Comparison

Lumen vs OpenLenz Camera

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

Head to head
About

Lumen

Features
Read full description

Lumen is an on-device AI camera for still photos. It reads the scene live and tunes focus, exposure and tone for you, then finishes each photo with a hand-crafted, film-inspired color look. Still photography only: Lumen does not record video. TWO MODES • AI · 12MP: scene-aware processing plus your chosen film look. The preview is WYSIWYG, so what you see is what you get. • MAX (Pro): the largest photo size iOS offers for your lens (24MP on iPhone 17 Pro) with the phone's native processing. Lumen's AI finishing and film looks are not applied in MAX. AI CAPTURE: QUALITY OR SPEED In the ··· menu you choose how AI mode balances processing and waiting time. Quality is the default; Speed asks iOS to trade a little processing for a shorter wait after the shutter. FILM LOOKS 14 looks (including Off), inspired by classic analog film: from neutral and soft to warm golden tones, high-contrast black & white, silvery monochrome and sepia, plus punchy street looks like Hard Light and Midnight Glow. Off, Standard and Classic are free; the other looks come with Lumen Pro. Swipe the strip to compare. MACRO, BUILT IN (Pro) Macro switches to the ultra-wide lens itself instead of digitally cropping the main camera. Focus Peaking colors the sharpest edges as you shoot, so you always know what's in focus once depth of field gets razor-thin. Turn on Focus Stacking and Lumen shoots a few frames at different focus distances and merges them into one photo, sharp from front to back, entirely on your iPhone. Best with a steady hand or a small tripod. FOCUS TRIGGER (free) Tap a small detail, hold the shutter and rock the phone gently. Lumen watches that exact spot and fires the moment it's sharp. LUMEN BUDDY (Pro) A small mascot watches the live view and gives short, friendly tips on sharpness, keeping the horizon level and framing. When it recognizes your subject it may suggest a film look. Buddy only advises; it never touches the shutter or your settings. PORTRAIT (Pro, LiDAR devices) Background blur built on your iPhone's LiDAR depth data. Choose an f-stop from f/1.4 to f/8 and Lumen scales both the blur and the depth-of-field zone. Requires iPhone 12 Pro or later Pro models. LOW-LIGHT (Pro) Not Apple's Night mode: Lumen allows exposures of up to half a second so the sensor can use a lower ISO, then adds noise reduction and gentle shadow recovery. Hold steady after the shutter click. PRO MANUAL AND RAW (Pro) Control shutter speed, ISO, white balance and focus by hand, and shoot a DNG alongside the JPEG for editing in Lightroom, Darkroom or any RAW editor. BUILT FOR SPEED AND CONTROL • Tap to focus and meter anywhere, with an exposure slider next to the focus box. • Zoom presets that follow your iPhone's lenses, plus pinch. • Camera Control on iPhone 16 and 17: click to shoot, swipe to zoom. • Responsive Capture where your iPhone supports it, so you can keep shooting while the previous photo finishes processing. • Full EXIF preserved; photos are saved to your Photos library in a dedicated album. FREE AND LUMEN PRO Free: AI mode, the Off, Standard and Classic looks, tap-to-focus, zoom, flash and Focus Trigger. Lumen Pro is a one-time purchase, no subscription, and unlocks all film looks, MAX, Pro manual with RAW, Portrait, Low-Light, Macro with focus stacking, Focus Peaking and Buddy. PRIVATE BY DESIGN Everything runs on your device. No accounts, no servers, no analytics, no tracking. Your photos never leave your phone unless you share them.

About

OpenLenz Camera

Capture up to three videos simultaneously in various orientations and lens configurations from a single take. This app offers independent camera control, allowing for mixed portrait and landscape formats, and multiple focal lengths to streamline content creation.

