive or over the internet. POWER Estimate how long your batteries will last, or how many you'll need for a shoot, with the option to factor in accessories like your monitor or wireless transmitter. SENSOR See the sensor size for the current resolution and compare sensors between cameras. COMPATIBILITY See how well each camera and format performs with the latest versions of Final Cut Pro, Premiere Pro, Avid Media Composer, Assimilate Scratch and DaVinci Resolve. Also see if it's been approved by Netflix for original programming. AND MORE Jot down observations and anything you want to remember about a camera with Notes. Compare specs or any other tool like Storage or Compatibility. Calculate film footage for 8mm, 16mm, 35mm and 65mm cameras. Save your calculations and return to them later with a tap. Mark any camera as a favorite for quick access. "CameraKit is easily the de-facto standard and is utilized by many of our productions to demystify complex technical nuances of filmmaking." -Andy Johnson, Netflix "With the abundance of camera formats now out there, it’s easy to get lost with which system can do what. With the CameraKit app this information is now at your fingertips." -Richard Lackey, CineD "This is one of my favorites. It has every single piece of information for nearly every single camera on the market today. Comparing recording formats between cameras has never been easier." -Shane Hurlbut, ASC • Support • For support, send me an email at zak@grayhourmedia.com or message me on Instagram @_zakray. To see all supported cameras and formats, just install the app (it's free to download!) and open the main dropdown menu. Current countries for manufacturer phone support are the US, UK, Canada, France, Germany, and China. No internet connection required: all data is hard-coded into the app, so there’s no syncing process, and you’ll be able to access it even without a cell signal. • Disclaimer • The "price" feature uses affiliate links from B&H Photo Video. I receive a commission if you make a purchase from one of these links. • About • CameraKit is developed by Zak Ray and the team at Gray Hour Media in NYC & LA. Gray Hour produces fresh and original content for film, episodic and the web. Head to www.grayhourmedia.com to check out our work!
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is rating: CameraKit at 4.7 against Shot Designer's 3.8. CameraKit also leads on ratings volume (319 vs 10). Shot Designer's advantage is iOS requirement (12.0 vs 15.0). On price, review sentiment, 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
Both are free to download. Shot Designer sells 1 one-off in-app purchase and CameraKit sells 3 in-app purchases, starting at $4.99 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.
CameraKit holds the better App Store score, 4.7 against 3.8. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: CameraKit has 319 ratings behind it against 10, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews complicate that: 68% of Shot Designer's written reviews are positive against 66% of CameraKit's, so the app with the better star average is not the one people write more warmly about.
Shot Designer ships an update monthly, CameraKit every 2 months. The most recent releases landed on September 14, 2026 and September 20, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | Shot Designer | CameraKit |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 3.8 (10 ratings) | 4.7 (319 ratings) — better |
| Positive reviews | 68.0% of reviews — better | 66.1% of reviews |
| Number of ratings | 10 | 319 — better |
| Update frequency | Monthly — better | Every 2 months |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free with in-app purchases |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Requires iOS | 12.0 — better | 15.0 |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 82 MB | 41 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | Hollywood Camera Work SRL | Zak Ray |
Customer experience
Shot Designer
CameraKit
User reviews
Shot Designer
From 10 App Store ratingsWhat we love
- 👍 Intuitive and easy-to-use interface
- 🎬 Excellent tool for shot planning and blocking
- 📱 Seamless cross-device sync (iPad, iPhone, Mac, PC)
- 🎨 Useful for visualizing camera movements and lighting setups
- 📊 Ability to export to PDF and share with crew
Room to improve
- 🐛 Frequent crashes and white screen issues
- 😞 App feels outdated and abandoned
- 🔐 Login and account synchronization problems
- 📱 Poor optimization for modern devices and screen sizes
- ⚠️ Limited props and lighting equipment library
CameraKit
From 319 App Store ratingsWhat we love
- 👍 Indispensable for professionals
- 💎 Treasure trove of information
- ✨ Constantly updated
- 🚀 Intuitive design, easy to use
- 💡 Lifesaver for filmmakers
Room to improve
- 💰 Locked content, pay again
- 💸 Wants $60 for full access
- ❓ What did I pay for?
- 🔒 Lost pro purchases
- ❌ Scam, cannot restore
Bugs and requests
Shot Designer
Reported bugs
17 issues- White screen of death on app launch
- App crashes when adding image props
- Login not working on iPhone devices
- Cannot register due to UI form scrolling errors
- Keyboard overlay blocking sign-in form
Show 12 moreShow fewer
- Sync deletes user work unexpectedly
- Pro version purchase not recognized after updates
- Cannot save designs to phone
- App doesn't fill entire screen on modern devices
- Lag when renaming scenes
- Keyboard doesn't appear when naming files
- Difficulty selecting objects when grouped closely together
- App crashes on iPhone 6s and newer devices
- Incompatibility with iOS 10.2 and later
- Director's viewfinder doesn't save metadata to photo gallery
- Cross-device sync losing work
- Account login issues between iOS and desktop versions
Requested features
25 requests- Apple Pencil integration for iPad
- Import custom designs and elements
- Drag-and-drop file import from Files app
- More lighting instruments and props
- PDF export functionality
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- Ability to import background images from Files app (not just Photos)
- Copy and paste functionality
- Assignable character names for multiple scenes
- Moveable background images
- Scene metadata for automatic camera labeling
- Ability to reorder shots in Mac version
- Undo functionality
- iCloud sync support
- Google Drive integration
- Full-screen mode for modern iPhones
- French language support
- Spanish language support
- Scene duplication feature
- More than 5 pages available
- Storyboard animation export
- Audio/soundtrack integration
- Script import capability
- Hide individual objects instead of entire categories
- Retina Display support for Mac
- Real-time sync between devices
CameraKit
Reported bugs
9 issues- Lost all pro purchases
- Cannot restore purchases
- Monthly subscription broken
- Subscription cycle error
- Crashes when restoring purchase on iPad Mini
Show 4 moreShow fewer
- App crashes when selecting XT3 camera
- App crashes when typing numbers in search
- BMPCC4K resolution and frame rate wrong
- BMPCC 6K frame rate wrong
Requested features
21 requests- Pro-rate for early adopters
- Direct link to working manual
- Develop something for framing
- Add support for Sony a7 IV
- Add support for Nikon
Show 16 moreShow fewer
- Add support for Braw calculate for BMD, BMPCC 4K
- Organize favorites list
- Include Sony A7s
- Include Panasonic HC-X1000
- Include Sony NEX-EA50
- Update with new cameras regularly
- Include Blackmagic Pocket CC
- Add accurate info for all frame rates (Avid, Red)
- Clarify camera generations (C100 vs C100 mk 2, RED Scarlet MX vs Dragon)
- Add film formats
- Include compressed raw formats for Blackmagic
- Add RGB color space for ProRes4444 on Alexa
- Correct 29.97i to 29.97PsF for C100
- Add slow-mo and resolution details for cameras
- Add 3000 fps for Phantom 4k
- Add 200 fps in UHD for Alexa Mini
In-app purchases
Shot Designer
- Pro Version Upgrade$19.99
CameraKit
- Monthly Subscription$4.991 Month
- Annual Subscription$49.991 Year
- Lifetime Access$99.99
Questions
Is Shot Designer free?
Is CameraKit free?
Which has better reviews, Shot Designer or CameraKit?
Do Shot Designer or CameraKit have ads?
Which is updated more often, Shot Designer or CameraKit?
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