Lens Pattern vs EXPOCAL
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
Lens Pattern
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Grid Professional Test Patterns for Camera Calibration Turn your iPad, iPhone, or Apple TV into a precision test pattern generator for camera and lens analysis. Lens Pattern displays pixel-accurate test charts directly on your device screen — no printed charts, no extra hardware. Perfect for camera calibration, lens quality testing, color grading verification, and production monitoring. INCLUDED TEST PATTERNS: Markers & Calibration • Grid Tags — AprilTag marker grid with adjustable tag size and start ID, ideal for camera calibration and spatial tracking Color & Exposure • SMPTE Bars — Standard SMPTE EG-1-1990 color bars • SMPTE 303M — HD color bars with PLUGE and Y-ramp zones • EBU Bars — EBU Tech 3325 color bars (75% and 100%) • ColorChecker — Classic 24-patch color reference chart • Color Scales — R/G/B/C/M/Y/W gradient ramps with percentage markers • Clipping — Shadow and highlight clipping test (1% steps) with stepped ramp • Grayscale — 21-step grayscale ramp with percentage labels Geometry & Focus • Crosshatch — Grid pattern for distortion analysis • Checkerboard — Black/white checkerboard for resolution testing • Caro — Diamond pattern (45° rotated checkerboard) • Dot Grid — Uniform dot array for distortion measurement • Siemens Star — Resolution target for sharpness evaluation • Focus Chart — Comprehensive focus and resolution target Timing & Animation • Motion Test — Moving bars for rolling shutter and motion blur analysis • Timecode — Real-time HH:MM:SS:FF display at 60fps • Flicker — Adjustable frequency flicker (0.5–30 Hz) KEY FEATURES: • Full-screen, pixel-perfect rendering on any screen size • Physical dimensions in millimeters displayed on iOS devices
EXPOCAL
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EXPOCAL is the on-set exposure companion for cinematographers, DPs, and gaffers — every calculation you reach for between scouting a location and rolling, in one fast, dark-themed app. Nail exposure Incident metering math built on ISO 2720: dial in ISO/EI, shutter angle, and frame rate to get the exact T-stop — or work backwards from an aperture to the lux you need. Handles dual-base sensors and broadcast gain (dB) too. Match your gear Pick from a built-in library of 47 cinema cameras and 241 lenses. Check sensor coverage, mount compatibility, and how a lens, extender, or adapter behaves across your kit. Director's viewfinder Frame a shot right on your phone. Choose a camera and focal length and the live preview matches that lens's field of view — pinch or use the thumb zoom slider to find the frame before the camera is even built. Overlay mode draws the exact framing on a wide preview. Depth & focus Hyperfocal distance, depth of field, and aperture sweeps with sweet-spot, diffraction, and noise guidance. Light & color ND filter stops, white-balance mired shifts, and CTB/CTO/plus-green gel recommendations. Timecode Read SMPTE LTC straight from the audio input and show it full-screen, big enough to hold in front of a lens. When the sound has a clock and the camera does not, you film the number. The reader flywheels through dropouts and says when it has lost lock rather than pretending it hasn't. Export Generate clean PDF reports for scene and sensor planning. EXPOCAL gives estimates to support your judgment on set — always confirm critical exposures with your meter and monitor.
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is iOS requirement: EXPOCAL at 15.0 against Lens Pattern's 18.6. On price, update cadence, ads and in-app purchases 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. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.
Lens Pattern ships an update fortnightly, EXPOCAL weekly. The most recent releases landed on September 25, 2026 and September 18, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | Lens Pattern | EXPOCAL |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Update frequency | Fortnightly | Weekly — better |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, Apple TV | iPhone, iPad, iPod, Mac — better |
| Requires iOS | 18.6 | 15.0 — better |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 1 MB | 28 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | Stage Precision GmbH | JOHN MORGAN BROWN |
In-app purchases
Lens Pattern
No in-app purchases
EXPOCAL
No in-app purchases
Questions
Is Lens Pattern free?
Is EXPOCAL free?
Do Lens Pattern or EXPOCAL have ads?
Which is updated more often, Lens Pattern or EXPOCAL?
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