Minimal Light Meter vs light & deep
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
Minimal Light Meter
This app provides film photographers with precise exposure readings using their iPhone camera. It allows for locking aperture or shutter speed and supports custom ISO settings for various film types. The interface is designed for clarity and ease of use in any lighting condition.
- Reflective light metering
- Aperture or shutter priority
- Custom ISO settings
- Dimmed camera preview
- High-contrast text
- Offline functionality
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A focused light meter for film photographers who want exposure details without the clutter. Point your iPhone at the scene, lock aperture or shutter, and get a clear reading you can trust on set or in the field. Dim the live preview when you need the numbers, not the viewfinder, and set any ISO, including odd ratings for old or expired stock. Features • Reflective light metering with your iPhone camera • Aperture or shutter priority. Lock one, meter for the other • Dim the camera preview to keep attention on exposure • Fully custom ISO, including non-standard film ratings • Add or hide shutter speeds and f-stops to match your kit • High-contrast text for bright outdoor shooting • Fast, minimal interface with no accounts or ads • Works offline, on device Built for analog shooters, Instant film, and anyone who still dials exposure by hand.
light & deep
This app assists photographers and filmmakers by acting as a viewfinder, light meter, and LiDAR rangefinder. It helps visualize depth of field, measure light exposure, and frame shots with various camera formats. Advanced features for precise measurements and reference saving are available through a one-time purchase.
- Light metering with aperture/shutter priority
- Depth of field visualization
- LiDAR distance measurement
- Customizable camera format previews
- Reference photo saving with metadata
- Spot metering and calibration (Pro)
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Light & Deep is a viewfinder, light meter and LiDAR rangefinder for film, cinema and custom made cameras. Choose your format and focal length, meter the light and measure your subject distance. With Pro (one purchase, no subscription), see the estimated depth of field as zebra stripes over the live scene, and watch it change as you adjust the aperture. Originally built for a handmade camera without a finder or meter, it brings the same practical tools to medium-format, large-format and panoramic photography. SEE DEPTH OF FIELD — PRO Explore which nearby parts of your scene would be sharp for your format, focal length, aperture and focus distance. Open the aperture and the highlighted zone narrows. Stop down and it grows. METER THE LIGHT Set your film ISO, choose aperture or shutter priority, and read the corresponding exposure setting. Pro adds spot metering and calibration for each iPhone lens. FRAME YOUR SHOT Set your format and focal length to preview composition. Free offers 35mm full frame and 6x6 medium format. Pro offers 53 film, digital and cinema formats, including large format, XPan, Instax, Polaroid, Super 8, and IMAX. MEASURE THE DISTANCE On a LiDAR-equipped iPhone, tap a point to measure its distance. The free distance zebra highlights surfaces near the selected distance. Pro adds depth-of-field visualization and can keep measuring a fixed point in the scene even as you move the phone. SAVE A REFERENCE — PRO Keep a reference photo with a settings strip and image metadata. Record aperture, shutter speed, ISO, format, focal length, distance, a film note and optional location, so you can refer back to your setup later. FREE, WITH NO TIME LIMIT • Reflective light meter with aperture and shutter priority • 35mm full-frame and 6×6 frame overlays • Focal-length control • LiDAR distance measurement, tap-to-measure and target-distance zebras on supported hardware PRO - ONE PURCHASE, NO SUBSCRIPTION • Depth-of-field visualization on supported hardware • All 53 formats • Spot metering and light-meter calibration • Reference photos with settings and metadata • Fixed-point distance tracking • Ultrawide camera support on compatible devices • Black-and-white view and virtual horizon • Frame, zebra and crosshair customization • Parallax correction for a phone mounted on a camera • Cinema tools: shutter angle, project frame rate and anamorphic squeeze Pro is an optional one-time in-app purchase. The free features remain available without upgrading. REQUIREMENTS iPhone with iOS 17.6 or later. Distance measurement, distance zebras and depth-of-field visualization require a LiDAR-equipped iPhone: iPhone 12 Pro or 12 Pro Max, or a later model with LiDAR. Metering and framing work without LiDAR. LiDAR is intended for nearby subjects, with a useful range of about five metres depending on conditions. Depth coverage is limited to the central area in ultrawide view. The depth-of-field overlay estimates acceptable sharpness; it does not simulate lens bokeh or guarantee the final photograph's sharpness. PRIVACY No account, ads or analytics. Camera, depth and exposure processing happens on your device. Optional location data is used when you choose to include it in a reference photo.
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is price: light & deep at Free against Minimal Light Meter's $0.99. light & deep also leads on update cadence (every 2 weeks vs every 14 months). Minimal Light Meter's advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 1). On rating, ratings volume, ads 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
light & deep is free to download; Minimal Light Meter costs $0.99 up front. light & deep sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. Minimal Light Meter asks for nothing beyond the download.
On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 5.0 for Minimal Light Meter against 5.0 for light & deep. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 2 and 1 respectively.
Minimal Light Meter ships an update every 14 months, light & deep every 2 weeks. The most recent releases landed on November 4, 2026 and November 9, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | Minimal Light Meter | light & deep |
|---|---|---|
| Price | $0.99 | Free — better |
| Rating | 5.0 (2 ratings) | 5.0 (1 ratings) |
| Positive reviews | 100.0% of reviews | — |
| Number of ratings | 2 — better | 1 |
| Update frequency | Every 14 months | Every 2 weeks — better |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | No — better | Yes |
| Monetization | Paid | Free with in-app purchases — better |
| Devices | iPhone | iPhone |
| Requires iOS | 17.0 — better | 17.6 |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 6 MB | 4 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | Jack Kroll | Mikhail Rybakov |
In-app purchases
Minimal Light Meter
No in-app purchases
light & deep
- Light & Deep Pro$11.99
Questions
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Is light & deep free?
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