Comparison

Light Meter Classic vs Camera18

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

Head to head
About

Light Meter Classic

Features
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A reflected-light meter for film photography. It uses the phone camera as its sensor, lets you choose exactly which part of the frame to measure, and works out the ISO / aperture / shutter combination to set on your camera β€” restricted to the values that camera actually has. It exists for the situations a film camera's own meter gets wrong: a face against a bright window, a subject lit from behind, a stage. Those are exactly the cases where averaging the whole frame throws the exposure away, and where being able to say "measure here, not there" fixes it. MEASURE WHERE YOU WANT β€’ SPOT β€” a small area, for a face or a shadow β€’ CENTRE β€” weighted three-to-one towards the middle β€’ AVG β€” the whole frame β€’ BOX β€” drag to move it, drag the corner to resize it The preview is a 3:2 window: the frame a 35mm camera gets, whatever the shape of your screen. SOLVES FOR THE SETTING YOU NEED One setting is computed, the other two you set by hand. Each of the three tiles carries its own AUTO switch β€” tap AUTO on aperture and the app finds the aperture; tap it on shutter and it finds the shutter. One button hands both to the app at once. Every value the app returns is one your camera has. Settings holds three ranges β€” shutter, aperture, film speed β€” each with its own step size (full, half or third stops), a bulb switch, and the speed below which to warn you about camera shake. That covers any body and lens without a library of them. FREEZE Hold a reading so you can recompose without it changing. The value turns blue and the label reads FROZEN. MULTI-SPOT AND ZONES Store several readings with + SPOT and the app places the scene midway between its extremes, rather than letting any one reading pull the exposure to middle grey. Each stored reading is shown as a zone against the chosen exposure. CALIBRATION A phone differs from a reference meter by a fixed amount. Measure it once β€” fill the frame with an evenly lit surface, dial in what a camera you trust says, and save the point. Check at a few light levels and add a point where it is out; the app interpolates between them. Calibration is keyed to the phone and lens, so it stays true across sessions, and exports to JSON so it can be backed up or moved to another phone. The readout shows CAL +0.42 when an offset is being applied, or NO CAL when there is none β€” so you always know which you are looking at. No offsets are shipped for devices that have not been measured. An invented number is worse than none, because it looks like a measurement. RECIPROCITY AND FILM Long exposures need more time than the maths alone says. Where a manufacturer publishes the figure for a film, the app applies it; where none is published, it applies nothing rather than guessing. SHOT LOG Keep what you metered and what you set, so a roll can be read back later. NO ACCOUNT, NO NETWORK, NO TRACKING Nothing is uploaded. The camera is used to meter light and nothing else β€” no photo is captured, stored or sent.

About

Camera18

Features
Read full description

Camera18 turns your iPhone into a collection of cameras. Seamlessly zoom through your scene, switch cameras in an instant, and discover a different photographic character with each one. Every camera is more than a filter. Each has its own color, texture, lens feel, and aperture character β€” from wide-open softness to crisp depth and dramatic starbursts. ONE CAMERA. MANY CHARACTERS. β€’ Seamless Zoom Move naturally from wide to close without interrupting the shot. β€’ Camera Simulations Shoot with distinct camera-inspired looks, each built around its own color, texture, and optical character. β€’ Aperture Character Aperture is part of each camera’s identity β€” changing how light, depth, softness, and starbursts feel. β€’ Aperture Control On supported hardware, control the physical aperture directly. Other supported devices recreate the experience computationally. β€’ Shoot, Don’t Filter Choose your camera and aperture before the shutter. The look is part of how you shoot, not something added afterward. One iPhone. Many cameras. A different character in every shot. Terms of Use https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/ Privacy Policy https://cornpiess.github.io/camera18/privacy.html

Screenshots

Light Meter Classic4 screens
Camera183 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: Light Meter Classic at none against Camera18's 2. On price, ads, device support and iOS requirement 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. Camera18 sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $2.99 per month. Light Meter Classic asks for nothing beyond the download.

Scorecard1 real difference Β· 5 level
Light Meter Classic versus Camera18: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterLight Meter ClassicCamera18
PriceFreeFree
Update frequencyβ€”Every 2 weeks
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNo β€” betterYes
DevicesiPhoneiPhone, iPod β€” better
Requires iOS16.415.1 β€” better
Further details β€” not scored
Size37 MB32 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperCarabala Pte. Ltd.ζ΄ͺ 朱

In-app purchases

None

Light Meter Classic

No in-app purchases

2 purchases

Camera18

Subscriptions2
  • Camera 18 Pro Monthly$2.991 Month
  • Camera 18 Pro Yearly$14.991 Year

Questions

Is Light Meter Classic free?
Light Meter Classic is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is Camera18 free?
Camera18 is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Do Light Meter Classic or Camera18 have ads?
Neither Light Meter Classic nor Camera18 shows ads.

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