Exposure Check vs ZoneCalc
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
Exposure Check
This app provides professional-grade exposure analysis tools for photographers and videographers. It offers false color and zone system analysis for imported photos and a real-time false color camera overlay for live shooting. Manual camera controls and project organization features are also included.
- Real-time false color camera overlay
- Zone system analysis
- Manual camera controls
- Import and analyze photos
- Stacked compare view
- Project organization
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Exposure Check brings professional-grade exposure analysis to your iPhone, iPad, and Mac for 1 low price! False color imaging — used by cinematographers on set worldwide — reveals exactly where your highlights clip and shadows crush before it's too late. Use this tool to import images from Movies, TV Shows, and more to reveal how professional cinematographers exposed their final graded images. SHOOT IN APPLE LOG Capture with the in-app camera in Apple Log and read exposure the way you would on a pro monitor. Zone and False Color overlays follow the exact Apple Log curve, so every zone lines up with true scene stops — the full dynamic range of your sensor, measured in real light. REAL-TIME FALSE COLOR CAMERA See your scene through a live false color overlay as you shoot. Instantly identify overexposed highlights, underexposed shadows, and perfectly exposed midtones — the same tools used on professional film sets, now in your pocket. TAP TO METER Tap anywhere in the frame for an instant zone readout and a recommended f-stop. Simulate any lens aperture with the IRIS control and get a recommendation to place your subject at 18% middle gray — before you roll. ZONE SYSTEM ANALYSIS Exposure Check maps your image into distinct one-stop tonal zones so you can evaluate exposure with precision and intent. MANUAL CAMERA CONTROLS Take full control with manual ISO, shutter angle, white balance, frame rate, and lens selection — plus pinch-to-zoom lens switching and a live, draggable histogram. ANALYZE ANY PHOTO Import photos from your library and run Zone or False Color analysis instantly. The stacked compare view shows your original and analyzed image together so you can see exactly what the exposure is doing. ORGANIZE WITH PROJECTS Create projects to keep your shots organized. Import directly from your photo library, move and copy images between projects, and review your work in a clean full-screen viewer with smooth swipe navigation. KEY FEATURES -Live Apple Log capture with real-time Zone and False Color overlays -Exact Apple Log curve — every zone is a true scene stop -Tap to meter: zone readout + recommended f-stop anywhere in the frame -Simulated IRIS with 18% gray recommendations -Manual ISO, shutter angle, white balance, FPS, and lens controls -Pinch-to-zoom lens switching and a live, draggable histogram -Import and analyze photos from your library -Stacked compare view — original above, analyzed below -Adjustable color reference bar -Project organization with multi-select, move, and copy -Full-screen image viewer with smooth swipe navigation -Share processed images directly from the app -iPhone, iPad, and Mac supported A note on accuracy: On graded or imported images, overlays reflect the how the image was graded — not the exposure captured on set. For true scene-stop readings, shoot in Apple LOG with the built-in camera. Whether you're on set, shooting in the field, or reviewing work in post — Exposure Check gives you the exposure tools professionals rely on.
ZoneCalc
This app assists photographers in precisely calculating exposure and tonal placement using Ansel Adams' Zone System. It offers features for metering, reciprocity correction, and development adjustments, with options for multi-point measurements and data export.
- Zone System exposure calculation
- Multi-point metering
- Reciprocity correction
- Development adjustment recommendations
- Film-specific development times
- Calculation history and export
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ZoneCalc — Zone System Calculator ZoneCalc is a precision tool for large format, medium format and 35 mm photography following Ansel Adams' Zone System. Built for photographers who work with a spot meter, develop their own negatives, and want full control over exposure and tonal placement. METERING In Classic mode, enter the shutter speed for the deepest shadow with detail (Zone II) and the brightest highlight with detail (Zone VIII). ZoneCalc returns the shutter speed for Zone V — 18 % middle gray — the exposure you set on the camera. Multi mode accepts any number of measurement points across the scene. The app auto-assigns each point to a zone; drag pins on the zone strip to express your creative placement intent. RECIPROCITY For exposures above one second, the Schwarzschild effect is corrected automatically: t_corr = t_nom ^ p, using the film-specific exponent. The corrected camera time appears directly in the result card. The shutter speed list extends to 30 minutes. Films with reciprocity data: Ilford HP5+, FP4+, Delta 100/400, Kodak Tri-X, T-Max 100/400, Kodak Portra 160/400/800, Leica Monopan. N-RATING & DEVELOPMENT ZoneCalc compares the scene's dynamic range against the film's usable latitude and proposes a development adjustment — N−2 through N+2. For each film, concrete times are shown for common developers: D-76, Rodinal, HC-110, XTOL, ID-11, T-Max Dev — with dilutions per Massive Dev Chart and manufacturer recommendations. HISTORY & EXPORT Every calculation can be saved with a note and the chosen developer; two entries can be compared side by side. The complete result — shutter speed, reciprocity, N-rating and development times — exports as an image for the darkroom or for sharing via AirDrop, message or mail. DESIGN The interface follows the visual language of classic Leica instruments: monospaced typography, warm amber accent, hard edges instead of rounded corners. Fully localized in English and German, all-dark throughout — optimized for darkroom and field use. ZONECALC PRO Classic two-point metering with Zone V calculation and the zone strip are free. The one-time Pro upgrade unlocks: — Multi-point metering with interactive zone assignment — Reciprocity correction and N-rating — Development recommendations with times per developer — Save, compare and image export One app, no subscriptions, no data collection. All calculations run locally on device.
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is price: ZoneCalc at Free against Exposure Check's $4.99. Exposure Check's advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 1) and update cadence (daily vs every 3 weeks). On rating, ratings volume, ads 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
ZoneCalc is free to download; Exposure Check costs $4.99 up front. ZoneCalc sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. Exposure Check asks for nothing beyond the download.
On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 5.0 for Exposure Check against 5.0 for ZoneCalc. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 3 and 2 respectively.
Exposure Check ships an update daily, ZoneCalc every 3 weeks. The most recent releases landed on September 21, 2026 and September 9, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | Exposure Check | ZoneCalc |
|---|---|---|
| Price | $4.99 | Free — better |
| Rating | 5.0 (3 ratings) | 5.0 (2 ratings) |
| Positive reviews | 100.0% of reviews | — |
| Number of ratings | 3 — better | 2 |
| Update frequency | Daily — better | Every 3 weeks |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | No — better | Yes |
| Monetization | Paid | Freemium — better |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad — better | iPhone |
| Requires iOS | 16.0 — better | 17.6 |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 30 MB | 3 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | Game Night Films | Juergen Suk |
Customer experience
Exposure Check
ZoneCalc
In-app purchases
Exposure Check
No in-app purchases
ZoneCalc
- ZoneCalc Pro$3.99