Highlights
  • Record up to three videos simultaneously
  • Mix portrait (9:16) and landscape (16:9) formats
  • Independent camera and lens selection
  • Record in 4K or HD at various frame rates
  • Live preview of all cameras
  • No ads, tracking, or login required
Read full description

Shoot once. Get 3 videos, in portrait, landscape, or a mix. OpenLenz records up to three videos at the same time. One take gives you three separate, synced files ready to edit or post. No reshoots. No filming twice. MIX AND MATCH EVERY CAMERA Set up each camera independently. Pick the lens: ultra-wide, wide, or telephoto. Pick the format: portrait 9:16 or landscape 16:9. Run all three however you want. Three tight portraits at different focal lengths, two vertical and one wide, or any mix that fits your edit. PORTRAIT AND LANDSCAPE IN THE SAME TAKE Capture 9:16 and 16:9 together. Get a vertical file for Reels, TikTok, and Shorts and a horizontal file for YouTube from the same moment. No cropping. No re-framing. Both saved natively. THREE ANGLES, ONE PERFORMANCE Shoot the same scene through three lenses at once, then cut between wide, standard, and tight in the edit. One take covers your whole sequence. CONTROL THE QUALITY Record in 4K with up to two cameras, or HD with three. Shoot at 24, 25, 30, or 60 fps. Export as MOV or MP4. Zoom across a 0.5x to 5x range. FULL CONTROL BEFORE YOU RECORD Tap to lock focus and exposure. Set your zoom. Preview every camera live so you know exactly what each file will look like. PRIVATE BY DESIGN No ads. No tracking. No login. Everything saves straight to your camera roll. OPENLENZ IS FOR - Creators posting Instagram Reels, TikTok, YouTube, and Shorts - Social media managers and community managers producing content daily - Marketing agencies delivering multiple formats to clients from one shoot - Wedding and event filmmakers who cannot ask for a second take - Filmmakers cutting between focal lengths from a single take - Vloggers and travelers capturing the same moment wide and close - Anyone who wants more from one recording REQUIREMENTS Multi-camera recording requires a supported iPhone with compatible rear lenses. Three-camera recording depends on your device. SUBSCRIPTION OpenLenz is available with a yearly or monthly subscription. - Yearly: 9.99 USD launch offer, then 19.99 USD per year for new subscribers - Monthly: 4.99 USD per month Payment is charged to your Apple ID at confirmation of purchase. Your subscription renews automatically unless auto-renew is turned off at least 24 hours before the end of the current period. Your account is charged for renewal within 24 hours before the end of the current period. You can manage or cancel your subscription in your Apple ID account settings after purchase. Privacy Policy: https://openlenz.app/privacy-policy Terms of Use (EULA): https://openlenz.app/terms-of-service

Screenshots

Lumen4 screens
OpenLenz Camera2 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: OpenLenz Camera at none against Lumen's 1. On price, update cadence, 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

CostPrice · In-app purchases · Ads · Monetization

Both are free to download. Lumen sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. OpenLenz Camera asks for nothing beyond the download.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Lumen ships an update every 6 days, OpenLenz Camera every 4 days. The most recent releases landed on October 15, 2026 and October 7, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard1 real difference · 8 level
Lumen versus OpenLenz Camera: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterLumenOpenLenz Camera
PriceFreeFree
Rating—5.0 (1 ratings) — better
Number of ratings—1 — better
Update frequencyEvery 6 daysEvery 4 days — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesNo — better
Monetization—Subscription
DevicesiPhoneiPhone
Requires iOS17.0 — better18.6
Further details — not scored
Size17 MB63 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperMario SteenbergenYASSIRTRAINER USA INC

In-app purchases

1 purchases

Lumen

One-time1
  • Lumen Pro$6.99
None

OpenLenz Camera

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is Lumen free?
Lumen is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is OpenLenz Camera free?
OpenLenz Camera is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Do Lumen or OpenLenz Camera have ads?
Neither Lumen nor OpenLenz Camera shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Lumen or OpenLenz Camera?
Lumen ships an update every 6 days, and OpenLenz Camera every 4 days. Most recently, Lumen was updated on October 15, 2026 and OpenLenz Camera on October 7, 2026.

Other comparisons