Comparison

Lightframer Pro vs LidarAC

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

Head to head
About

Lightframer Pro

This app transforms your iPhone into a professional cinema viewfinder, allowing you to preview shots with specific camera and lens combinations. It also features real-time sun tracking to help plan shoots around natural light conditions and exports scout photos with detailed metadata.

Highlights
  • Real-time AR viewfinder
  • Camera and lens simulation
  • Sun path tracking
  • Customizable frame lines
  • Metadata export
  • Golden hour and blue hour prediction
Features
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Lightframer Pro is the ultimate director's viewfinder: real cinema cameras and lenses, sun tracking, a 3D shadow map, life-size AR stand-ins and storyboards — all in one app, on location. PREVIEW ANY CAMERA + LENS Pick your body and glass from a library of cinema cameras and lenses — ARRI, RED, Sony, Canon, Blackmagic, Angénieux, Cooke, Zeiss and more, primes, zooms and anamorphics. See exactly how that setup frames the shot, through the phone, before the truck arrives. TRACK THE SUN The sun's path is drawn over your frame and locked to the real horizon, so it stays put while you pan and tilt. Golden hour, blue hour, sunrise and sunset read at a glance, and you can scrub to any time of day to see where the sun will sit in the shot. 3D SHADOW MAP See the shadows before you hit the set. A 3D map of the location shows where buildings and terrain throw shade at any hour, so you know when the street is lit and when it isn't. BLOCK YOUR SCENES WITH AR STAND-INS No actor on location? Tap the ground and a life-size stand-in appears at true scale. Set height and pose, add a second character for two-shots, and frame the dialogue through your chosen lens. Blocking saves with every capture. STORYBOARDS AND PDF EXPORT Turn scout frames into boards. Order shots, add captions and camera-move tags (PUSH IN, PAN L→R, HANDHELD...), play the board back as an instant previz, export a video animatic, or share a numbered PDF with project, director, DP and scene details — ready for the crew before call time. READ THE LIGHT IN KELVIN A live scene meter reads colour temperature on location — tungsten, neon, daylight — and prints white balance on every export. FRAME LINES FOR EVERY RATIO 2.39:1 anamorphic, 1.85:1 theatrical, 17:9 DCI, 16:9 HD, 4:3 open gate, 9:16 vertical, or your own custom ratio, with shading and colour controls. Full UI in portrait and landscape. EXPORT WITH FULL CINEMA DATA Every capture carries a metadata strip: camera, lens, focal length, aspect ratio, sun position, compass heading and white balance. Share scout photos the whole crew can read. BUILT FOR CINEMATOGRAPHERS - Real-time viewfinder matched to your camera and lens - World-locked sun path with golden hour, blue hour, sunrise and sunset - 3D shadow map for any hour of the day - Life-size AR stand-ins with adjustable height and pose - Storyboards with captions, move tags, animatic and PDF export - Live colour-temperature meter - LiDAR focus heatmap with cinema diopter presets (LiDAR devices) - Reference Cam for plain full-frame location photos - Compass heading overlay, portrait and landscape modes - Photo and video export with cinema metadata The focus heatmap and diopter tools require a LiDAR-equipped device (iPhone Pro models or iPad Pro). AR stand-ins work on any device with ARKit support. Whether you're a DP scouting a commercial, an indie filmmaker planning a short, or a director blocking scenes on location — Lightframer Pro lets you plan every shot with precision.

About

LidarAC

This app transforms your iPhone into a handheld controller for advanced focus pulling in video production. It integrates LiDAR data for real-time distance measurements, depth of field calculations, and precise focus tracking, enhancing your workflow with intuitive tools and haptic feedback.

Highlights
  • Real-time LiDAR distance data
  • Depth of field visualization
  • Custom lens profiles
  • Focus scale modes
  • Marker-based focus assistance
  • Haptic feedback
Features
Read full description

LidarAC – RX is the handheld control and monitoring interface for the LidarAC system, built to extend Tilta Nucleus M and N setups for modern focus workflows. The idea is simple: bring tools normally found on high-end hand units to the Nano by using an iPhone. The system consists of two Modes. RX acts as the handheld interface and connects to the Nucleus Nano II via Bluetooth. TX runs on a second iPhone mounted on the camera (iPhone 12 Pro or newer) and provides LiDAR-based distance data. RX already enhances the Nucleus on its own with custom lens profiles, focus scaling, and marker tools. The full potential unlocks when paired with TX, adding real-time distance data directly into the focus workflow. Instead of relying on raw motor values, the system translates focus into usable distance context. Depth of field is calculated and visualized in real time, helping focus pullers make faster and more confident decisions, especially in dynamic scenes. Lens profiles allow precise mapping between LiDAR data and lens behavior, including aperture-based depth of field. Camera profiles handle CoC and sensor offset, ensuring accurate results in real-world setups. The focus scale is fully interactive and can switch between a flat mode and a focus wheel inspired mode. Values can either be mapped visually like on the lens for intuitive pulling, or displayed linearly to better understand spatial relationships within the scene. Marker and tracking tools make it easy to set, follow, and recall focus points. Features like spot measurement, 2D and 3D tracking, and a top-down LiDAR view provide clear spatial awareness on set. Haptic feedback increases as you approach a marker, giving intuitive confirmation without looking away. Key features: • Real-time LiDAR distance data for people, faces, and eyes • Spot distance measurement • 2D and 3D tracking points • Top-down LiDAR scene view • Custom lens profiles with depth of field visualization • Multiple focus scale modes (linear, lens matched, logarithmic) • Marker-based focus assistance with haptic feedback

Screenshots

Lightframer Pro4 screens
LidarAC4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is price: LidarAC at Free against Lightframer Pro's $19.99. LidarAC also leads on update cadence (every 11 days vs monthly). Lightframer Pro's advantage is chart position (#196 vs unranked) and ratings volume (7 vs 1). On rating, 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

LidarAC is free to download; Lightframer Pro costs $19.99 up front. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 4.9 for Lightframer Pro against 5.0 for LidarAC. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Lightframer Pro has 7 ratings behind it against 1, so its average is the more settled of the two.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Lightframer Pro ships an update monthly, LidarAC every 11 days. The most recent releases landed on November 9, 2026 and November 5, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard5 real differences · 6 level
Lightframer Pro versus LidarAC: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterLightframer ProLidarAC
Price$19.99Free — better
Rating4.9 (7 ratings)5.0 (1 ratings) — better
Positive reviews100.0% of reviews—
Number of ratings7 — better1
Update frequencyMonthlyEvery 11 days — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNoNo
MonetizationPaidFree — better
Best chart rank#196 — better—
DevicesiPhone, iPadiPhone, iPad
Requires iOS17.0 — better17.6
Further details — not scored
Size76 MB16 MB
Age rating4+4+
Developereric HernandezLuis Arndt

In-app purchases

None

Lightframer Pro

No in-app purchases

None

LidarAC

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is Lightframer Pro free?
Lightframer Pro costs $19.99, with no in-app purchases.
Is LidarAC free?
LidarAC is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Which has better reviews, Lightframer Pro or LidarAC?
LidarAC is rated higher. Lightframer Pro averages 4.9 out of 5 from 7 ratings, while LidarAC averages 5.0 from 1 ratings.
Do Lightframer Pro or LidarAC have ads?
Neither Lightframer Pro nor LidarAC shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Lightframer Pro or LidarAC?
Lightframer Pro ships an update monthly, and LidarAC every 11 days. Most recently, Lightframer Pro was updated on November 9, 2026 and LidarAC on November 5, 2026.

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