Shutter vs Lightmate
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.
Lightmate
This app functions as a light meter for photographers, offering a clear and intuitive interface. It supports aperture and shutter priority modes, with customizable EV scales and the ability to use both front and back cameras for measurements.
- Aperture priority mode
- Shutter priority mode
- Multiple EV scales
- Back and front camera support
- Tap-to-measure exposure
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Lightmate is a simple light meter app for photographers. The user interface is designed with clarity in mind. Features: • Aperture and shutter priority modes • Multiple EV scales (iOS Settings > Lightmate) • Back and front camera support Instructions: 1. Choose the ISO, Aperture (or Shutter) values according to your camera settings. 2. The priority changes automatically to Aperture (or Shutter) mode when you change the Aperture (or Shutter) value. 3. Tap anywhere on the camera's preview screen to measure and update the exposure values. You can switch the priority mode by just tapping on the Shutter or Aperture values. Settings: You can change the default EV scale individually for Aperture, Shutter Speed or ISO values. 1. Go to the general "iOS Settings" 2. Scroll down until you find "Lightmate" 3. Change to a different EV scale (full stops, 1/2 stops or 1/3 stops)
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is rating: Lightmate at 4.1 against Shutter's 3.5. Lightmate also leads on review sentiment (83% vs 58%) and ratings volume (79 vs 22). On price, update cadence, ads and in-app purchases 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. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.
Lightmate holds the better App Store score, 4.1 against 3.5. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 22 and 79 respectively. Written reviews point the same way: 58% of Shutter's written reviews are positive against 83% of Lightmate's.
Shutter ships an update monthly, Lightmate every 5 weeks. The most recent releases landed on October 8, 2026 and October 6, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | Shutter | Lightmate |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 3.5 (22 ratings) | 4.1 (79 ratings) — better |
| Positive reviews | 58.0% of reviews | 83.0% of reviews — better |
| Number of ratings | 22 | 79 — better |
| Update frequency | Monthly — better | Every 5 weeks |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Monetization | Free | Free |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod — better | iPhone, iPod |
| Requires iOS | 13.0 | 9.0 — better |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 6 MB | 8 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | Filmomat GmbH | Luis Laugga |
Customer experience
Shutter
Lightmate
Bugs and requests
Shutter
Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.
Lightmate
Reported bugs
5 issues- F stop disappeared
- Aperture reading disappeared
- Not working on iOS 11
- Link for camera association not working
- App requests to open association with camera
Requested features
20 requests- Add space between S, A, I
- Lock ISO values
- Add whole scene average reading
- Add tutorial/demo video for beginners
- Add dedicated screenshot button
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- Keep exposure circle on screen longer
- Add widget for quicker access
- Add option to control stop numbers
- Add exposure compensation setting
- Add shutter angle for video
- Add 1/50th shutter speed
- Add ability to lock ISO/Shutter/Aperture
- Add 1/3 stops
- Rotate to landscape mode
- Add exposure compensation by dragging exposure point
- Add 125 ISO
- Add intermediate ISO values (12, 32, 64, 80, 160)
- Add shutter speed 50 for 24 FPS video
- Add volume button for metering
- Add spot/weighted metering
In-app purchases
Shutter
No in-app purchases
Lightmate
No in-app purchases
Questions
Is Shutter free?
Is Lightmate free?
Which has better reviews, Shutter or Lightmate?
Do Shutter or Lightmate have ads?
Which is updated more often, Shutter or Lightmate?
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