Comparison

light & deep vs FilmLog

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

Head to head
About

light & deep

Features
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Light & Deep is a viewfinder, light meter and LiDAR rangefinder for film, cinema and custom made cameras. Choose your format and focal length, meter the light and measure your subject distance. With Pro (one purchase, no subscription), see the estimated depth of field as zebra stripes over the live scene, and watch it change as you adjust the aperture. Originally built for a handmade camera without a finder or meter, it brings the same practical tools to medium-format, large-format and panoramic photography. SEE DEPTH OF FIELD โ€” PRO Explore which nearby parts of your scene would be sharp for your format, focal length, aperture and focus distance. Open the aperture and the highlighted zone narrows. Stop down and it grows. METER THE LIGHT Set your film ISO, choose aperture or shutter priority, and read the corresponding exposure setting. Pro adds spot metering and calibration for each iPhone lens. FRAME YOUR SHOT Set your format and focal length to preview composition. Free offers 35mm full frame and 6x6 medium format. Pro offers 53 film, digital and cinema formats, including large format, XPan, Instax, Polaroid, Super 8, and IMAX. MEASURE THE DISTANCE On a LiDAR-equipped iPhone, tap a point to measure its distance. The free distance zebra highlights surfaces near the selected distance. Pro adds depth-of-field visualization and can keep measuring a fixed point in the scene even as you move the phone. SAVE A REFERENCE โ€” PRO Keep a reference photo with a settings strip and image metadata. Record aperture, shutter speed, ISO, format, focal length, distance, a film note and optional location, so you can refer back to your setup later. FREE, WITH NO TIME LIMIT โ€ข Reflective light meter with aperture and shutter priority โ€ข 35mm full-frame and 6ร—6 frame overlays โ€ข Focal-length control โ€ข LiDAR distance measurement, tap-to-measure and target-distance zebras on supported hardware PRO - ONE PURCHASE, NO SUBSCRIPTION โ€ข Depth-of-field visualization on supported hardware โ€ข All 53 formats โ€ข Spot metering and light-meter calibration โ€ข Reference photos with settings and metadata โ€ข Fixed-point distance tracking โ€ข Ultrawide camera support on compatible devices โ€ข Black-and-white view and virtual horizon โ€ข Frame, zebra and crosshair customization โ€ข Parallax correction for a phone mounted on a camera โ€ข Cinema tools: shutter angle, project frame rate and anamorphic squeeze Pro is an optional one-time in-app purchase. The free features remain available without upgrading. REQUIREMENTS iPhone with iOS 17.6 or later. Distance measurement, distance zebras and depth-of-field visualization require a LiDAR-equipped iPhone: iPhone 12 Pro or 12 Pro Max, or a later model with LiDAR. Metering and framing work without LiDAR. LiDAR is intended for nearby subjects, with a useful range of about five metres depending on conditions. Depth coverage is limited to the central area in ultrawide view. The depth-of-field overlay estimates acceptable sharpness; it does not simulate lens bokeh or guarantee the final photograph's sharpness. PRIVACY No account, ads or analytics. Camera, depth and exposure processing happens on your device. Optional location data is used when you choose to include it in a reference photo.

About

FilmLog

Features
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Shooting film means every frame counts. FilmLog helps you make each one count twice โ€” once in the camera, and once in your records. PLAN BEFORE YOU SHOOT Most film apps only look backward. FilmLog is built around your next session: plan your shots, set up your rolls, and walk out the door knowing exactly what you're shooting. LOG EVERY FRAME Record aperture, shutter speed, ISO, lens and notes for every exposure โ€” in seconds, without breaking the flow of shooting. When your negatives come back, you'll know exactly what you did right. FROM LOADING TO DEVELOPMENT Track every roll through its full life: loaded, shot, waiting, developed. Your entire archive stays organized and searchable โ€” every roll, every camera, every stock. BUILT-IN LIGHT METER Meter your scene straight from the app. No second device, no guesswork. MADE FOR FILM SHOOTERS Whether you shoot 35mm, medium format or half-frame โ€” one camera or ten โ€” FilmLog was built by a film photographer who wanted exactly this app to exist. No accounts, no clutter. Just you, your cameras, and your film. Load a roll. Plan your shots. Never lose an exposure again.

Screenshots

light & deep4 screens
FilmLog4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: FilmLog at none against light & deep's 1. FilmLog also leads on update cadence (every 4 days vs every 2 weeks). On price, ads, device support and iOS requirement there is nothing between them.

Scored on Price ยท Rating ยท Positive reviews ยท Number of ratings ยท Update frequency ยท Ads ยท In-app purchases ยท Monetization ยท Best chart rank ยท Devices ยท Requires iOS

CostPrice ยท In-app purchases ยท Ads ยท Monetization

Both are free to download. light & deep sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. FilmLog asks for nothing beyond the download.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

light & deep ships an update every 2 weeks, FilmLog every 4 days. The most recent releases landed on October 28, 2026 and October 24, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard2 real differences ยท 4 level
light & deep versus FilmLog: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
Parameterlight & deepFilmLog
PriceFreeFree
Update frequencyEvery 2 weeksEvery 4 days โ€” better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesNo โ€” better
DevicesiPhoneiPhone
Requires iOS17.617.6
Further details โ€” not scored
Size4 MB7 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperMikhail RybakovRobert Antonov

In-app purchases

1 purchases

light & deep

One-time1
  • Light & Deep Pro$11.99
None

FilmLog

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is light & deep free?
light & deep is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is FilmLog free?
FilmLog is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Do light & deep or FilmLog have ads?
Neither light & deep nor FilmLog shows ads.
Which is updated more often, light & deep or FilmLog?
light & deep ships an update every 2 weeks, and FilmLog every 4 days. Most recently, light & deep was updated on October 28, 2026 and FilmLog on October 24, 2026.

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