LightMeter vs Lume
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
LightMeter
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LightMeter is a professional exposure metering tool designed for photography enthusiasts and film photographers. It uses your iPhone camera to analyze scene brightness in real time and help you quickly determine suitable exposure settings. 【Professional Metering】 Supports spot, center-weighted, and average metering modes. Choose the method that best fits your scene and get real-time exposure guidance. 【Exposure Controls】 Adjust aperture, shutter speed, and ISO, with exposure compensation support to help you find the right combination for different shooting conditions. 【Real-Time Image Analysis】 View EV, color temperature, and Tint information in real time. The luminance histogram helps you understand highlight, midtone, and shadow distribution for more confident exposure decisions. 【Digital & Film Modes】 Switch between digital and film workflows. Film mode supports film presets and full-stop shutter settings, making exposure metering more intuitive for analog photography. 【Metering Hold】 Freeze the current metering result so you can continue checking the measured values while recomposing, adjusting camera settings, or changing your shooting position. 【Exposure Advice】 Get clear exposure references and shooting guidance based on the current metering result to help you make faster decisions in the field. Whether you are shooting street photography, travel, portraits, or film, LightMeter is designed to be a simple, intuitive, and reliable light meter you can always carry with you. LightMeter does not aim to press the shutter for you. It helps you understand light better.
Lume
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Lume is a professional light meter for film photography and cinema. Meter the light with a spot you drag across the scene, lock the reading, then compose the shutter-aperture pair on click-stop wheels, the way a real meter works. PHOTO MODE • Spot reading with a reticle you drag across the scene • Aperture or shutter priority, third-of-a-stop scales • Exposure compensation ±3 EV and ND filters up to ND1000 • 24 film stocks with reciprocity failure correction FLASH • Work out the exposure for a shot with flash: guide number, the power the flash is set to (1/1, 1/2, 1/4…) and the distance • Flash and ambient light are added together, the way they add on film • See how much of the exposure comes from the flash, with a warning past sync speed • On models with LiDAR the subject distance is measured where you aim the reticle CINE MODE • Frame rate and shutter angle • Aperture in tenths of a stop, as used on set LOGBOOK • Save every reading with a photo, the data burned in and the metered area marked • Find your shots in a grid or on a map • Share, or save to your camera roll Metering uses the camera's real metadata together with pixel analysis, continuously calibrated against the sensor. Interface in English and Italian.
Screenshots
Verdict
LightMeter and Lume are too close to call on the numbers: across 5 compared parameters — price, ads, in-app purchases and device support among them — neither pulls far enough ahead to decide it. What separates them is feature set and interface, not measurable difference.
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. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.
| Parameter | LightMeter | Lume |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Update frequency | — | Every 2 days |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad — better | iPhone |
| Requires iOS | 17.6 — better | 18.0 |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 2 MB | 3 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | 鹏 张 | Milo Zoppini |
In-app purchases
LightMeter
No in-app purchases
Lume
No in-app purchases









