Optaxis vs Second View
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
Optaxis
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Optaxis - Master the Axis, Connect the Like-minded This is not another filter camera app. Optaxis is a pro toolbox and community for 35mm full-frame, medium & large format, Leica, Sony, Fuji, Canon, Nikon, Panasonic, Hasselblad, Phase One, ALPA technical cameras, and film. 23 engineer-grade toolsets (40+ sub-tools), a 1500+ lens spec database, a global community, and an AI assistant - all in one app. 23 PROFESSIONAL TOOLSETS [PRE - PLANNING] - Weather & Light - live weather, golden / blue hour, moonrise & set, clouds - Aurora - regional visibility, cloud + moon factors, 3-day forecast - Burn Sky - multi-day burning-cloud index, probability model, share poster - Tide - tide forecast, photo / surf / fishing presets, multi-day charts - Specialty Weather - sea-of-clouds / rime / alpenglow probability, 28 locations - Field of View & Focal - 7 bodies x 19 backs, 35mm equiv, shift-stitch, image circle, DOF / hyperfocal - Scout - map sun / moon / Milky Way planner, azimuth, rise / set, spot check-in - Plan - pre-shoot planning, gear checklist, WeatherKit, linked log, cloud sync [SHOOT - IN THE FIELD] - Compose - multi-focal overlay, 9 grids, 6 live B&W filters, RGB histogram - AR Viewfinder - live overlay, level, light meter, sun / moon / Milky Way AR, AI Vision - Exposure - exposure triangle, EV, ND, bellows, film reciprocity - Scheimpflug Tilt / Swing - tilt / swing angle, focus distance (to f/64), linked DOF - Live Shift - real-time architectural shift, multi-back image circle, WYSIWYG - Exposure Session - reciprocity, bellows, filter & manual compensation on one screen - Timer - long-exposure countdown, safe shutter speed, cable release - Compass - true / magnetic north, declination, precise bearing [POST - DARKROOM] - Film Dev - 5-step wizard, +/-0.5C control, batch decay compensation, 11 verified recipes - Darkroom - dodge / burn notes, 4 safelights, F-stop test strips, MG filters - EI Calibration - reversal Zone VIII algorithm, community distribution, one-tap share - Reciprocity - reciprocity-failure curves, push / pull, multi-brand reference - Print Size - DPI rating, stitched megapixels, museum-grade, wall-mount preview [LOG - RECORD & SKY] - Diary - gear / params / notes, 12-field film mode, 2 clips, auto EXIF, cloud sync - Astro - star trails (500 / NPF), Milky Way, sun & moon paths, eclipse catalog 2026-2035, meteor showers, 53 stars + 5 planets AR EQUIPMENT ARCHIVE Manage bodies, backs, lenses, filters, kits, and film. Spec library: Leica M/SL/S, Hasselblad XCD/HC, Fuji GF, ALPA HR, Schneider / Rodenstock LF. Side-by-side comparison plus cloud sync. UNCOMPROMISED QUALITY Native HEIC, 10-bit Display P3, up to 80MB originals. Full dynamic range and color for medium and large format. GLOBAL PHOTOGRAPHER COMMUNITY - Multi-image posts - main + 100% detail crops, 9-image upload - Global map - discover nearby, spot check-in, meetups, community studios & dev labs - Hashtags, collections, Daily Inspiration, themed contests - Direct & group chat - text, image, file, equipment cards, params, group events - Voice & video calls - in-call photo + EXIF, equipment cards - Verification badges - ALPA, Cinema Lens, Leica, Hasselblad, Fuji, Large Format - Safety - report, block, moderation, AI pre-upload screening AI PHOTO ASSISTANT XiaoGuang AI - photo critique, captions, bio, log analysis, voice-to-text. Knowledge base across Leica, Hasselblad, Fuji GFX, ALPA, large format. Mention in group chats; CN/EN auto-translate. ARTICLES & NEWS In-depth Tips, industry News, community submissions, auto CN/EN translation. SUBSCRIPTION Free to use all calculators and community features. Pro unlocks the AI photo assistant and more. Monthly and yearly; pricing in-app. Billed through Apple ID, auto-renews, cancel anytime in Settings > Apple ID > Subscriptions. Terms of Use: https://optaxis.app/terms.html Privacy Policy: https://optaxis.app/privacy-policy.html Support: https://optaxis.app/support.html
Second View
This app acts as a digital viewfinder and light meter for analog photographers. It helps you precisely frame shots, calculate exposure settings, and plan complex scenes before using your physical camera. It supports a wide range of film formats and offers advanced tools for metering and composition.
