Comparison

Second View vs BlackRAW Studio

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

Head to head
About

Second View

This tool assists photographers in planning shots by simulating their actual camera's field of view and aspect ratio. It includes a light meter, filter logging, and reciprocity correction for film stocks. Features like LiDAR distance measurement and composition guides help refine framing and exposure before taking the shot.

Highlights
  • Precise field-of-view matching
  • Real-time light meter with spot metering
  • ND, polarizer, and color filter logging
  • Reciprocity failure correction for 60 film stocks
  • LiDAR distance measurement
  • Composition and grid tools
  • Panorama simulation
Read full description

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. 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. 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, and time. 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

About

BlackRAW Studio

This app offers advanced color grading tools for mobile video editing, supporting RAW footage and custom LUTs. Refine individual clips or create consistent looks across a timeline, then export in various formats.

Highlights
  • Primary adjustments, color wheels, curves, HSL
  • Import and export .cube LUT files
  • Trim clips with in/out points
  • Develop Blackmagic RAW and ProRes RAW
  • Export H.264, HEVC, ProRes 422
  • Create consistent looks for multiple clips
Features
Read full description

Try all Pro features for 7 days with your own clips, including RAW, color, LUTs, projects and export. Available with monthly or annual subscriptions for eligible Apple Accounts after confirming in the App Store. Renews at the displayed price unless canceled. Included sample clips also let you try color and export without subscribing. Color grading for every video. RAW when you need it. BlackRAW Studio is your pocket color studio for iPhone and iPad. Refine everyday video, develop Blackmagic RAW and Apple ProRes RAW, and give multiple clips a consistent look before delivery. COLOR FOR EVERY SHOT Refine your image with primary adjustments, color wheels, curves, HSL and ColorSlice. Grade an individual clip or create a shared finish for the timeline. Import your LUTs and export a static look as a .cube file. MORE ROOM TO TRIM Open multiple clips from Files or Photos. Select a shot in the timeline and set its in and out points with a larger trim bar. Review each shot's duration as you prepare a simple sequence. CHOOSE YOUR DELIVERY Export separate graded, trimmed clips or the timeline as one continuous video. Choose options supported by the export mode and your device, including H.264, HEVC or ProRes 422. Save videos to Files or Photos when the format allows it. Follow progress, cancel when needed and check the delivery summary. A WORKFLOW FOR RAW Open Blackmagic RAW and decode and develop supported Apple ProRes RAW footage with the RAW controls available for each source. With BRAW, you can also export trimmed originals to Files without re-encoding or baking in the grade. Original RAW trimming does not apply to ProRes RAW. A LOOK YOU CAN REUSE Export color adjustments that can be represented by a .cube LUT for use with a compatible color input. A LUT does not contain trims, edits or RAW decoding parameters. BEFORE YOU EXPORT Export of your own clips requires Pro. Check available plans and prices in the app. Compatibility and options depend on the codec, file, system version and device. The Studio deliveries described here are SDR. BlackRAW Studio is an independent app and is not affiliated with Apple or Blackmagic Design. Format names identify compatibility. Open your clips, find your look and prepare your next delivery. Terms of Use: https://blackrawvisor.com/terms

Screenshots

Second View4 screens
BlackRAW Studio4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is rating: BlackRAW Studio at 5.0 against Second View's 4.0. BlackRAW Studio also leads on update cadence (daily vs weekly). Second View's advantage is ratings volume (5 vs 1). On price, ads, in-app purchases and monetization model 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

Both are free to download. Second View sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $7.99 per year and BlackRAW Studio sells 3 in-app purchases, starting at $4.99 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

BlackRAW Studio holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 4.0. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Second View has 5 ratings behind it against 1, so its average is the more settled of the two.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Second View ships an update weekly, BlackRAW Studio daily. The most recent releases landed on October 19, 2026 and October 18, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard3 real differences · 7 level
Second View versus BlackRAW Studio: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterSecond ViewBlackRAW Studio
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.0 (5 ratings)5.0 (1 ratings) — better
Positive reviews55.6% of reviews—
Number of ratings5 — better1
Update frequencyWeeklyDaily — better
AdsYesYes
In-app purchasesYesYes
MonetizationFree with in-app purchasesFree with in-app purchases
DevicesiPhoneiPhone, iPad — better
Requires iOS16.0 — better17.0
Further details — not scored
Size45 MB279 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperBenoit LinardTRISIMIO SL

Customer experience

Second View

All ratings5 ratings
Positive80.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative20.0%
Written reviews9 reviews
Positive55.6%
Neutral11.1%
Negative33.3%

BlackRAW Studio

All ratings1 ratings
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%

In-app purchases

2 purchases

Second View

Subscriptions2
  • Second View Basic Yearly7 Days trial$7.991 Year
  • Second View Pro Yearly7 Days trial$14.991 Year
3 purchases

BlackRAW Studio

Subscriptions2
  • Pro Monthly$4.991 Month
  • Pro Annual7 Days trial$39.991 Year
One-time1
  • Pro Lifetime$69.99

Questions

Is Second View free?
Second View is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is BlackRAW Studio free?
BlackRAW Studio is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Which has better reviews, Second View or BlackRAW Studio?
BlackRAW Studio is rated higher. Second View averages 4.0 out of 5 from 5 ratings, while BlackRAW Studio averages 5.0 from 1 ratings.
Do Second View or BlackRAW Studio have ads?
Both Second View and BlackRAW Studio show ads.
Which is updated more often, Second View or BlackRAW Studio?
Second View ships an update weekly, and BlackRAW Studio daily. Most recently, Second View was updated on October 19, 2026 and BlackRAW Studio on October 18, 2026.

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