Comparison

Shutter Button vs Z

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

Head to head
About

Shutter Button

This app functions as a Bluetooth camera remote, offering an integrated exposure meter and a LiDAR-based rangefinder. It supports various exposure modes and metering methods, along with zoom and frameline features for precise shot composition. Additional modes include bulb and timer functions for extended shooting capabilities.

Highlights
  • Bluetooth camera remote
  • Exposure meter (AV, TV, M modes)
  • LiDAR rangefinder
  • Exposure compensation
  • Framelines for various formats
  • Bulb and timer modes
  • Instax Style Log feature
Features
Read full description

Film Oddments Bluetooth Camera Remote with Exposure Meter and Rangefinder This app serves as a Bluetooth-enabled camera remote, incorporating both an exposure meter and a rangefinder. Compatible with film cameras and all cameras equipped with a mechanical shutter release, the app allows remote shutter control via Bluetooth. Exposure Meter (AV, TV, M Modes) Supports exposure compensation in 1/3-stop increments and displays exposure values from -5 to +5 EV. LiDAR Rangefinder Accurately measures distances using your iPhone’s built-in LiDAR sensor. *Requires a device equipped with a LiDAR sensor. Key Features: - Exposure Meter: AV, TV, and M modes, exposure compensation, integrated remote shutter control - Rangefinder: Distance measurement using LiDAR sensor Selectable exposure modes and metering methods include: - iPhone AE Metering - Average Metering - Framing Area Average Metering - Spot Metering Zoom Function: - Supports focal lengths from 13mm to 550mm Framelines: - Includes framelines for 135 full-frame and selected medium-format sizes Improved dials and touch feedback: - Added haptic feedback (vibration) Frame your shot and preview composition accurately. Additional Features: Shutter Trigger: Capture photos instantly with a single button press Bulb Mode: Hold the shutter open for long-exposure photography Timer Mode: Hands-free shooting with adjustable timer settings Timed Bulb Mode: Automatic control of long exposures with preset timers Shutter Depth Adjustment: Precisely control the shutter release depth Log Feature Added - A new “Instax Style Log” toggle is available under Exposure Meter → Settings. - Press and hold the shutter button on the Exposure Meter screen for at least 1 second to save the current metadata to the native Photos app. - You can enter custom text under Exposure Meter → Settings → Value Settings, which will be recorded with each log. *Swipe up on the Exposure Meter screen to open Exposure Meter → Settings. Demo Video: https://youtu.be/dvUyKOs7xEY LiDAE Demo Video: https://www.youtube.com/shorts/azueoZaa90M

