Comparison

myLightMeter PRO vs Datacolor LightColor Meter

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

Head to head
About

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.

Highlights
  • Extended low-light sensitivity
  • Incident and reflected metering
  • Manual exposure control
  • Hyperfocal distance calculator
  • Save and review exposure data
  • Extract exposure data from photos
Features
Read full description

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

About

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.

Highlights
  • 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
Features
Read full description

· 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

myLightMeter PRO4 screens
Datacolor LightColor Meter4 screens

Verdict

The call

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

CostPrice · In-app purchases · Ads · Monetization

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.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

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.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

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.

Scorecard8 real differences · 3 level
myLightMeter PRO versus Datacolor LightColor Meter: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParametermyLightMeter PRODatacolor LightColor Meter
Price$4.99Free — better
Rating4.8 (1.1K ratings) — better1.7 (7 ratings)
Positive reviews90.2% of reviews — better16.7% of reviews
Number of ratings1.1K — better7
Update frequencyEvery 5 days — betterFortnightly
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNoNo
MonetizationPaidFree with in-app purchases — better
Best chart rank#10 — better—
DevicesiPhoneiPhone, iPod — better
Requires iOS16.012.0 — better
Further details — not scored
Size53 MB30 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperDavid QuilesDatacolor Inc.

Customer experience

myLightMeter PRO

All ratings1,125 ratings
Positive95.9%
Neutral1.4%
Negative2.7%
Written reviews654 reviews
Positive90.2%
Neutral2.4%
Negative7.3%

Datacolor LightColor Meter

All ratings7 ratings
Positive14.3%
Neutral0.0%
Negative85.7%
Written reviews6 reviews
Positive16.7%
Neutral0.0%
Negative83.3%

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

None

myLightMeter PRO

No in-app purchases

None

Datacolor LightColor Meter

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is myLightMeter PRO free?
myLightMeter PRO costs $4.99, with no in-app purchases.
Is Datacolor LightColor Meter free?
Datacolor LightColor Meter is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Which has better reviews, myLightMeter PRO or Datacolor LightColor Meter?
myLightMeter PRO is rated higher. myLightMeter PRO averages 4.8 out of 5 from 1.1K ratings, while Datacolor LightColor Meter averages 1.7 from 7 ratings.
Do myLightMeter PRO or Datacolor LightColor Meter have ads?
Neither myLightMeter PRO nor Datacolor LightColor Meter shows ads.
Which is updated more often, myLightMeter PRO or Datacolor LightColor Meter?
myLightMeter PRO ships an update every 5 days, and Datacolor LightColor Meter fortnightly. Most recently, myLightMeter PRO was updated on September 24, 2026 and Datacolor LightColor Meter on September 10, 2026.

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