Comparison

Night Vision & Thermal Camera vs Lume

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

Head to head
About

Night Vision & Thermal Camera

This app offers advanced camera features, simulating night vision and thermal imaging using real device sensors. Explore creative filters, manual controls, and capture capabilities for unique photo and video experiences.

Highlights
  • Real sensor capabilities (Night Mode, LiDAR, TrueDepth IR, Magnetometer)
  • 19 creative thermal-style filters
  • Manual camera controls (ISO, shutter, focus)
  • RAW DNG photo capture
  • Dual camera recording (front and back)
  • On-device person and face detection
  • Height meter and flashlight controls
Features
Read full description

Real night vision. Real depth. Real sensors. The honest night-vision camera for iPhone & iPad. Four genuine real-sensor capabilities — long-exposure Night Mode, LiDAR depth, TrueDepth IR, magnetometer — plus 19 thermal-style creative filters and 8 tactical HUDs. We tell you what's real and what's a filter, every time. FOUR REAL SENSOR CAPABILITIES • NIGHT MODE — real residual-light amplification via custom AVCaptureDevice exposure (max ISO + 1/8 s shutter). Actually sees more in low light, not just a green tint. Picking "Night Vision" filter auto-engages it. • LIDAR DEPTH — iPhone Pro & iPad Pro. Direct read of the LiDAR scanner via ARKit sceneDepth. Colours map measured distance. • TRUEDEPTH IR — Face ID iPhones & iPad Pro. Repurposes the front infrared dot projector. Genuinely works at 0 lux out to ~1.5 m. • MAGNETIC FIELD METER — live microtesla readings from the device magnetometer. Honest physics — NOT a ghost detector. PRO CAMERA — MANUAL CONTROLS Manual ISO, shutter, and focus distance sliders driving the back camera's custom exposure mode. Pair with the Histogram HUD to monitor luminance. RAW DNG photo capture saves an editable raw negative alongside your filtered JPEG. 19 CREATIVE FILTERS Classic Heat, White Hot, Iron Black, Rainbow, Arctic Blue, Lava, Red, Red/Blue, Neon, Predator, Night Vision, X-Ray, UV Vision, Anaglyph 3D, Glitch, Psychedelic, Blueprint, Matcha, Normal. Metal-shader pipeline; recordable to 4K video. ANAGLYPH 3D Red/cyan stereoscopic split — the frame separates into two colour channels so it reads in depth through 3D glasses. 8 TACTICAL HUD OVERLAYS Reticle, tactical scope with mil-dots, scanner grid, military HUD with live readouts, submarine periscope with magnetic bearing, rifle scope with MAG/FOV from zoom, NV goggles figure-8 viewport, real-time histogram. DUAL CAMERA — RECORD BOTH FEEDS iPhone XS+ captures back + front cameras simultaneously. Main feed runs through your filter; front camera is a draggable, pinch-to-resize PiP. Record the composite or just the main feed. PERSON & FACE DETECTION On-device Apple Vision framework. Colour-coded bounding boxes. Nothing transmitted. HEIGHT METER Aim at the top of your subject, set distance, gyro pitch + trig tells you how tall it is. Live horizon line. FLASHLIGHT Turn it on or off and set the brightness. Pro unlocks a strobe with adjustable speed, an SOS signal, a white or red screen light (red keeps your night vision), and a Control Center control (iOS 18+) plus Siri and Shortcuts. CAPTURE & GALLERY • 4K / 1080p video with audio • Time-lapse, slow-motion (240 fps), RAW DNG (Pro) • Apply filters to existing media in your library • Capture history, pinch to zoom, torch, tap to focus THREE PLANS — pick what suits you. • Pro Weekly • Pro Yearly — with a 3-day free trial • Pro Lifetime — one-time purchase, yours forever Prices are shown in the app and on the App Store in your local currency. Free: Normal, Classic Heat, White Hot, Red, Night Vision, Neon + core capture. Pro unlocks 13 filters, all HUDs, dual camera, manual exposure, RAW DNG, time-lapse, person detection, gallery video filtering, and depth modes. ZERO TRACKING No analytics SDK, no ads SDK, no account, no email. Privacy manifest on file with Apple. Works offline. iPHONE & iPAD · 39 LANGUAGES Universal binary, all four orientations on both iPhone and iPad. Payment to your Apple ID. Subscriptions auto-renew unless cancelled 24 hours before the period ends. Manage in iOS Settings → Apple ID → Subscriptions. Terms: https://realnightvisioncamera.app/terms.html Privacy: https://realnightvisioncamera.app/privacy.html Support: https://realnightvisioncamera.app

