Comparison

XP4N vs FilmMeter

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

Head to head
About

XP4N

Capture stunning panoramic photos with a cinematic aspect ratio. Emulate the look of 8 distinct film types, from moody night shots to soft daylight portraits. Enjoy a simple, ad-free, and subscription-free photography experience.

Highlights
  • 65:24 cinematic aspect ratio
  • 8 distinct film type simulations
  • No ads, subscriptions, or in-app purchases
  • Haptic and visual feedback
  • EV compensation by swiping
  • Save as lossless HEIF files
  • EXIF and GPS data saving
Features
Read full description

Based on the legendary XPAN with its unique cinematic panoramic 65x24 images, XP4N turns any scene into a movie set; every shot into a movie still. - Shoot in the amazing 65:24 cinematic aspect ratio - Simulate 8 distinct film types (some inspired by popular film types, such as Cinestill 800T) - NO ADS, NO SUBSCRIPTIONS, NO IN-APP-PURCHASES! - Use all available lenses - Haptic and visual feedback when taking pictures - Use volume up key as shutter button - EV compensation by swiping - Access to the high-resolution sensor (if available and enabled in settings) - Option to save as lossless HEIF files - Saves EXIF and GPS data in photos This app is designed to simulate the cinematic qualities of the XPAN, including emulation of 8 distinct film stocks that are often paired with this camera: NIGHT MODE Based on the Cinestill 800T film character with its moody teal cast and signature "halation" (red halos) around bright spots in the image. BALANCED MODE Inspired by Vision3 250D film stock, with its versatile personality and typical Hollywood-style color and contrast curves. DAYLIGHT MODE Based on the popular Portra 400 film; soft and warm hues and moderate contrast profile. Great for skin tones and dreamy landscapes. GRITTY MODE Inspired by the Lomography Metropolis film, which adds a "bleached" look that is reminiscent of gritty 90s movies. BLACK & WHITE MODES Following the characteristics black & white films, one mode offers a punchy and contrasty B&W style, while the other is soft and dreamy. NEON NIGHT (NEW) Enhances bright spots in night photos and adds vibrant, saturated glows for a "cyberpunk" vibe ETHEREAL (NEW) Classic soft focus mode, without the need to put grease on your lens! XP4N is consciously made to be the ultimate one-trick-pony. A point and shoot camera with only a single button: the shutter button. The internal image processing engine does the rest, based on your preferred film mode setting. (so don't expect deep camera controls... ;-). The resulting images are carefully tuned to have the pleasant silky quality of film and to get away from the oversharpened, hyper-punchy look typical of today's digital cameras.

About

FilmMeter

This app transforms your iPhone into a professional light meter for film photography. It offers real-time metering, LiDAR ranging for accurate focus, and comprehensive film roll management. Features include reciprocity calculation, ND filter compensation, and an exposure log to streamline your shooting workflow.

Highlights
  • Real-time light metering
  • LiDAR ranging and depth of field
  • Film roll and camera management
  • Reciprocity and ND filter compensation
  • Long exposure timer
  • Exposure logging
Features
Read full description

FilmMeter turns your iPhone into a professional light meter for film cameras. Real-time metering, LiDAR ranging, reciprocity calculation, and exposure logging — one app covers your entire shooting workflow from loading film to the final frame. Metering Measure exposure in real-time using your iPhone camera. Spot metering reads any point precisely, while average metering balances the whole scene. Full control over aperture, shutter speed, and ISO. iPhone 16 users can meter and adjust EV directly with the Camera Control button. Ranging & Depth of Field Get accurate focus distance with LiDAR-enabled devices. The depth of field scale shows your sharp range and hyperfocal distance, supporting 35mm (full frame) and medium format calculations. Camera Management Create profiles for your cameras and lenses. Set focal length and aperture range for each lens, then link a camera when loading film — aperture selection is automatically constrained to your lens's actual range. Manage your digital film bag the way you manage your real gear. Film Roll Management Create a roll, select your film stock, start shooting. Push/pull processing support lets you set development stops and automatically converts to effective ISO. Each metering links to your current roll automatically. The frame counter tracks remaining shots. Mark rolls as in progress, finished, or developed. ND Filters Built-in support for ND2 through ND10000. Select a filter and exposure is compensated automatically — no manual stop conversion needed. Pair with the long exposure timer to master daytime slow shutter work. Reciprocity Compensation Film loses sensitivity during long exposures. FilmMeter includes reciprocity data for popular film stocks and calculates the corrected shutter time automatically. Long Exposure Timer Long-press the metering button to start a countdown. The timer integrates with Dynamic Island — visible even when locked. Get notified when your exposure completes. No more counting seconds for star trails or light painting. Smart Exposure Suggestions Built-in scene recognition analyzes your frame. In tricky lighting like snow, backlight, or night scenes, it tells you "add one stop" instead of leaving you to figure it out. Exposure Log Every metering saves full parameters and location. Export to CSV. Review your decisions, build your film notes. More Features • ND filter auto exposure compensation • Film LUT live preview • Aspect ratio overlays (135/120 formats) • Focal length frame lines (28-200mm) • Darkroom-friendly red-on-black interface • Metric and imperial units Free to Use • No subscription, no account required • Fully offline, no ads • English and Chinese Designed for film photography. Professional enough for experienced shooters, simple enough for beginners.

