ShuttR vs Positive View
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
ShuttR
This app uses your iPhone's camera to accurately measure the shutter speeds of analog film cameras. It provides a guided process to check if your camera's shutter has drifted over time, offering a clear verdict on its performance without requiring external hardware.
- Measures real shutter speeds
- Uses iPhone camera and light source
- Tests speeds from 8s to 1/500
- Guided step-by-step protocol
- Automatic calibration
- Deviation in stops and verdict
- History and camera collection
- Shareable 'shutter checked' certificate
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**Is your vintage camera's shutter still accurate — or has it drifted after decades of use?** ShuttR Check measures the real shutter speeds of your analog camera using your iPhone's camera and a light source. No hardware testers, no sensors to buy — reliably from 8s down to 1/500. The app has been used by photographers around the world on more than 100 different camera models, from SLRs to Rangefinders, Medium Format and Large Format Cameras. **HOW IT WORKS** Open your camera's film back, remove the lens, and put a light source behind it. ShuttR Check uses your iPhone's high-speed camera together with advanced image analysis to measure exactly how long each shutter release lets light through, then tells you how far that is from the speed you dialled in — in fractions of a stop. The app walks you through every step. There is nothing to configure, nothing to interpret: set up, release the shutter, read the result. **RELIABLE FROM 8s TO 1/500** ShuttR Check measures dependably from 8 seconds down to 1/500 — the range where mechanical shutters drift the most and where a deviation actually shows in your negatives. Faster speeds are deliberately left out: we'd rather not offer them than hand you numbers that look precise but aren't. Timed speeds slower than 1s are there too, for the cameras that offer them. **WHAT YOU GET** - A guided, step-by-step measurement protocol - Automatic calibration (checks your room is dark enough and free of flickering light, and warns you when your light source is too bright or not steady) - Every speed compared against its nominal value, with the deviation in stops and a clear OK / deviation / defective verdict - A capping check: shows how evenly the shutter exposes across the frame and flags capping, when the curtains fall out of sync at fast speeds - A history per camera, so you can track a shutter's condition over time - A shareable "shutter checked" certificate (image or PDF) — perfect for camera sellers on eBay, Etsy, or classifieds, showing buyers exactly what they're getting **SHUTTER TYPES** Horizontal and vertical focal-plane shutters are tested and validated — these are the shutters in most classic SLRs and rangefinders. Same goes for Leaf (central) shutters which have been tested on Large Format and Medium Format cameras. **WHAT THIS APP IS NOT** ShuttR Check gives you dependable, repeatable information about how far your shutter speeds have drifted. It does not replace a calibrated measuring instrument. **PRIVATE BY DESIGN** No accounts. No data collection. No internet connection required. Everything — your cameras, your measurements — stays on your device. **WHO IT'S FOR** - Film photographers who want to know if their gear is actually accurate - Camera collectors curious about a new find - Sellers who want to offer buyers real proof of a working shutter
Positive View
Transform your phone into a live viewer for photographic negatives. Instantly see positive images from color or black-and-white film in real time. Ideal for quickly previewing, selecting, and referencing your film scans.
- Live negative viewing (color & B&W)
- Automatic color balancing
- Brightness, contrast, warmth controls
- Freeze, zoom, and pan frame
- Save positive image to Photos
- Calibration for illumination and lens
- Use second device as light panel
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Positive View turns your iPhone camera into a high quality live viewer for photographic negatives. Place a color or black-and-white film over an even light source, point the camera at it, and Positive View displays a positive image in real time. Use it to quickly see the images, select the best ones for scanning, or make a quick reference image. Features: • Live color and black-and-white negative viewing • Automatic color balancing, with a lock for consistent viewing • Brightness, contrast, and warmth controls • Freeze, zoom, and pan a frame for closer inspection • Save the current positive to Photos • Calibrate for even illumination and to counter lens falloff • Turn a second device into a plain white light panel Camera processing happens on your device. Positive View has no ads, accounts, analytics, or tracking. Images are saved only on your device and only when you tap Save. For best results, use an even, diffused light source with low flicker and keep the film flat.
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is price: Positive View at Free against ShuttR's $6.99. Positive View also leads on rating (5.0 vs 4.5). On ratings volume, update cadence, ads and in-app purchases 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
Positive View is free to download; ShuttR costs $6.99 up front. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.
Positive View holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 4.5. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 2 and 4 respectively.
ShuttR ships an update every 2 weeks, Positive View fortnightly. The most recent releases landed on October 29, 2026 and October 24, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | ShuttR | Positive View |
|---|---|---|
| Price | $6.99 | Free — better |
| Rating | 4.5 (2 ratings) | 5.0 (4 ratings) — better |
| Number of ratings | 2 | 4 — better |
| Update frequency | Every 2 weeks — better | Fortnightly |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Monetization | Paid | Free — better |
| Devices | iPhone | iPhone |
| Requires iOS | 17.0 | 16.0 — better |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 7 MB | 2 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | Christian Haemmerle | Mikhail Rybakov |
Customer experience
ShuttR
Positive View
In-app purchases
ShuttR
No in-app purchases
Positive View
No in-app purchases









