Shutter vs Light Meter + SensorArray
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
Shutter
Test the shutter speeds of your analog cameras using your iPhone. For precise measurements, use with the PhotoPlug accessory. Without it, the app analyzes shutter sound for speeds below 1/30sec.
- Test analog camera shutter speeds
- Use with PhotoPlug accessory for light measurement
- Analyze shutter sound for speeds below 1/30sec
- Store measurement values in a table
- Manage multiple cameras and lenses
- Calculate correction factors for faulty shutters
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With Shutter-Speed you can test the shutter speeds of your analog cameras just with your iPhone. Please note that the full potential of this App is only reached if you use it in combination with the PhotoPlug. The PhotoPlug is an optical sensor which connects to the headphone-jack of your iPhone and enables you to measure the actual amount of light passing through the camera shutter. Please visit www.filmomat.eu for detailed information and for ordering the PhotoPlug. How-To: Point the camera towards a bright light source. Place the PhotoPlug closely behind the camera shutter. Start the measurement and release the shutter. The App automatically analyzes the signal and calculates the shutter speed. All measurement values can be stored into a handy table. Multiple different cameras/lenses can be stored. A correction factor is calculated, which you can use to compensate a faulty shutter speed. For example, if you measure the 1/60s and it turns out to be 1/50s, the App will tell you that the shutter-speed is 1/3 stops too long. This gives rise to a correction factor of -1, indicating that you have to close your aperture by 1/3 f-stop to get a correct exposure. Without PhotoPlug, the App will record the sound of the camera shutter and calculate the shutter speed from that. Please note that this procedure will only give useable results for speeds below 1/30sec. With the PhotoPlug, shutter speeds up to 1/500sec can be measured.
Light Meter + SensorArray
This app provides hardware-validated light metering for analog film, digital cinema, and audio. It offers features like spot metering, reciprocity compensation for long exposures, and ambient color balance estimation. It's designed for professionals and works offline with a privacy-first approach.
- Hardware-linked spot metering
- Reciprocity compensation for long exposures
- Ambient color balance estimation
- Calibrated sound pressure level monitoring
- NOAA solar tracking
- Digital film log
- Focus stacking assistant
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Hardware-Validated Light Metering. Zero Subscriptions. Stop guessing and start measuring with SensorArray—a native, high-performance measurement suite that talks directly to your iPhone’s hardware. Built on international standards (APEX) and professional photographic physics, SensorArray delivers high-fidelity data for analog film, digital cinema, and studio audio. HARDWARE-LINKED SPOT METERING Unlike generic apps, SensorArray utilizes raw 14-bit ISP (Image Signal Processor) metadata. By gating measurements to hardware-ready states, we provide a precision Spot Meter that allows you to sample any pixel in your scene for instant, validated exposure data. THE RECIPROCITY SPECIALIST (Schwarzschild) Master long exposures with precision Schwarzschild Power Law compensation. Film Stocks: Integrated curves for 20+ professional stocks from Kodak, Ilford, and Fujifilm. Automatic math: Meter your scene and get the exact compensated exposure time instantly. THE SUPER SENSOR HUD (Mission Control) A unified interface for critical field data: Ambient Color Balance: Professional Kelvin estimation using McCamy’s Approximation for perfect white balance. SPL Sound Monitor: Calibrated Sound Pressure Level monitoring (30dB–100dB baseline) for ambient noise analysis. NOAA Solar Tracker: Official NOAA General Solar Equations for minute-perfect Golden Hour and Sunrise/Sunset tracking. PROFESSIONAL WORKFLOW SUITE: Digital Film Log: Record Aperture, Shutter, ISO, and Lens metadata for every analog frame. Exposure Equivalence: Built on the international APEX (Additive System of Photographic Exposure) standard. Focus Stacking Assistant: Precision math with a 25% safety overlap for macro composites. Field of View Simulator: Visualize focal lengths from 24mm to 135mm with accurate lens compression. BUILT FOR PROFESSIONALS: 100% Offline: Works in studio basements and remote locations. Privacy-First: No accounts. No tracking. No data collection. Native performance: Built with SwiftUI for ultra-fast response and low battery drain. Own your instruments. Join the "Anti-SaaS" movement and download SensorArray today.
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is rating: Shutter at 3.5 against Light Meter + SensorArray's 3.0. Shutter also leads on in-app purchases (none vs 1) and ads (none vs shown). On price, review sentiment, update cadence 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
Both are free to download. Light Meter + SensorArray sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. Shutter asks for nothing beyond the download.
Shutter holds the better App Store score, 3.5 against 3.0. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Shutter has 22 ratings behind it against 3, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 58% of Shutter's written reviews are positive against 50% of Light Meter + SensorArray's.
Shutter ships an update monthly, Light Meter + SensorArray every 2 weeks. The most recent releases landed on September 20, 2026 and September 21, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | Shutter | Light Meter + SensorArray |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 3.5 (22 ratings) — better | 3.0 (3 ratings) |
| Positive reviews | 58.0% of reviews — better | 50.0% of reviews |
| Number of ratings | 22 — better | 3 |
| Update frequency | Monthly | Every 2 weeks — better |
| Ads | No — better | Yes |
| In-app purchases | No — better | Yes |
| Monetization | Free — better | Free with in-app purchases |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod — better | iPhone, iPad |
| Requires iOS | 13.0 — better | 16.6 |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 6 MB | 19 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | +4 |
| Developer | Filmomat GmbH | Dynamic Star Pty Ltd |
Customer experience
Shutter
Light Meter + SensorArray
In-app purchases
Shutter
No in-app purchases
Light Meter + SensorArray
- Access all Pro-tools & calculators$4.99
Questions
Is Shutter free?
Is Light Meter + SensorArray free?
Which has better reviews, Shutter or Light Meter + SensorArray?
Do Shutter or Light Meter + SensorArray have ads?
Which is updated more often, Shutter or Light Meter + SensorArray?
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