myLightMeter PRO vs Datacolor LightColor Meter
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
myLightMeter PRO
This app provides precise exposure metering for photographers, supporting both digital and analog workflows. It offers a comprehensive set of manual controls and advanced tools like a hyperfocal distance calculator.
- Extended low-light sensitivity
- Incident and reflected metering
- Manual exposure control
- Hyperfocal distance calculator
- Save and review exposure data
- Extract exposure data from photos
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Designed by a photographer, for photographers. Built for reliable, precise exposure measurement across film and digital workflows. myLightMeter PRO gives you full control over exposure through a clean, professional set of tools. Key Features • Incident and reflected-light metering • Classic and Pro interface styles • Full manual control over aperture, shutter speed, ISO, and exposure compensation in 1/3- or 1/2-stop increments • Exposure range from 4 hours in Long Exposure mode to 1/8000 s, f/1.0 to f/512, and ISO 0.8 to 409,600 • Aperture-priority (Av) and shutter-priority (Tv) modes • Automatic ISO adjustment or ISO lock • Reciprocity correction for long film exposures • Sensitivity down to −2.5 EV, ideal for low-light scenes • Average multiple readings • Import shutter speed, aperture, and ISO from photos in your library • Organize readings into Sessions with photos, exposure data, camera and lens details, and notes • Keep your Sessions synced through iCloud, so they remain available when you switch phones or use another device • Export Sessions as PDFs or print them Advanced Tools • Hyperfocal-distance calculator • Five configurable presets, each storing camera, lens, ISO, filter, and film settings • EV display with an analog scale or numerical reading • mySPOTMETER and f/Tools integration About This app is built and maintained by an independent photographer and developer. It is the tool I personally use and continuously refine. If you have suggestions or need support, contact me at: davidquiles@me.com
Datacolor LightColor Meter
This pocket-sized device streams real-time light and color data to your smartphone, offering precise control over exposure and color consistency for photos, videos, and cinema. It measures various light types and color parameters, and includes gel filter libraries for creative adjustments.
- Real-time light and color data streaming
- Exposure and lighting ratio control
- Color consistency across setups
- Measures Lux, Chromaticity, CCT, DUV
- Includes gel filter libraries
- Simultaneous measurements from multiple meters
- Hands-free functionality
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· The Datacolor LightColor Meter is a Bluetooth-enabled, multifunctional tool that fits in your pocket, continuously streaming both light and color data in real-time, to your smartphone. · Perfect for photos, videos, cinema and hybrid photo/video shoots, the LightColor Meter takes the guesswork out of exposure settings, giving you better control of lighting ratios as well as color consistency across varied lighting conditions and multiple camera setups. · The Datacolor LightColor Meter accurately measures all types of lighting, from fluctuating outdoor light, mixed natural/artificial location lighting, plus any type of studio lighting, including continuous lighting and strobe/flash. · It goes beyond a regular light meter to also measure color temperature, Lux, Chromaticity, CCT and DUV. Additionally, the device comes with filter libraries from Profoto®, LEE® and Rosco® to help you choose the right color gels for functional or creative color adjustments. · The rugged, travel-friendly device goes anywhere you’re shooting, providing you with a wireless versatility that lets you easily fine-tune your lighting and exposure without having to leave your camera. · You can attach the device to a light stand or tripod, use the through-hole for lanyards to hang the meter where needed, use the alligator clip that’s included to attach the LightColor Meter to clothing or other fabrics or use the rare earth magnet on the back of the device for easy magnetic attachment. · You can seamlessly sync multiple Datacolor LightColor Meters to get light and color temperature measurements from several locations simultaneously. The device accurately measures light and color temperature from a distance of up to 80 feet, allowing you to cover wide areas and is perfect for ensuring uniform lighting for green screens for easy and effective chroma keying in post-production. Key Feature Highlights o Incident Metering for Ambient & Flash o Mobile App/Wireless Bluetooth 4.0 LE o Photo, Video, Cine Exposure Modes o Measures Lux, Chromaticity, CCT, and +/- Green (Duv) o Measures Any Kind of Light Source o Color Temperature Range: 1,600K - 20,000K o Luminance Range: 1.0 - 1,000,000 lux o Cine Settings: Frame Rate, Shutter Angle/Speed & ND Filter Compensation o HSS Flash & Flash Duration Measurements o Included: Gel Filter Libraries from Profoto®, LEE® and Rosco® o Simultaneous Measurements from Multiple Meters Up to 80 ft Away o Hands-Free Functionality - incl. Magnet, ¼”-20 Mount o Cord-in (PC Sync) o Custom Exposure Profiles
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is review sentiment: myLightMeter PRO at 90% against Datacolor LightColor Meter's 17%. myLightMeter PRO also leads on rating (4.8 vs 1.7) and ratings volume (1.1K vs 7). Datacolor LightColor Meter's advantage is price (Free vs $4.99) and iOS requirement (12.0 vs 16.0). On ads, in-app purchases 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
Datacolor LightColor Meter is free to download; myLightMeter PRO costs $4.99 up front. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.
myLightMeter PRO holds the better App Store score, 4.8 against 1.7. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: myLightMeter PRO has 1.1K ratings behind it against 7, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 90% of myLightMeter PRO's written reviews are positive against 17% of Datacolor LightColor Meter's.
myLightMeter PRO ships an update every 5 days, Datacolor LightColor Meter fortnightly. The most recent releases landed on September 24, 2026 and September 10, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | myLightMeter PRO | Datacolor LightColor Meter |
|---|---|---|
| Price | $4.99 | Free — better |
| Rating | 4.8 (1.1K ratings) — better | 1.7 (7 ratings) |
| Positive reviews | 90.2% of reviews — better | 16.7% of reviews |
| Number of ratings | 1.1K — better | 7 |
| Update frequency | Every 5 days — better | Fortnightly |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Monetization | Paid | Free with in-app purchases — better |
| Best chart rank | #10 — better | — |
| Devices | iPhone | iPhone, iPod — better |
| Requires iOS | 16.0 | 12.0 — better |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 53 MB | 30 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | David Quiles | Datacolor Inc. |
Customer experience
myLightMeter PRO
Datacolor LightColor Meter
Bugs and requests
myLightMeter PRO
Reported bugs
3 issues- Crashes on startup
- Inconsistent behavior between free and pro versions
- Incorrect shutter speed and aperture options for some cameras
Requested features
4 requests- Ability to lock shutter speed and aperture
- Smaller spot metering area
- Support for more film/sensor formats
- Improved incident metering with diffuser
Datacolor LightColor Meter
Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.
In-app purchases
myLightMeter PRO
No in-app purchases
Datacolor LightColor Meter
No in-app purchases
Questions
Is myLightMeter PRO free?
Is Datacolor LightColor Meter free?
Which has better reviews, myLightMeter PRO or Datacolor LightColor Meter?
Do myLightMeter PRO or Datacolor LightColor Meter have ads?
Which is updated more often, myLightMeter PRO or Datacolor LightColor Meter?
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