Comparison

myLightMeter PRO vs Darkroom Assistant

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

Darkroom Assistant

Features
Read full description

Make better darkroom prints—and preserve every decision that got you there. Darkroom Assistant is a purpose-built workflow app for black-and-white darkroom printers. It connects what you see in the print to the exposure, dodging, burning, and sequencing needed to make the next one. Map adjustments on the image, work in stops, and let Darkroom Assistant calculate the actual exposure times. You don’t need an expensive programmable f-stop timer to use an advanced f-stop printing workflow. Whether your timer counts in stops or only in seconds, the calculations, visual map, and printing sequence stay connected to the image. If you have ever made a great print and struggled to recreate it, searched through scattered notes, or wasted paper rebuilding a previous result, Darkroom Assistant brings the complete printing process together. It does not automate printing or replace your judgment. Your eye decides what the print needs. Darkroom Assistant translates that decision into the next exposure—and preserves the path when the session ends. VISUAL DODGING AND BURNING Map local adjustments on the print image instead of trying to connect handwritten times to remembered areas. Set the desired change in stops, and Darkroom Assistant calculates the corresponding dodge or burn times and organizes them into a clear printing sequence. A programmable f-stop timer can count exposure in stops. Darkroom Assistant goes further by connecting each adjustment to the image, calculating the time for that operation, and preserving the reasoning behind the print. PRINT PROJECTS AND PRINT LOGS Organize each image as a project and preserve the path from test strip to final print. Keep multiple interpretations together, compare them over time, and return later without reconstructing the session from memory. Record paper, developer, filtration, exposure, contrast, notes, and the decisions made along the way. A short version note on the physical print can lead you back to the complete plan in Darkroom Assistant. TEST STRIPS AND SPLIT-GRADE PRINTING Build and document test-strip and split-grade workflows inside the app. Compare results, refine exposure and contrast, and carry your decisions forward without starting over. SCALE PRINTS WITHOUT STARTING OVER When you change print dimensions, Darkroom Assistant can scale the exposure steps in the complete Print Log—not just the base exposure. Carry a successful plan into the new size and begin with a calculated starting point instead of rebuilding every exposure, dodge, and burn from scratch. Additional calculators help with changes in exposure, aperture, filtration, neutral density, and print size. DARKROOM TIMERS Use focused, distraction-free timers designed for printing and film-development sessions. FILM DEVELOPMENT Create and run film-development workflows with organized formulas, timing, and session records alongside your printing tools. BACKUP AND RESTORE Protect your darkroom library with manual backup and restore. LEARN AND GET SUPPORT Use the video guide and subscriber community for help. DARKROOM ASSISTANT HELPS YOU: • Translate visual decisions into precise exposure steps • Use an advanced f-stop workflow without an expensive programmable timer • Plan dodging and burning without calculating every time in your head • Scale complete printing plans when changing print size • Reduce avoidable paper and chemistry waste • Preserve successful prints and multiple interpretations • Spend less time reconstructing old sessions • Build a consistent, repeatable darkroom process BUILT BY A DARKROOM PRINTER Darkroom Assistant was created by a working darkroom printer with decades of hands-on experience. Its tools come from real workflows developed at the enlarger—not from an attempt to replace analog craft with automation. Practical tools for photographers who care deeply about the craft. Terms of Use: https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/

Screenshots

myLightMeter PRO4 screens
Darkroom Assistant4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is price: Darkroom Assistant at Free against myLightMeter PRO's $4.99. Darkroom Assistant also leads on device support (3 vs 1). myLightMeter PRO's advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 1) and chart position (#12 vs unranked). On update cadence, ads and iOS requirement 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

Darkroom Assistant is free to download; myLightMeter PRO costs $4.99 up front. Darkroom Assistant sells 1 in-app purchase, starting at $39.99 per year. myLightMeter PRO asks for nothing beyond the download.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

myLightMeter PRO ships an update every 5 days, Darkroom Assistant every 4 days. The most recent releases landed on October 17, 2026 and September 27, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard4 real differences · 7 level
myLightMeter PRO versus Darkroom Assistant: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParametermyLightMeter PRODarkroom Assistant
Price$4.99Free — better
Rating4.8 (1.1K ratings) — better—
Positive reviews90.3% of reviews—
Number of ratings1.1K — better—
Update frequencyEvery 5 daysEvery 4 days — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNo — betterYes
MonetizationPaid—
Best chart rank#12 — better—
DevicesiPhoneiPhone, iPad, iPod — better
Requires iOS16.015.1 — better
Further details — not scored
Size53 MB54 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperDavid QuilesDistinction Photo LLC

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

Darkroom Assistant

Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.

In-app purchases

None

myLightMeter PRO

No in-app purchases

1 purchases

Darkroom Assistant

Subscriptions1
  • Darkroom Assistant Standard$39.991 Year

Questions

Is myLightMeter PRO free?
myLightMeter PRO costs $4.99, with no in-app purchases.
Is Darkroom Assistant free?
Darkroom Assistant is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Do myLightMeter PRO or Darkroom Assistant have ads?
Neither myLightMeter PRO nor Darkroom Assistant shows ads.
Which is updated more often, myLightMeter PRO or Darkroom Assistant?
myLightMeter PRO ships an update every 5 days, and Darkroom Assistant every 4 days. Most recently, myLightMeter PRO was updated on October 17, 2026 and Darkroom Assistant on September 27, 2026.

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