Datacolor LightColor Meter vs Cine Viewfinder
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
Datacolor LightColor Meter
This pocket-sized device streams real-time light and color data to your smartphone, offering precise control over exposure and color consistency for photos, videos, and cinema. It measures various light types and color parameters, and includes gel filter libraries for creative adjustments.
- Real-time light and color data streaming
- Exposure and lighting ratio control
- Color consistency across setups
- Measures Lux, Chromaticity, CCT, DUV
- Includes gel filter libraries
- Simultaneous measurements from multiple meters
- Hands-free functionality
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· The Datacolor LightColor Meter is a Bluetooth-enabled, multifunctional tool that fits in your pocket, continuously streaming both light and color data in real-time, to your smartphone. · Perfect for photos, videos, cinema and hybrid photo/video shoots, the LightColor Meter takes the guesswork out of exposure settings, giving you better control of lighting ratios as well as color consistency across varied lighting conditions and multiple camera setups. · The Datacolor LightColor Meter accurately measures all types of lighting, from fluctuating outdoor light, mixed natural/artificial location lighting, plus any type of studio lighting, including continuous lighting and strobe/flash. · It goes beyond a regular light meter to also measure color temperature, Lux, Chromaticity, CCT and DUV. Additionally, the device comes with filter libraries from Profoto®, LEE® and Rosco® to help you choose the right color gels for functional or creative color adjustments. · The rugged, travel-friendly device goes anywhere you’re shooting, providing you with a wireless versatility that lets you easily fine-tune your lighting and exposure without having to leave your camera. · You can attach the device to a light stand or tripod, use the through-hole for lanyards to hang the meter where needed, use the alligator clip that’s included to attach the LightColor Meter to clothing or other fabrics or use the rare earth magnet on the back of the device for easy magnetic attachment. · You can seamlessly sync multiple Datacolor LightColor Meters to get light and color temperature measurements from several locations simultaneously. The device accurately measures light and color temperature from a distance of up to 80 feet, allowing you to cover wide areas and is perfect for ensuring uniform lighting for green screens for easy and effective chroma keying in post-production. Key Feature Highlights o Incident Metering for Ambient & Flash o Mobile App/Wireless Bluetooth 4.0 LE o Photo, Video, Cine Exposure Modes o Measures Lux, Chromaticity, CCT, and +/- Green (Duv) o Measures Any Kind of Light Source o Color Temperature Range: 1,600K - 20,000K o Luminance Range: 1.0 - 1,000,000 lux o Cine Settings: Frame Rate, Shutter Angle/Speed & ND Filter Compensation o HSS Flash & Flash Duration Measurements o Included: Gel Filter Libraries from Profoto®, LEE® and Rosco® o Simultaneous Measurements from Multiple Meters Up to 80 ft Away o Hands-Free Functionality - incl. Magnet, ¼”-20 Mount o Cord-in (PC Sync) o Custom Exposure Profiles
Cine Viewfinder
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Cine Viewfinder Cine Viewfinder is a professional framing and lens visualization tool designed for filmmakers, cinematographers, directors and camera operators. Build virtual camera packages using real cameras, sensor formats, mounts, adapters and lenses, then preview framing, focal lengths and field of view directly on your device. The app includes a large and continuously growing database containing hundreds of cameras, lenses, sensor formats, mounts and adapters. New equipment is regularly added through updates, helping you keep your virtual camera package aligned with real-world productions. Whether you are scouting locations, planning a shot list, discussing coverage with a director, selecting lenses or testing framing options on set, Cine Viewfinder provides a fast and practical visual reference tool. Features • Extensive camera database • Extensive lens database with cinema and photo lenses • Sensor format database • Mount and adapter database • Live framing preview • Focal length and field of view simulation • Anamorphic squeeze and desqueeze support • Aspect ratio and frame line preview • Safe area and composition guides • Horizon, tilt and roll monitoring • GPS and location information • City and geographic metadata for captures • LUT preview support • Photo reference capture • Video reference capture • Metadata-rich captures • Capture archive browser • Quick sharing of captures and references • Persistent camera package and lens settings between sessions • Fullscreen landscape interface optimized for production use Cine Viewfinder is designed as a practical production companion, allowing filmmakers to evaluate framing, lens choices and camera configurations before and during shooting. Captured references can be used for planning, communication, continuity, technical documentation and creative decision-making throughout production.
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is price: Datacolor LightColor Meter at Free against Cine Viewfinder's $2.99. Datacolor LightColor Meter also leads on iOS requirement (12.0 vs 17.6). On update cadence, ads, in-app purchases 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
Datacolor LightColor Meter is free to download; Cine Viewfinder costs $2.99 up front. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.
Datacolor LightColor Meter ships an update fortnightly, Cine Viewfinder monthly. The most recent releases landed on October 30, 2026 and October 31, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | Datacolor LightColor Meter | Cine Viewfinder |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free — better | $2.99 |
| Rating | 1.7 (7 ratings) — better | — |
| Positive reviews | 16.7% of reviews | — |
| Number of ratings | 7 — better | — |
| Update frequency | Fortnightly — better | Monthly |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | — |
| Devices | iPhone, iPod | iPhone, iPad |
| Requires iOS | 12.0 — better | 17.6 |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 30 MB | 18 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | Datacolor Inc. | William Carrer |
In-app purchases
Datacolor LightColor Meter
No in-app purchases
Cine Viewfinder
No in-app purchases
Questions
Is Datacolor LightColor Meter free?
Is Cine Viewfinder free?
Do Datacolor LightColor Meter or Cine Viewfinder have ads?
Which is updated more often, Datacolor LightColor Meter or Cine Viewfinder?
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