Lucent vs CDNC
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
Lucent
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Lucent is a manual cinema camera for iPhone and iPad. It pairs a reliable capture core with the controls, live scopes, and looks serious shooters expect, and your photos and videos never leave your device. No account. No tracking. LIVE LOOKS & LUTS • See your grade live in the viewfinder while Lucent records a clean, untouched master • 22 built-in looks across Film, Cinematic, Mono, and Creative styles, including Teal & Orange, Bleach Bypass, Noir, Golden Portrait, and Cool Chrome • Import your own .cube 3D LUTs and switch between them in one tap • Adjustable intensity, before/after comparison, and the look rendered on export when you share MANUAL CONTROL • Real ISO, shutter speed, white balance with tint, manual focus, and exposure compensation • Variable aperture control on supported iPhone models • Tap to focus and expose, long-press to lock, smooth cinematic zoom ramps • 24, 25, 30, 50, and 60 fps, with lens switching across ultra-wide, wide, telephoto, and front cameras • A horizon level that turns gold when your shot is straight LIVE MONITORING • Histogram, luma waveform, zebras, focus peaking, and false color • Real-time dBFS audio meters • Frame lines for 2.39:1, 2:1, 1.85:1, 4:3, 1:1, 4:5, and 9:16 vertical video • Anamorphic desqueeze preview from 1.33x to 2x PRO FORMATS • ProRes, HEVC (10-bit), and H.264 video in 4K up to 60 fps with codec-aware bitrates • Apple Log with Log View Assist: monitor in Rec.709 while you record Log • HDR HLG capture with native 10-bit color • HEIF, RAW (DNG), and Apple ProRAW photos where supported CREATOR TOOLS • A teleprompter that scrolls your script while you record • Slow motion at your iPhone's highest frame rate, and time-lapse from 0.5 to 5 second intervals • One-tap 9:16 export for Reels and TikTok • Apple Watch remote: take photos, start and stop recording, and switch modes from your wrist FASTER ON SET • Save your own camera presets: lens, format, codec, color, look, and manual settings in one tap • Capture with Camera Control or the volume buttons • Open Lucent in photo or video mode from Control Center, the Lock Screen, or Shortcuts • The Lucent Assistant watches clipping, focus, audio, storage, battery, and heat, and suggests fixes as you shoot BUILT-IN MEDIA LIBRARY • App-local library with filters, sorting, and metadata inspection • Import from Files, Quick Look, batch sharing, and Save to Photos • Crash and interruption recovery for finished recordings PRIVATE BY DESIGN • Capture, processing, and your media stay on your device • No account and no analytics SDK. The only network traffic is App Store purchase validation and Apple's privacy-preserving ad attribution LUCENT PRO The free version records up to 1080p at 30 fps with automatic exposure, white balance, and focus, and includes three looks plus Neutral. Lucent Pro unlocks 4K and frame rates above 30 fps, manual controls, every look and LUT import, false color and advanced monitoring, ProRes, RAW, Apple Log, anamorphic desqueeze, saved presets, the teleprompter, slow motion, time-lapse, 9:16 export, the Apple Watch remote, and the full Lucent Assistant. Choose a weekly or monthly subscription, or a one-time lifetime purchase. Subscriptions renew automatically unless cancelled at least 24 hours before the end of the current period. Manage or cancel anytime in your Apple Account settings. Lucent requires a physical iPhone or iPad camera. Privacy Policy: https://fluff-mice-37a.notion.site/Privacy-Policy-39e94ad0981280ec9756f9a2fdaa04ec?pvs=73 Terms of Use (EULA): https://fluff-mice-37a.notion.site/Terms-of-Use-39e94ad09812808d8c9be72cb11ab7df?pvs=73
CDNC
This app offers professional video capture with manual controls for exposure, focus, and white balance. It includes built-in film looks and advanced color grading tools to refine your footage. You can record in high-quality formats and apply cinematic effects for polished video production.