Screenshots

XP4N4 screens
FilmMeter4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is price: FilmMeter at Free against XP4N's $1.99. FilmMeter also leads on review sentiment (96% vs 87%). XP4N's advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 4) and iOS requirement (15.6 vs 17.0). On rating, ratings volume, update cadence and ads 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

FilmMeter is free to download; XP4N costs $1.99 up front. FilmMeter sells 4 one-off in-app purchases. XP4N asks for nothing beyond the download.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 4.7 for XP4N against 4.8 for FilmMeter. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 44 and 64 respectively. Written reviews are what separate them: 87% of XP4N's written reviews are positive against 96% of FilmMeter's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Both ship on a similar rhythm, roughly every 2 days. The most recent releases landed on October 27, 2026 and October 25, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard5 real differences · 5 level
XP4N versus FilmMeter: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterXP4NFilmMeter
Price$1.99Free — better
Rating4.7 (44 ratings)4.8 (64 ratings) — better
Positive reviews86.8% of reviews96.2% of reviews — better
Number of ratings4464 — better
Update frequencyEvery 2 daysEvery 2 days
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNo — betterYes
MonetizationPaidFree — better
DevicesiPhone, iPod — betteriPhone
Requires iOS15.6 — better17.0
Further details — not scored
Size3 MB143 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperBram Bos宗 侯

Customer experience

XP4N

All ratings44 ratings
Positive95.5%
Neutral4.5%
Negative0.0%
Written reviews53 reviews
Positive86.8%
Neutral11.3%
Negative1.9%

FilmMeter

All ratings63 ratings
Positive96.8%
Neutral1.6%
Negative1.6%
Written reviews26 reviews
Positive96.2%
Neutral3.8%
Negative0.0%

Bugs and requests

XP4N

Reported bugs

2 issues
  • App feels laggy at times
  • 48MP camera option doesn't increase image resolution

Requested features

10 requests
  • Portrait mode
  • Tap to focus and focus/exposure lock
  • Selfie mode
  • Self-timer
  • HDR or max-latitude mode for post-processing
Show 5 more
  • No-filter mode
  • Tri-X 400 film simulation
  • Sprocket emulation
  • Ability to change focus point
  • Preview of image in viewfinder before capture

FilmMeter

Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.

In-app purchases

None

XP4N

No in-app purchases

4 purchases

FilmMeter

One-time4
  • Buy me a coffee$0.99
  • Buy me lunch$2.99
  • 请我吃块蛋糕$9.99
Show 1 more
  • 赞助开发$19.99

Questions

Is XP4N free?
XP4N costs $1.99, with no in-app purchases.
Is FilmMeter free?
FilmMeter is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Which has better reviews, XP4N or FilmMeter?
FilmMeter is rated higher. XP4N averages 4.7 out of 5 from 44 ratings, while FilmMeter averages 4.8 from 64 ratings.
Do XP4N or FilmMeter have ads?
Neither XP4N nor FilmMeter shows ads.
Which is updated more often, XP4N or FilmMeter?
XP4N ships an update every 2 days, and FilmMeter every 2 days. Most recently, XP4N was updated on October 27, 2026 and FilmMeter on October 25, 2026.

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