Lucent vs Kiso Camera
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
Kiso Camera
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Professional control. Reliable capture. Kiso is built on the promise this category keeps breaking: the shot you took is the shot you keep, and what you see before you press capture is the truth. Every frame is written to Kiso's own storage before your photo library is asked for anything, and that copy is only released once the library has accepted it. The "saved" checkmark appears at that point, not at the shutter. If a call, a crash, or a thermal shutdown interrupts a capture, the frame is still on disk and Kiso hands it back to you on the next launch. Take intentional photos with direct control over exposure, focus, lens selection, and format. Capture in RAW and ProRAW. Shoot video in ProRes and HEVC with the frame rate and stabilization you chose, not the ones the app decided on. Made for street, travel, portrait, landscape, and low-light photography. No noisy dashboards. No gimmicks. Shooting, saving and recovery are free forever, with no account and no sign-in, and so is timelapse. Kiso Pro adds the monitoring instruments, screen-off recording, ProRes and ProRAW, and lossless export. Just a camera that helps you make the shot you had in mind, and proves it kept it. Kiso Pro is available as a monthly or annual subscription, or as a one-time lifetime purchase. Subscriptions are billed through your Apple Account and renew automatically unless cancelled at least 24 hours before the period ends. Manage or cancel any time in your Apple Account settings. Terms of Use (EULA): https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/ Privacy Policy: https://theproperinvestment.github.io/kiso-camera/
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is in-app purchases: Lucent at none against Kiso Camera's 3. Lucent also leads on device support (3 vs 1). Kiso Camera's advantage is update cadence (daily vs every 10 days). On price, ads 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. Kiso Camera sells 3 in-app purchases, starting at $7.99 per month. Lucent asks for nothing beyond the download.
Lucent ships an update every 10 days, Kiso Camera daily. The most recent releases landed on October 21, 2026 and October 11, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | Lucent | Kiso Camera |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Update frequency | Every 10 days | Daily — better |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | No — better | Yes |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, Apple Watch — better | iPhone |
| Requires iOS | 18.0 | 17.0 — better |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 19 MB | 6 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | Firat Onurcan Polat | AUSTIN SHEPHERD |
In-app purchases
Lucent
No in-app purchases
Kiso Camera
- Kiso Pro: Monthly$7.991 Month
- Kiso Pro: Annual3 Days trial$39.991 Year
- Kiso Pro: Lifetime$99.99