About

Lume

Features
Read full description

Lume is a professional light meter for film photography and cinema. Point at the scene, lock the reading, then compose the shutter-aperture pair on click-stop wheels, the way a real meter works. PHOTO MODE • Reading at the centre of the frame, weighted like a TTL meter • Aperture or shutter priority, third-of-a-stop scales • Exposure compensation ±3 EV and ND filters up to ND1000 • 24 film stocks with reciprocity failure correction YOUR CAMERA • Set the shutter speeds and apertures your camera and lens actually have (e.g. 1/8–1/500, ƒ2.8–ƒ16) • The wheels stop there, and Lume never suggests a value you can't set • When the light asks for more than your camera can give, it tells you, and by how many stops FLASH • Work out the exposure for a shot with flash: guide number, the power the flash is set to (1/1, 1/2, 1/4…) and the distance • Flash and ambient light are added together, the way they add on film • On models with LiDAR the subject distance is measured at the centre of the frame CINE MODE • Frame rate and shutter angle • Aperture in tenths of a stop, as used on set LOGBOOK • Save every reading with a photo and the data burned in • Find your shots in a grid or on a map • Share, or save to your camera roll Metering uses the camera's real metadata together with pixel analysis, continuously calibrated against the sensor. Interface in English and Italian.

Screenshots

Night Vision & Thermal Camera4 screens
Lume4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: Lume at none against Night Vision & Thermal Camera's 5. Night Vision & Thermal Camera's advantage is update cadence (every 8 days vs monthly). On price, ads, device support and iOS requirement 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. Night Vision & Thermal Camera sells 5 in-app purchases, starting at $2.99 per 7 days. Lume asks for nothing beyond the download.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Night Vision & Thermal Camera ships an update every 8 days, Lume monthly. The most recent releases landed on October 31, 2026 and October 29, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard2 real differences · 7 level
Night Vision & Thermal Camera versus Lume: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterNight Vision & Thermal CameraLume
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.1 (13 ratings) — better—
Number of ratings13 — better—
Update frequencyEvery 8 days — betterMonthly
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesNo — better
MonetizationFree with in-app purchases—
DevicesiPhone, iPad — betteriPhone
Requires iOS17.0 — better18.0
Further details — not scored
Size25 MB3 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperMOBILE ALCHEMY LTDMilo Zoppini

In-app purchases

5 purchases

Night Vision & Thermal Camera

Subscriptions3
  • Pro Weekly3 Days trial$2.997 Days
  • Night Vision · Monthly$4.991 Month
  • Night Vision · Yearly3 Days trial$29.991 Year
One-time2
  • Night Vision · Lifetime$29.99
  • Night Vision · Lifetime$49.99
None

Lume

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is Night Vision & Thermal Camera free?
Night Vision & Thermal Camera is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is Lume free?
Lume is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Do Night Vision & Thermal Camera or Lume have ads?
Neither Night Vision & Thermal Camera nor Lume shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Night Vision & Thermal Camera or Lume?
Night Vision & Thermal Camera ships an update every 8 days, and Lume monthly. Most recently, Night Vision & Thermal Camera was updated on October 31, 2026 and Lume on October 29, 2026.

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