myLightMeter PRO vs ZoneCalc
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
ZoneCalc
This app assists photographers in precisely calculating exposure and tonal placement using Ansel Adams' Zone System. It offers features for metering, reciprocity correction, and development adjustments, with options for multi-point measurements and data export.
- Zone System exposure calculation
- Multi-point metering
- Reciprocity correction
- Development adjustment recommendations
- Film-specific development times
- Calculation history and export
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ZoneCalc — Zone System Calculator ZoneCalc is a precision tool for large format, medium format and 35 mm photography following Ansel Adams' Zone System. Built for photographers who work with a spot meter, develop their own negatives, and want full control over exposure and tonal placement. METERING In Classic mode, enter the shutter speed for the deepest shadow with detail (Zone II) and the brightest highlight with detail (Zone VIII). ZoneCalc returns the shutter speed for Zone V — 18 % middle gray — the exposure you set on the camera. Multi mode accepts any number of measurement points across the scene. The app auto-assigns each point to a zone; drag pins on the zone strip to express your creative placement intent. RECIPROCITY For exposures above one second, the Schwarzschild effect is corrected automatically: t_corr = t_nom ^ p, using the film-specific exponent. The corrected camera time appears directly in the result card. The shutter speed list extends to 30 minutes. Films with reciprocity data: Ilford HP5+, FP4+, Delta 100/400, Kodak Tri-X, T-Max 100/400, Kodak Portra 160/400/800, Leica Monopan. N-RATING & DEVELOPMENT ZoneCalc compares the scene's dynamic range against the film's usable latitude and proposes a development adjustment — N−2 through N+2. For each film, concrete times are shown for common developers: D-76, Rodinal, HC-110, XTOL, ID-11, T-Max Dev — with dilutions per Massive Dev Chart and manufacturer recommendations. HISTORY & EXPORT Every calculation can be saved with a note and the chosen developer; two entries can be compared side by side. The complete result — shutter speed, reciprocity, N-rating and development times — exports as an image for the darkroom or for sharing via AirDrop, message or mail. DESIGN The interface follows the visual language of classic Leica instruments: monospaced typography, warm amber accent, hard edges instead of rounded corners. Fully localized in English and German, all-dark throughout — optimized for darkroom and field use. ZONECALC PRO Classic two-point metering with Zone V calculation and the zone strip are free. The one-time Pro upgrade unlocks: — Multi-point metering with interactive zone assignment — Reciprocity correction and N-rating — Development recommendations with times per developer — Save, compare and image export One app, no subscriptions, no data collection. All calculations run locally on device.
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is price: ZoneCalc at Free against myLightMeter PRO's $4.99. ZoneCalc also leads on rating (5.0 vs 4.8). myLightMeter PRO's advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 1) and ratings volume (1.1K vs 2). On ads, device support 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
ZoneCalc is free to download; myLightMeter PRO costs $4.99 up front. ZoneCalc sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. myLightMeter PRO asks for nothing beyond the download.
ZoneCalc holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 4.8. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: myLightMeter PRO has 1.1K ratings behind it against 2, so its average is the more settled of the two.
myLightMeter PRO ships an update every 5 days, ZoneCalc every 3 weeks. The most recent releases landed on October 2, 2026 and September 26, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | myLightMeter PRO | ZoneCalc |
|---|---|---|
| Price | $4.99 | Free — better |
| Rating | 4.8 (1.1K ratings) | 5.0 (2 ratings) — better |
| Positive reviews | 90.2% of reviews | — |
| Number of ratings | 1.1K — better | 2 |
| Update frequency | Every 5 days — better | Every 3 weeks |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | No — better | Yes |
| Monetization | Paid | Freemium — better |
| Best chart rank | #10 — better | — |
| Devices | iPhone | iPhone |
| Requires iOS | 16.0 — better | 17.6 |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 53 MB | 3 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | David Quiles | Juergen Suk |
Customer experience
myLightMeter PRO
ZoneCalc
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
ZoneCalc
Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.
In-app purchases
myLightMeter PRO
No in-app purchases
ZoneCalc
- ZoneCalc Pro$3.99
Questions
Is myLightMeter PRO free?
Is ZoneCalc free?
Which has better reviews, myLightMeter PRO or ZoneCalc?
Do myLightMeter PRO or ZoneCalc have ads?
Which is updated more often, myLightMeter PRO or ZoneCalc?
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