Comparison

LFTools vs Darkcloth

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

Head to head
About

LFTools

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LFTools is an app for Large Format and Film Photographers. In version 1.5.0 LFTools contains 2 Tabs. The first one is the 'LF Tools' tab, with several sub sections. Each section has a tool to calculate certain properties which are used in large format photography. Like extended exposure times with regard to bellows extension or the magnification from a bellows draw for a given focal length. The second tab, 'Film Reciprocity', contains the Film Reciprocity Calculator. This calculator is of interest for all film photographers who are interested in long time exposure. With the Film Reciprocity Calculator one can overcome the so called reciprocity failure, which is inherent to almost all films. It is quite simple to use, one just has to select a film, shutter speed and aperture an the tool automatically creates a table with extended exposure times. The app comes with a pre-populated list of films from Ilford. Ilford was the only manufacture who publishes the p factor for their films. Al be it, the user can add its own films for calculation.

About

Darkcloth

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"A good photograph is knowing where to stand." — Ansel Adams Darkcloth is a field viewfinder for technical and view cameras. Use the phone camera to preview the frame before you set up the camera. Choose a film format and focal length, add rise, fall or shift, compare lenses, and check level. It is meant for planning the photograph, not replacing the ground glass. Included tools: • Framelines for 6Ɨ7, 4Ɨ5, 8Ɨ10 and custom formats • Multiple focal lengths at once for lens comparison • Rise/fall and shift preview over the live scene • Reflected-light meter with average and spot readings • Reciprocity correction for common film stocks, plus custom stocks • Roll and pitch level • Scheimpflug tilt visualiser with near/far depth-of-field readout Darkcloth was made alongside the Fysh FTC-1, but it is not locked to that camera. It works with other technical-camera and view-camera workflows. No account is required. No photos are uploaded.

Screenshots

LFTools4 screens
Darkcloth4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is update cadence: Darkcloth at every 10 days against LFTools's every 3 months. Darkcloth also leads on iOS requirement (16.0 vs 18). On price, ads, in-app purchases and device support there is nothing between them.

Scored on Price Ā· Rating Ā· Positive reviews Ā· Number of ratings Ā· Update frequency Ā· Ads Ā· In-app purchases Ā· Monetization Ā· Best chart rank Ā· Devices Ā· Requires iOS

CostPrice Ā· In-app purchases Ā· Ads Ā· Monetization

Both are free to download. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

LFTools ships an update every 3 months, Darkcloth every 10 days. The most recent releases landed on September 11, 2026 and October 14, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard2 real differences Ā· 4 level
LFTools versus Darkcloth: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterLFToolsDarkcloth
PriceFreeFree
Update frequencyEvery 3 monthsEvery 10 days — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNoNo
DevicesiPhoneiPhone
Requires iOS1816.0 — better
Further details — not scored
Size4 MB2 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperRuediger MerzLACHLAN M FYSH

In-app purchases

None

LFTools

No in-app purchases

None

Darkcloth

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is LFTools free?
LFTools is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is Darkcloth free?
Darkcloth is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Do LFTools or Darkcloth have ads?
Neither LFTools nor Darkcloth shows ads.
Which is updated more often, LFTools or Darkcloth?
LFTools ships an update every 3 months, and Darkcloth every 10 days. Most recently, LFTools was updated on September 11, 2026 and Darkcloth on October 14, 2026.

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