Comparison

Pocket Log Camera vs Lightscope

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

Head to head
About

Pocket Log Camera

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Pocket Log Camera is a small iPhone camera that takes the processed look out of your photos β€” built from Apple's Log video pipeline. How it works Most camera apps save a photo with sharpening, HDR, and noise reduction baked in. Pocket Log does something different: it takes the current frame from Apple's Log video pipeline and develops it with PocketLog Natural β€” a rendering that adds no sharpening, no HDR, and no noise reduction, with skin-friendly color. The finished photo saves straight to Photos as 10-bit HEIC (or JPEG in compatibility mode). For users who grade in post-production, Pocket Log Pro can also save the negative β€” the original from the same moment (ProRes RAW open gate on iPhone 17 Pro, 4K Apple Log MOV on other models). Point. Shoot. Keep the natural photo, or re-develop the negative. The camera β€’ Fixed 24mm-equivalent back wide camera β€” always the same lens β€’ 3:2 still frame (portrait and landscape); ProRes RAW captures keep the full 1.40:1 open-gate frame β€’ Tap-to-focus with manual exposure bias slider (βˆ’2 to +2 stops) β€’ Flash control Β· Adjustable shutter sound β€’ Optional burned-in date stamp on the photo (never on the negative) β€’ Capture confirmation via haptic + brief blackout flash Your archive β€’ Finished photos save to Photos (10-bit HEIC, optional JPEG) β€’ Recent captures can be reviewed in the app β€’ Pro negatives (ProRes RAW or Log MOV) save locally in the app's Documents/Originals folder β€’ The Originals browser lets you review, share, and clean up negatives β€” or move them to your Mac for grading ProRes RAW capture (iPhone 17 Pro) On iPhone 17 Pro, Pocket Log Pro can capture a single-frame ProRes RAW original β€” the full 4224Γ—3024 open-gate sensor readout, saved on your iPhone with no external SSD. It opens directly in DaVinci Resolve's Camera Raw panel for full RAW development. On other supported models the app automatically uses the 4K Apple Log pipeline instead. Privacy first No analytics. No ads. No network calls during camera use. Your photos stay on your device. Requirements Pocket Log Camera uses Apple's Log video pipeline. It is designed for iPhone Pro models that support Apple Log β€” iPhone 15 Pro / 15 Pro Max or later on iOS 17 or later. ProRes RAW capture requires iPhone 17 Pro. Pocket Log Pro β€” $2.99 one-time purchase in the U.S. β€’ Unlocks "Save the Negative (Original)": ProRes RAW open gate on iPhone 17 Pro, 4K Log MOV on other devices β€’ Photo capture remains free β€’ Purchase and restore are handled by Apple

About

Lightscope

Features
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Shot in Apple Log and tired of flat, washed-out previews? Lightscope plays Apple Log (1 & 2) footage back the way it was meant to look β€” in real Rec.2100 HLG β€” and lets you grade it right on your iPhone or iPad. PLAY IT RIGHT β€’ True HDR playback of Apple Log 1 & 2 clips (Rec.2100 HLG) β€’ Technical LUTs generated from DaVinci Resolve for accurate log-to-display transforms β€’ One-tap HDR / SDR display modes GRADE ON-DEVICE β€’ Color wheels (lift Β· gamma Β· gain), exposure in the scene-referred log domain β€’ Tone curves with a live curve editor β€’ Color warper and skin-tone secondaries β€’ Film & cinema looks, plus your own .cube LUTs β€’ Broadcast scopes: waveform and vectorscope, on the image while you grade β€’ Non-destructive: every clip remembers its grade automatically β€’ Shareable grade presets EXPORT β€’ 10-bit HEVC in Rec.2100 HLG (true HDR) or Rec.709 (SDR master) β€’ Saved straight back to your Photos library TRY EVERYTHING FREE FOR 14 DAYS Every feature is unlocked for two weeks β€” no account, no sign-up. After the trial, your library stays free to browse, and a single one-time purchase of Lightscope Pro keeps true HLG playback, the full grading suite and export forever. No subscription. Family Sharing supported. Everything happens on your device. No uploads, no tracking. Requires iOS 17 or later. Apple Log recording requires iPhone 15 Pro or later (or footage from Final Cut Camera / Blackmagic Cam).

Screenshots

Pocket Log Camera4 screens
Lightscope4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is update cadence: Lightscope at every 5 days against Pocket Log Camera's every 2 weeks. On price, ads, in-app purchases and device support there is nothing between them.

Scored on Price Β· Rating Β· Positive reviews Β· Number of ratings Β· Update frequency Β· Ads Β· In-app purchases Β· Monetization Β· Best chart rank Β· Devices Β· Requires iOS

CostPrice Β· In-app purchases Β· Ads Β· Monetization

Both are free to download. Pocket Log Camera sells 1 one-off in-app purchase and Lightscope sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Pocket Log Camera ships an update every 2 weeks, Lightscope every 5 days. The most recent releases landed on October 7, 2026 and October 1, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard1 real difference Β· 5 level
Pocket Log Camera versus Lightscope: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterPocket Log CameraLightscope
PriceFreeFree
Update frequencyEvery 2 weeksEvery 5 days β€” better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesYes
DevicesiPhoneiPhone, iPad β€” better
Requires iOS17.017.0
Further details β€” not scored
Size23 MB28 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperKumo, Inc.Jian Zhou

In-app purchases

1 purchases

Pocket Log Camera

One-time1
  • Pocket Log Pro$2.99
1 purchases

Lightscope

One-time1
  • Lightscope Pro$9.99

Questions

Is Pocket Log Camera free?
Pocket Log Camera is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is Lightscope free?
Lightscope is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Do Pocket Log Camera or Lightscope have ads?
Neither Pocket Log Camera nor Lightscope shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Pocket Log Camera or Lightscope?
Pocket Log Camera ships an update every 2 weeks, and Lightscope every 5 days. Most recently, Pocket Log Camera was updated on October 7, 2026 and Lightscope on October 1, 2026.

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