# Light Meter vs Negative Scanner

The clearest difference is rating: Negative Scanner at 5.0 against Light Meter's 3.6. Negative Scanner also leads on in-app purchases (none vs 2) and update cadence (every 2 days vs weekly). Light Meter's advantage is ratings volume (5 vs 1). On price, ads, device support and iOS requirement there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Light Meter sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $7.99 per year. Negative Scanner asks for nothing beyond the download.

Negative Scanner holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 3.6. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Light Meter has 5 ratings behind it against 1, so its average is the more settled of the two.

Light Meter ships an update weekly, Negative Scanner every 2 days. The most recent releases landed on October 19, 2026 and October 2, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Light Meter | Negative Scanner |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [3.6 (5 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/light-meter-filmbox/id6757200856/reviews) | **[5.0 (1 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/negative-scanner/id6769307918/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | **5** | 1 |
| Positive reviews | 85.2% of reviews | — |
| In-app purchases | Yes | **No** |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Weekly | **Every 2 days** |
| Monetization | Freemium | **Free** |
| Size | 33 MB | 11 MB |
| Requires iOS | 16.6 | **16.0** |
| Devices | iPhone | **iPhone, iPad** |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [卓 朱](https://appshunter.io/developer/1864726195) | [浩宇 李](https://appshunter.io/developer/1875349921) |

## What reviewers say

### Light Meter

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/light-meter-filmbox/id6757200856)

This app helps film photographers precisely measure light, distance, and depth of field before taking a shot. It offers tools for exposure evaluation, flash calculation, and reciprocity failure compensation, with advanced features available via a one-time purchase.

**Highlights:** Light metering, Zone metering, Flash calculator, Reciprocity failure compensation, Distance meter (LiDAR), Depth of field calculator, Gear library

**Features:** macOS Compatibility, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (2)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| FilmBox Toolkit Pro Subscription | $7.99 | per year |
| FilmBox Toolkit Pro | $17.99 | one-time |


### Negative Scanner

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/negative-scanner/id6769307918)

Digitize film negatives quickly and easily. This tool automatically detects borders, corrects distortion, and converts negatives to positives with accurate color correction. Supports batch scanning and custom image enhancements for film photographers.

**Highlights:** Automatic film border detection and cropping, Perspective distortion correction, Automatic negative to positive conversion, Automatic base color correction, Batch scanning for entire film rolls, Custom color grading and image enhancement

**Features:** macOS Compatibility, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Light Meter free?

Light Meter is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Is Negative Scanner free?

Negative Scanner is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Which has better reviews, Light Meter or Negative Scanner?

Negative Scanner is rated higher. Light Meter averages 3.6 out of 5 from 5 ratings, while Negative Scanner averages 5.0 from 1 ratings.

### Do Light Meter or Negative Scanner have ads?

Neither Light Meter nor Negative Scanner shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Light Meter or Negative Scanner?

Light Meter ships an update weekly, and Negative Scanner every 2 days. Most recently, Light Meter was updated on October 19, 2026 and Negative Scanner on October 2, 2026.

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*Compared by [AppsHunter](https://appshunter.io/) from daily US App Store data. Review summaries are generated from verbatim App Store reviews.*