- Precise field-of-view matching
- Automatic lens selection
- Rangefinder-style bright lines
- Integrated light meter
- Zone System planning
- Reciprocity correction for film stocks
- Sun and moon planner
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PLEASE READ FIRST Second View is not a camera app and does not take photos for you. It helps you frame, meter, and plan shots before you press the shutter on your own camera. The photos it saves are framing aids, not final images. Second View turns your iPhone into a precision field toolkit for analog photographers. Set your lens and format, and it crops the iPhone camera to match what your film camera will capture: same field of view, aspect ratio, and framing. Supports 35mm, medium format (6x4.5 through 6x17), large format (4x5, 5x7, 8x10), digital sensors, and custom sizes. VIEWFINDER Precise field-of-view matching for any focal length and format. Portrait or landscape, control side of your choice, preview rotation per kit. AUTOMATIC LENS SELECTION Frames through the sharpest back camera that holds your crop (ultra-wide, wide or tele), so long lenses look crisp. Calibrate each lens with a sheet of paper. FRAMES MODE Rangefinder-style bright lines for every lens in your kit at once. WORKSPACES Design your own control panel and switch layouts with a swipe. FREEZE MODE Hold a full-resolution still to compose rise and shift, spot-meter, and measure distance without the scene moving. LIGHT METER Pick your aperture and get the shutter speed. EV compensation, hyperfocal distance, auto/manual modes, and whole/half/third stops. SPOT METERING Meter the whole frame or a spot down to 1° through the telephoto. ZONE SYSTEM Log spot readings on a zone scale from 0 to X and slide it to place shadows and highlights. Zone V sets the exposure, with contrast range, an N+/N- hint and film latitude. METER CALIBRATION Calibrate against your reference meter at several light levels, per lens. BELLOWS COMPENSATION Folds close-focus light loss into the reading, set manually or by LiDAR. LENS FILTERS Log ND, polarizer, and color filters. The meter compensates and every capture records them. RECIPROCITY CORRECTION 60 film stocks with accurate reciprocity curves, plus your own: Portra, CineStill, Tri-X, Velvia, ECN-2 and more. Exposures over one second are corrected automatically. FILM PREVIEW Simulate B&W film with color filters, and preview color-film white balance from the loaded stock. SUN AND MOON PLANNER The day's sun path, golden and blue hour and the moon drawn over your frame. Plan any date and place on a map with sunrise, sunset and moon directions. LONG EXPOSURE TIMER Countdown with a full-screen progress ring, on the Lock Screen and in the Dynamic Island, with an optional end alert. HARDWARE BUTTONS Map the volume buttons, Camera Control, the Action button or a Bluetooth remote to shutter, timer, freeze, lens steps and more. LIDAR DISTANCE AND PARALLAX Measure subject distance with LiDAR (iPhone 12 Pro and later) or enter it manually. Parallax between the iPhone and your lens is corrected automatically. RISE, FALL AND SHIFT Simulate view camera movements in 1mm steps, up to your kit's maximum travel. COMPOSITION TOOLS Rule of thirds, phi grid, golden triangle, square, and custom grids up to 12x12. Bubble level with roll and pitch. PANORAMA SIMULATION Preview a stitched multi-frame panorama and save it as a plan. SHOT CHECKLIST Run a per-kit checklist in the viewfinder. One step can fire the shutter automatically. CAMERA KITS Save complete setups and switch instantly: lenses, format, stocks, workspace, parallax, and checklist. Pick a body and the format picker shows only the masks it can shoot. FILM ROLL TRACKING Know which roll is loaded and when every frame was exposed. CAPTURE AND GALLERY Save a reference photo with the exact framing and full metadata: lens, format, stock, filters, exposure, rise/shift, GPS, time, and sun and moon position. Export with a data overlay, add notes, group into rolls, and export a CSV log. Terms of Use : https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/ Privacy policy : https://secondview.app/privacy
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is ads: Optaxis at none against Second View's shown. On price, update cadence, 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. Optaxis sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $5.99 per month and Second View sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $7.99 per year. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.
Optaxis ships an update every 4 days, Second View weekly. The most recent releases landed on October 31, 2026 and November 5, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | Optaxis | Second View |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | — | 4.0 (5 ratings) — better |
| Positive reviews | — | 55.6% of reviews |
| Number of ratings | — | 5 — better |
| Update frequency | Every 4 days — better | Weekly |
| Ads | No — better | Yes |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Monetization | — | Free with in-app purchases |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad — better | iPhone |
| Requires iOS | 17.0 | 16.0 — better |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 123 MB | 44 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | XIAO MIN NI | Benoit Linard |
In-app purchases
Optaxis
- Monthly14 Days trial$5.991 Month
- Yearly14 Days trial$49.991 Year
Second View
- Second View Basic Yearly7 Days trial$7.991 Year
- Second View Pro Yearly7 Days trial$14.991 Year









