Darkroom Toolkit vs Camdex
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
Darkroom Toolkit
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Process film and print in the darkroom, without the math. Darkroom Toolkit is a reference library and set of utilities for film processing and darkroom printing. Browse hundreds of photochemistry formulas, run step-by-step development timers with official manufacturer dev times, and handle common calculations – all in one app. WHY DARKROOM TOOLKIT? • One app instead of separate dev chart, formula, and printing calculator apps • Primary features are free: all darkroom chemistry formulas, official processes, and calculators included • Lifetime Pro unlock for saving favorites, custom workflows, and to support the project FILM DEVELOPING • Pre-configured timers for manufacturer-recommended film + developer combinations • Multi-step processing with optional audio alerts • iOS Live Activity: see your timer on the lock screen • Low light / safelight theme for working in the dark FORMULAS & CHEMISTRY • Extensive darkroom cookbook: developers, toners, lith, alt process, and more • Enter your target volume and every ingredient amount scales automatically • Dilution and solution strength conversion utilities DARKROOM PRINTING • f-Stop printing calculator: exposure sequences and test strip times • Print resizing calculator: new exposure times when changing print size PRO FEATURES (one-time purchase) • Save favorite processes and formulas • Create and edit custom recipes and processing timers • Sync your workflows across devices Whether you're developing your first roll of black and white film, mixing chemistry for cyanotype, or dialing in enlarger exposures, Darkroom Toolkit keeps you consistent. Download free. Upgrade once, yours forever.
Camdex
Instantly identify camera brands, models, and specifications by taking a photo. Catalog your entire camera collection, track its value with live market data, and manage your inventory with ease. Share your collection with others via a web link.
- Instant camera identification via photo
- Catalog and organize camera gear
- Live market price tracking
- Shareable web links for collections
- Wishlist and deal hunting
- Data export to CSV and PDF
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Camdex is a collection tracker built to help camera collectors catalog and grow their collections. Catalog, organize, and appraise your vintage Leica, Nikon, Canon, Sony, Olympus, and Polaroid gear—from film SLRs and rangefinders to mirrorless bodies, lenses, and film stock. Just take a photo and we will instantly identify the brand/model/specifications and any visible serial numbers to make documenting your entire collection easy. I built Camdex because I collect vintage film cameras and needed a better way to track my own collection. Whether you're cataloging a lifelong vault of equipment or trying to identify a mystery find at a dusty flea market, Camdex is your ultimate companion. TRACK YOUR COLLECTION The collection tracker your camera shelf deserves. Keep a complete inventory of every body, lens, and accessory you own—organized however your brain works: SLRs, rangefinders, Zeiss folders, Leica glass, Soviet shooters, Polaroids, or modern mirrorless. Log serial numbers, focal lengths, apertures, and lens mounts, plus attach your own photos and personal notes to every entry. Your whole catalog, always in your pocket. INSTANT IDENTIFICATION & APPRAISAL Spotted a camera at a thrift store, estate sale, or flea market and have no clue what it is or what it is worth? Snap a photo, and Camdex will instantly identify the brand and model—along with up-to-date market data—so you can make an informed purchase. SHARE VIA EXTERNAL WEB LINK Show off your collection with a single, read-only web link. Publish your catalog as a clean web page that anyone can open in their standard mobile or desktop browser—no app download or sign-up needed to view. You're in control: share your whole collection or just a specific group, choose whether to include purchase prices and notes, and revoke the link any time. Serial numbers are never shared. LIVE MARKET PRICES Stop playing guessing games about what your camera is worth. Tap any item to see current market prices based on real, active listings—a price guide that's never out of date. Camdex pulls live data straight from eBay to calculate average asking prices and confidence scores. Choose your specific region (US, UK, Germany, etc.) and currency, so you always know the market value where you live. QUICK IMPORT & CLOUD SYNC Import your entire collection and appraise it in seconds. Bulk upload photos of your cameras and let the app's auto-identification fill in the blanks, or upload a CSV/ZIP file. Create a free account to securely sync across all your devices, or go off the grid and use it anonymously. WISHLIST & DEAL HUNTING Keep a wishlist of the gear you're chasing with target prices. Camdex shows you active eBay listings for each item so you can jump on a deal the moment it drops. EXPORT YOUR DATA No app lock-in. If you decide you want to go back to spreadsheets or use a different app, we make it easy to export your data. Generate a clean PDF report of your collection, export everything to a CSV spreadsheet, or download a ZIP archive that bundles in all your photos. Perfect for insurance documentation, color-coded spreadsheets, or keeping your own offline records. FREE TO USE, NO ADS The core features for logging, organizing, and importing your collection are 100% free, forever, and include 5 free item scans per day. Need to scan a massive collection or an entire flea market? Upgrade to Pro for unlimited scans at just $1.99/month or $19.99/year. This helps support indie development and keeps the servers humming. Zero ads, ever. Terms of Use (EULA): https://camdex.io/terms Privacy Policy: https://camdex.io/privacy
Screenshots
Verdict
Darkroom Toolkit and Camdex are too close to call on the numbers: across 6 compared parameters — price, update cadence, ads and in-app purchases among them — neither pulls far enough ahead to decide it. What separates them is feature set and interface, not measurable difference.
Scored on Price · Rating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings · Update frequency · Ads · In-app purchases · Monetization · Best chart rank · Devices · Requires iOS
Both are free to download. Darkroom Toolkit sells 1 one-off in-app purchase and Camdex sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $1.99 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.
Darkroom Toolkit ships an update fortnightly, Camdex every 3 weeks. The most recent releases landed on September 19, 2026 and September 14, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | Darkroom Toolkit | Camdex |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | — | 5.0 (1 ratings) — better |
| Number of ratings | — | 1 — better |
| Update frequency | Fortnightly — better | Every 3 weeks |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Monetization | — | Freemium |
| Devices | iPhone | iPhone, iPod — better |
| Requires iOS | 16.4 | 15.1 — better |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 59 MB | 43 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | Robert House | P&T Labs LLC |
In-app purchases
Darkroom Toolkit
- Darkroom Toolkit Pro$9.99
Camdex
- Camdex Pro Monthly$1.991 Month
- Camdex Pro Yearly$19.991 Year








