LidarFlash vs SpotMeter
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
LidarFlash
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LidarFlash - Rangefinder & Lighting Assistant for Film/Digital Stop wasting expensive film? Tired of unreliable TTL flash? LidarFlash is the ultimate tool for Film Enthusiasts and Professionals. Leveraging the iPhone Pro LiDAR, it solves the core issues of inaccurate rangefinding and costly lighting trial-and-error. 【Key Benefits】 -For Film Lovers: Save Film, Save Money 1. Revive Vintage Cameras: Turn any camera into a precision rangefinder, even with faded rangefinder patches or zone focus. 2. Zero Waste: Ensure perfect exposure every time, eliminating ruined shots. 3. All-in-One: Replace heavy handheld meters with your phone. -For Professionals: Efficient Lighting, Perfect Results 1. Ditch Unstable TTL: Physics-based calculations ignore scene reflectivity for stable results. 2. No More Test Flashes: Calculate power instantly, saving time and impressing clients. 3. Master Light Ratios: Precisely control key/fill light output for perfect depth. 【Core Features】 -Smart Flash System 1. Auto Calculate: Inputs LiDAR distance, ISO, aperture, and GN to solve flash power. 2. Flash Comp: +/- EV adjustment for creative control. 3. Full Manual: Override auto settings for complete flexibility. -Efficient Workflow 1. Presets: Save settings (e.g., Indoor Portraits) for one-tap switching. 2. Dual Mode Ranging: Millimeter precision up to 5m (portraits); Long range up to 10m (large scenes). -Shoot Log & Review 1. Auto Log: Records distance, aperture, ISO, power, and compensation. 2. Review: Match logs with photos for easy teaching and self-improvement. 【Compatible Devices (Requires LiDAR)】 iPhone 12 Pro/Max and later Pro models; iPad Pro 2020 and later Pro models. LidarFlash — Grounding Nostalgia, Empowering Professionals. Download now and start your journey of precision photography! Terms of Use: https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/ Privacy Policy: https://bshuai.top/agreement/privacy Subscription: This app offers auto-renewable subscriptions. The subscription will automatically renew unless canceled 24 hours before the end of the current period. You can manage or cancel your subscription in your Apple ID Settings.
SpotMeter
This app functions as a digital light meter for photographers, especially those using film. It allows users to precisely measure light from specific points in a scene, aiding in accurate exposure and the application of the Zone System for optimal results.
- Precise spot metering
- Zone System calculations
- Save and balance readings
- Adjust aperture, shutter, ISO
- Long exposure compensation
- Film and camera profiles
- Logbook for rolls
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The roll comes back from the lab three weeks later and the photo you cared about is ruined. Too dark, too washed out, gone. Film does not give second chances. It usually is not even your fault. Most light meter apps read the whole scene at once, so a bright sky or a dark doorway drags the reading off, and you find out weeks later. SpotMeter works the way classic handheld spot meters work: point it at the one thing that matters, a face, a shadow, a patch of sky, and it reads just that. Read the shadow you want detail in. Read the highlight you refuse to lose. Set your camera, press the shutter, and know. FREE FOREVER • A real spot meter: point at one small part of the scene and read exactly that, not an average • Save up to 5 readings and let the app balance them • Choose how bright or dark each part of the photo comes out. Film shooters call this the Zone System; the app does the math • Set aperture, shutter, and ISO yourself. Lock one and the app adjusts the others • A confidence signal that tells you when a reading is trustworthy, plus a live brightness graph • 34 films built in. Long exposures need extra time on film, and the app adds it for you automatically • A logbook for every roll, so each frame's settings come home with the negatives • Ready the moment you open it, no setup required SPOTMETER PRO: PAY ONCE, KEEP IT FOREVER • The most accurate reading your iPhone can give: Pro reads the camera's raw, untouched sensor data before the iPhone prettifies the image, so hard light does not fool it • Live Zone view overlays. Zones, Edges, Wash and Detail. Detail uses your loaded camera/film to show you lost details in the shadows and highlights in real time. • Per-camera calibration, in beta: a guided setup that fine-tunes readings for your exact camera. It works today; we call it beta while we keep tuning it • Nearly 90 classic film and digital cameras and over 140 lenses, ready to add as your kit • Six calculators for the fiddly parts: dark ND filters, long exposures, close-up bellows work, and sharpness planning (depth of field, hyperfocal, focus stacking), all pre-filled from your gear • Put filters on your lens and every reading adjusts for them automatically • Golden hour planning, with an AR view that draws the sun's path across your actual scene and a timer that tells you when to leave so you arrive before the light goes • Your last reading and a golden hour countdown, right on your lock screen • Export any roll as a CSV or PDF for your records or your lab • Backup and sync through your own private iCloud Nearly every Pro feature has a small free trial, so you can prove it on a real roll before you pay once. To our knowledge, SpotMeter is the only iPhone spot meter that reads a raw sensor frame with per-camera calibration. WHO IT IS FOR Anyone who shoots film: 35mm, medium format, large format, or the thrift-store camera you just brought home. If you have ever waited weeks for a roll and wished you had trusted a better number, this is for you. THE QUIET PARTS No subscription. No ads. No account, no sign-in, no server of ours. Your readings live on your phone and in your own iCloud, nowhere else. Anonymous usage stats help us improve the app, and you can switch them off in Settings. REQUIREMENTS iOS 16 or later, iPhone only. Pro's raw metering needs an iPhone that can capture raw photos; the app checks and tells you up front. Privacy policy: spotmeter.app/privacy Support: spotmeter.app/support
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is update cadence: SpotMeter at every 2 weeks against LidarFlash's every 2 months. 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
Both are free to download. LidarFlash sells 5 in-app purchases, starting at $1.99 per month and SpotMeter sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.
LidarFlash ships an update every 2 months, SpotMeter every 2 weeks. The most recent releases landed on September 8, 2026 and September 10, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | LidarFlash | SpotMeter |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | — | 5.0 (3 ratings) — better |
| Positive reviews | — | 100.0% of reviews |
| Number of ratings | — | 3 — better |
| Update frequency | Every 2 months | Every 2 weeks — better |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Monetization | — | Freemium |
| Devices | iPhone, iPod — better | iPhone |
| Requires iOS | 15.6 — better | 16.0 |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 15 MB | 49 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | 相锋 刘 | Christopher Cutler |
In-app purchases
LidarFlash
- Auto-renew Monthly3 Days trial$1.991 Month
- Auto-renew Quarterly$4.993 Months
- Auto-renew Annual$14.991 Year
- 1-Month Pro Subscription$2.99
- Lifetime Premium Membership$19.99
SpotMeter
- SpotMeter Pro$9.99