About

Z

Features
Read full description

Expose for the shadows, develop for the highlights. Z-Stop is an iPhone spot meter true to this Zone System principle. Shoot black-and-white film with the Zone System, no external meter needed. [ Sound familiar? ] - Still guessing exposure by feel? - Wasting expensive film on bad exposures? - Carrying a spot meter for a camera with no meter? - Metered a shadow and got a picture that was too bright? - Forgetting where you metered by the time you develop? For about the price of a roll of black-and-white film, you can leave these behind. Meter one shadow with your iPhone, and Z-Stop shows the shutter and aperture that make it Zone 3, in 1/2-stop steps. With Pro, one tap on "Save" keeps the scene as a record image. [ The Zone System ] Worked out by Ansel Adams and Fred Archer around 1940. It divides tones into 11 steps, from black (Zone 0) to white (Zone 10), one stop apart. Detail is clearest from Zone 3 to Zone 7. Zone 3 : darkest shadow with full texture Zone 4 : foliage and stone in shade Zone 5 : middle gray (18% gray card) Zone 6 : sunlit light skin, light stone Zone 7 : brightest textured areas Expose so the shadow detail stays on the film, then set development so the highlights land where you want them. [ A meter only knows Zone 5 ] Any reflected meter renders what it reads as middle gray (Zone 5). Shoot a shadow at its reading and it turns gray. To place a shadow on Zone 3, give 2 stops less than the reading. That is why spot metering matters: a wide reading mixes one shadow with other tones. [ Why Z-Stop ] Finding a shadow, subtracting 2 stops, converting to real settings, and bracketing by half stops is slow and error-prone. * No spot meter or DSLR required - A reflected spot meter that reads only inside a small circle on screen. * Tells you if a shadow is good for Zone 3 - It checks how even the spot is (deviation): green "Z3 OK" if usable, red "Re-meter" if texture or an edge is mixed in. * No hunting for where to meter - "Find Zone 3" points only to usable spots. - With no Zone 3 it looks for Zone 4; with neither it says "Don't shoot", so you don't waste film. * No mental math - Shows values that match your body's shutter speeds and your lens apertures. - Values you cannot set get a red warning. * Ready for half-stop differences - Five steps in 1/2 stops, from the reading to -2 stops. - Full-stop shutters: unsettable steps are gray; "By aperture" brackets the aperture. * A steady reference - Exposure locks at the first reading, so up to five spots compare fairly. * No notebook needed (Pro) - The record image keeps the screen, readings, shutter, and aperture, so you can check your Zone 3 spot after developing. * See the gray before you shoot - B&W preview shows what tone a red sign or green awning will become. [ How to use ] 1. Tap a shadow. 2. Tap a green "Z3 OK" box to set the anchor, or press "Find Zone 3" at the lower left. 3. Fix the aperture ("By shutter") or the shutter speed ("By aperture"), and read the five steps. In theory Zone 3 is -2 stops, but the right step shifts by half a stop with film, EI, development, and printing. Choose a main frame and a sub frame. 4. With Pro, press "Save" to keep the record image in the "Z-Stop" album. [ Free and Pro ] Metering, Find Zone 3, Zone 3 anchor, five 1/2-stop steps, By shutter, By aperture, B&W preview, and settings are free. Pro (in-app purchase, yearly subscription) unlocks record saving. Setup : EI, aperture, ND, camera body (SLR, RF, medium/large format) Privacy : no internet except the subscription check with Apple; no ads or analytics; video stays on your iPhone Terms of Use : https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/ * Z-Stop calculates from the brightness of the iPhone's standard (1x) camera. * Development for the highlights is up to you. * Not for important shoots you can't repeat (weddings, trips, paid work) at first. * Test with a roll or two, set it up, and bracket until you know your results.

Screenshots

Shutter Button4 screens
Z4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is update cadence: Z at daily against Shutter Button's every 5 days. On price, 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

CostPrice · In-app purchases · Ads · Monetization

Both are free to download. Shutter Button sells 2 one-off in-app purchases and Z sells 1 in-app purchase, starting at $11.99 per year. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Shutter Button ships an update every 5 days, Z daily. The most recent releases landed on October 3, 2026 and October 9, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard1 real difference · 9 level
Shutter Button versus Z: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterShutter ButtonZ
PriceFreeFree
Rating5.0 (1 ratings) — better—
Positive reviews100.0% of reviews—
Number of ratings1 — better—
Update frequencyEvery 5 daysDaily — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesYes
MonetizationFree—
DevicesiPhoneiPhone
Requires iOS17.6 — better18.0
Further details — not scored
Size4 MB1 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperSEUNGHYUK CHOIsungho an

In-app purchases

2 purchases

Shutter Button

One-time2
  • Profile, Additional Features$3.99
  • Remote Release Activation$10.99
1 purchases

Z

Subscriptions1
  • Z-Stop Pro Yearly14 Days trial$11.991 Year

Questions

Is Shutter Button free?
Shutter Button is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is Z free?
Z is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Do Shutter Button or Z have ads?
Neither Shutter Button nor Z shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Shutter Button or Z?
Shutter Button ships an update every 5 days, and Z daily. Most recently, Shutter Button was updated on October 3, 2026 and Z on October 9, 2026.

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