Comparison

Calotype vs Honesmith Optics

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

Head to head
About

Calotype

This app provides a streamlined RAW camera experience for photographers, offering direct access to DNG files without cloud services or extra processing. It features manual controls like shutter speed, ISO, and focus, along with interval shooting and exposure bracketing.

Highlights
  • RAW DNG file saving
  • Manual camera controls (shutter, ISO, focus)
  • Interval shooting for timelapses
  • Exposure bracketing
  • In-app gallery for review and sharing
Read full description

Calotype is a simple RAW camera for photographers who want a cleaner path from lens to file. Your iPhone already has a very capable camera. It also makes a lot of decisions before you ever see the photo. Calotype keeps things quieter. On supported back cameras, Calotype saves real RAW DNG files that you can take into the editor of your choice. No accounts, no cloud library, no extra processing layer. Manual controls are built around the camera you are actually using. Shutter speed follows the sensor’s real format limits, with ISO, focus, white balance, exposure offset, and focus peaking close at hand. You also get interval shooting for timelapses and hands-free captures, exposure bracketing for tricky light, and a simple in-app gallery for reviewing, sharing, and deleting recent shots. Calotype is made by a photographer, for the moments when you want the phone to feel a little more like a camera.

About

Honesmith Optics

Features
Read full description

Some photos are better when you make the decisions yourself. Honesmith Optics is an iPhone camera built for RAW and manual photography. Focus and exposure metering can be controlled independently, while manual focus, P/S/M exposure modes, RAW and ProRAW give you direct control when shooting close-up subjects, backlit scenes, or with external lenses. Focus here. Meter there. Tap the preview to set focus. Press and hold to place exposure metering independently. Your subject can stay in focus without forcing you to meter from the same part of the frame. EV compensation gives you a quick final adjustment when you want the image brighter or darker. Shoot RAW. Keep more room to edit. On supported iPhones and camera configurations, Honesmith Optics can capture Bayer RAW or Apple ProRAW and save the original image as DNG, giving you more flexibility for exposure, color, and post-processing. Take more control when you need it. Manual focus, magnified viewing, and Focus Assist make precise focusing easier for macro photography, external lenses, and shallow depth of field. You can control: • ISO • Shutter speed • White balance • Auto and manual focus • Independent exposure metering • EV compensation • RAW / ProRAW • JPEG / PNG • Aspect ratio and filters • Timer • Volume-button shutter • High-resolution photos and 4K video on supported devices No account. No subscription. Your photos stay yours. Honesmith Optics does not require a Honesmith account and does not use Honesmith cloud processing for your photos. Core photo, video, and RAW processing stays on your device. There are no ads or usage analytics. Advanced features are available through one-time in-app purchases. There is no subscription. Whether you are learning manual photography, shooting RAW, working with macro or external lenses, or simply want more control than the built-in camera gives you, Honesmith Optics gives you a more deliberate way to shoot with iPhone. Availability of RAW, ProRAW, high-resolution capture, video formats, and certain camera controls depends on your iPhone, physical lens, iOS version, and current capture configuration.

Screenshots

Calotype4 screens
Honesmith Optics4 screens

Verdict

The call

Calotype and Honesmith Optics are too close to call on the numbers: across 3 compared parameters — price, in-app purchases and iOS requirement among them — neither pulls far enough ahead to decide it. What separates them is feature set and interface, not measurable difference.

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. Calotype sells 1 one-off in-app purchase and Honesmith Optics sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

ScorecardNo meaningful differences
Calotype versus Honesmith Optics: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterCalotypeHonesmith Optics
PriceFreeFree
Rating5.0 (1 ratings) — better—
Number of ratings1 — better—
Update frequency—Weekly
Ads—No
In-app purchasesYesYes
MonetizationFree—
Devices—iPhone — better
Requires iOS1817.0 — better
Further details — not scored
Size3 MB5 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperKyle AaserudShih-Chen Yang

In-app purchases

1 purchases

Calotype

One-time1
  • Calotype Pro$3.99
1 purchases

Honesmith Optics

One-time1
  • Honesmith Optics Pro$11.99

Questions

Is Calotype free?
Calotype is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is Honesmith Optics free?
Honesmith Optics is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

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