- Manual capture controls
- Built-in Film Looks
- Precise color grading tools
- ProRes 422 HQ recording
- Shutter drag for motion blur
- Video stabilization (Beta)
- Export with HEVC
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Professional capture. Cinematic color. CDNC is an iPhone video camera with manual capture controls, built-in Film Looks, and precise color grading tools. Set exposure, shutter, focus, and white balance before you roll, then shape the finished image in the same app. START WITH GOLD 200 Gold 200 is included free: monitor with it while filming, refine your clips, save finished edited versions, and export. Core recording, supported capture formats, manual controls, import, playback, basic editing, original-file export, framing guides, and the histogram are also included. CHOOSE A FILM LOOK Try other built-in Film Looks live in Camera or in the Editor before upgrading. Camera labels a Pro preview and asks you to unlock or switch to free Gold 200 before recording. CDNC Pro unlocks recording while monitoring these Looks, saving finished edited versions, and export, plus reusable creative presets and advanced monitoring tools. REFINE THE COLOR Shape your image with exposure, contrast, highlights, shadows, temperature, tint, saturation, skin tone, primary color wheels, curves, and seven-band HSL controls. Make color adjustments before the Film Look, then refine texture with diffusion, grain, lens blur, and sharpening. Dedicated Frames, Resize, and Trim tools help finish the composition. Preview Effects while editing. CDNC Pro is required to save or export with active Effects. To finish for free, choose Gold 200 without Effects and keep your color and composition adjustments. RECORD IN PRORES 422 HQ Capture ProRes 422 HQ original recordings in supported Apple Log and Apple Log 2 modes on compatible iPhones. HQ preserves a 10-bit 4:2:2 original for further grading. It requires substantially more storage than HEVC. Finished graded video exports use HEVC. SHUTTER DRAG. MADE IN CAMERA. Create native 1/5-second motion blur on supported camera configurations. Record and play back normally, then refine your Film Look and color in the Editor. The exposure blur is part of the recording; your grade stays editable. STEADIER SHOTS. SIMPLER FINISHING. Use CDNC Steady (Beta) to analyze a clip, choose Smooth Motion or Fixed Tripod, and adjust the amount. An optional camera Level helps line up your shot. Select your whole Media library and copy or move originals with saved CDNC edits to a Files location or external drive. ONE PRO TIER. YOUR CHOICE. Choose a monthly subscription, annual subscription, or one-time lifetime unlock. Each provides the same Pro access. Lifetime includes future core app improvements and additions to the standard CDNC Film Look collection; separate future products, services, or licensed collaboration packs are outside that promise. Monthly and annual subscriptions renew automatically unless canceled. See the in-app purchase screen for current local prices and terms. Manage subscriptions through your Apple Account. A lifetime purchase does not automatically cancel an existing subscription. Capture formats and monitoring options depend on your iPhone and system support. CDNC focuses on capture and look/color refinement, not a multitrack editing timeline. Questions? hello@cdnc.app Privacy Policy: https://www.cdnc.app/privacy Terms of Use: https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is ads: Lucent at none against CDNC's shown. Lucent also leads on device support (3 vs 1). CDNC's advantage is update cadence (every 4 days vs every 10 days). On price, in-app purchases 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
Both are free to download. Lucent sells 4 in-app purchases, starting at $5.99 per 7 days and CDNC sells 3 in-app purchases, starting at $4.99 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.
Lucent ships an update every 10 days, CDNC every 4 days. The most recent releases landed on October 28, 2026 and October 31, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | Lucent | CDNC |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | — | 4.2 (5 ratings) — better |
| Positive reviews | — | 80.0% of reviews |
| Number of ratings | — | 5 — better |
| Update frequency | Every 10 days | Every 4 days — better |
| Ads | No — better | Yes |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Monetization | — | Free with in-app purchases |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, Apple Watch — better | iPhone |
| Requires iOS | 18.0 | 17.0 — better |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 19 MB | 703 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | Firat Onurcan Polat | CDNC Studio LLC |
In-app purchases
Lucent
- Lucent Pro Weekly7 Days trial$5.997 Days
- Lucent Pro Monthly1 Month trial$9.991 Month
- Lucent Pro Annual7 Days trial$29.991 Year
- Lucent Pro Lifetime$79.99
CDNC
- CDNC Pro Monthly7 Days trial$4.991 Month
- CDNC Pro Annual7 Days trial$29.991 Year
- CDNC Pro Lifetime$59.99









