Comparison

Manual Exposure vs Light Planner

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

Head to head
About

Manual Exposure

This app provides essential calculators for landscape photographers to determine exposure settings. It includes tools for ND filters, handheld shots, multiple exposures, star photography, and nightscapes, with features like a built-in timer and equipment organization.

Highlights
  • 8 landscape photography calculators
  • Built-in timer and notifications
  • Home screen widget and Apple Watch app
  • Equipment and item info organization
  • Teleconverter support
  • Advanced filter and stabilization settings
  • Dark theme support
Features
Read full description

Manual Exposure does the math for long exposures and night photography. Choose your equipment and settings, and the app gives you the exposure time. No tables or cheat sheets. Calculators • ND filters: exposure time with one or more ND filters. • Handheld shutter speed: the slowest shutter speed you can use without blur. • Multiple exposures: exposure compensation for multiple-exposure shots. • Still stars: the longest exposure before stars start to trail. • Star trails: exposure and number of frames for the trail length you want. • Nightscapes: exposure for landscapes in moonlight. • Moon: exposure for photographing the Moon itself. Features • Built-in timer. Start the countdown and close the app: you'll get a notification when time is up. Run several timers at once. • Home Screen widget and Apple Watch app show the running timer. • Equipment sets. Add cameras, lenses, filters and teleconverters from the catalog, and switch sets in any calculator. • Specs for every item in your sets. • Save your favorite calculators and reopen them with one tap. • ND filter compensation and lens stabilization settings. • Light and dark mode, support for larger text sizes. Full version The ND filters calculator is free. One payment unlocks all calculators, the equipment catalog, the widget and the Apple Watch app. No subscription. Privacy No account, no ads, no tracking. Your equipment and saved calculators stay on your device. We collect usage statistics to improve the app; they are not linked to you, and we don't build profiles. Support Found a bug, have a suggestion, or can't find your gear? Contact us from Support in the app. Terms of Use: https://handsmade.info/manualexposure/terms.html

About

Light Planner

Read full description

Do you want to calculate an exposure time based on the shutter speed and ND filters you have on your camera? LightPlanner will do it for you and you won't have any more headaches in the middle of a photo shoot! It is an exposure value configurator that influences how light enters your camera. This app will help you calculate equivalent values based on the law of reciprocity, with which you can configure different settings to get the right exposure. It helps you to organize your next photo escapades and take pictures with different settings. 1. Select the step scale you need. 2. Set the shutter speed. 3. Select from 1 to 3 ND filters. 4. Get the final exposure time directly calculated. 5. Time it!

Screenshots

Manual Exposure4 screens
Light Planner4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: Light Planner at none against Manual Exposure's 3. Light Planner also leads on iOS requirement (17.0 vs 26.0). Manual Exposure's advantage is update cadence (every 2 months vs every 15 months). On price, ads and device support 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

CostPrice · In-app purchases · Ads · Monetization

Both are free to download. Manual Exposure sells 3 in-app purchases, starting at $0.99 per month. Light Planner asks for nothing beyond the download.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Manual Exposure ships an update every 2 months, Light Planner every 15 months. The most recent releases landed on November 1, 2026 and November 4, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard3 real differences · 5 level
Manual Exposure versus Light Planner: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterManual ExposureLight Planner
PriceFreeFree
Positive reviews42.3% of reviews—
Update frequencyEvery 2 months — betterEvery 15 months
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesNo — better
MonetizationFree with in-app purchases—
DevicesiPhone, Apple Watch — betteriPhone
Requires iOS26.017.0 — better
Further details — not scored
Size54 MB6 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperGeorge KoultouridisCarlos Morgado Alarcon

In-app purchases

3 purchases

Manual Exposure

Subscriptions2
  • monthly14 Days trial$0.991 Month
  • yearly1 Month trial$8.991 Year
One-time1
  • Full version$5.99
None

Light Planner

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is Manual Exposure free?
Manual Exposure is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is Light Planner free?
Light Planner is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Do Manual Exposure or Light Planner have ads?
Neither Manual Exposure nor Light Planner shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Manual Exposure or Light Planner?
Manual Exposure ships an update every 2 months, and Light Planner every 15 months. Most recently, Manual Exposure was updated on November 1, 2026 and Light Planner on November 4, 2026.

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