Comparison

Light Meter Wheel vs LightScope

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

Head to head
About

Light Meter Wheel

This app offers a fast, visual, and precise way to measure light for photography. It features a unique exposure wheel that displays aperture, shutter speed, and ISO simultaneously, giving photographers instant control and clarity.

Highlights
  • Real exposure wheel with all values in one view
  • Real-time metering with instant EV readings
  • Wide ISO and shutter speed range
  • Exposure timer for long exposures
  • Incident metering using front camera
  • Calibration for accuracy
Features
Read full description

Light Meter Wheel brings a unique way to measure light — fast, visual and precise. Instead of switching modes, everything is visible at once. Aperture, shutter speed and ISO are seamlessly connected through a real exposure wheel, giving you full control at a glance. Designed for photographers who value clarity, speed and accuracy. Also especially useful for pinhole photography, where its wide aperture range and long exposure timer make setting exposures straightforward. Features • Real exposure wheel with all values in one view • Real-time metering with instant EV readings • Wide ISO range: 0.8 – 6400 • Shutter speeds from 1/8000s to 4 hours • Apertures from f/0.7 to f/1024 • Exposure timer (perfect for long exposures & pinhole) • HOLD function to lock readings • Incident metering using the front camera • Custom backgrounds and light/dark modes • Calibration for maximum accuracy Built by a photographer, for photographers.

About

LightScope

This app uses your device's camera to measure and analyze various light properties, including illuminance, luminous intensity, and color temperature. It offers real-time histograms, contrast ratio, and noise measurements, with options for image capture and history tracking.

Highlights
  • Illuminance (lux) measurement
  • Luminous intensity (candela) calculation
  • Color temperature (K) analysis
  • Real-time histogram
  • Contrast ratio measurement
  • Image capture and storage
  • Measurement history and trends
Features
Read full description

LightScope is a comprehensive solution providing professional light measurement and analysis using your iOS device's camera sensor. 【Key Measurement Features】 • Illuminance (lux) Measurement: Calculates accurate illuminance by analyzing EXIF data from the camera sensor. Illuminance is derived using the formula: (F-number² / (Exposure Time × ISO)) × Calibration Factor. • Exposure (EV) Calculator: Converts measured illuminance to EV and suggests proper exposure combinations in standard stops for your ISO and aperture (or shutter) settings. • Luminous Intensity (candela) Calculation: Automatically calculates the luminous intensity of a light source based on the set distance. Uses the formula: Illuminance (lux) × Distance². • Color Temperature (K) & Tint Analysis: Precisely measures the light source's color temperature (1500K~15000K) and tint (green-magenta bias) by analyzing the camera's white balance sensor data — useful for identifying fluorescent and LED lighting. • Real-time Histogram: Visualizes the balance of shadows, midtones, and highlights through 16-level brightness distribution analysis. • Contrast Ratio Measurement: Evaluates the brightness ratio between bright and dark areas of a scene (based on 10th/90th percentiles) according to WCAG accessibility standards. • Noise Measurement (SNR): Calculates the signal-to-noise ratio in dB to evaluate image quality in the shooting environment. 【Advanced Features】 • Image Capture and Storage: Captures camera images at the time of measurement and stores them with measurement data. • Full-screen Image View: Zoom, pan, and rotate captured images for detailed inspection. • Gallery Saving: Save captured images to your device's photo library. • Measurement History and Trends: Save all measurements chronologically and chart trends for lux, EV, color temperature, contrast, and SNR. • Continuous Logging: Automatically record measurements at a set interval (1-60s) — great for lighting design and site surveys. • Full-Resolution Image Storage: Keep captured images at original quality for detailed inspection and gallery saving. • Export All History: Export every measurement as a CSV file or a PDF report. • Notes & Location Tags: Attach notes to measurements and optionally save the measurement location. • Home Screen Widget: See your last measurement (lux, color temperature, contrast, SNR) right on the home screen. • Camera Full-screen Mode: Hide panels to focus on the camera view while checking key measurements via a mini info panel. • Measurement Lock: Freeze exposure and white balance for stable, steady readings. • Spot Metering: In full-screen mode, tap anywhere to meter around that point. • Perfect Dark/Light Mode Support: All UI elements automatically adapt to the system theme. 【User Settings】 • Calibration Wizard: Enter a reading from a reference lux meter and the calibration factor is calculated automatically. Manual slider adjustment is also available. • Distance Setting: Set the distance to the light source for precise luminous intensity (cd) calculations. • Front/Rear Camera Selection: Choose the appropriate camera for your measurement situation. 【Technical Features】 • Support for measuring various light source types: natural light, LED, fluorescent, incandescent, etc. • Color temperature and tint sourced directly from the camera ISP's white balance estimation for reliable readings • 10-frame moving average filter for measurement stabilization • Center-weighted or spot (tap-to-meter) analysis for accurate evaluation of the main subject • Automatic exposure quality assessment based on histogram analysis Perfect tool for photographers, videographers, lighting designers, UI/UX developers, and anyone who needs accurate light measurements.

Screenshots

Light Meter Wheel4 screens
LightScope4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is review sentiment: Light Meter Wheel at 91% against LightScope's 42%. Light Meter Wheel also leads on price ($1.99 vs $9.99). LightScope's advantage is update cadence (every 2 weeks vs every 2 months). On ads, in-app purchases, device support 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

CostPrice · In-app purchases · Ads · Monetization

Light Meter Wheel costs $1.99 and LightScope $9.99 up front. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Light Meter Wheel ships an update every 2 months, LightScope every 2 weeks. Both last shipped on October 13, 2026.

Scorecard4 real differences · 6 level
Light Meter Wheel versus LightScope: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterLight Meter WheelLightScope
Price$1.99 — better$9.99
Rating4.7 (12 ratings) — better—
Positive reviews91.3% of reviews — better41.7% of reviews
Number of ratings12 — better—
Update frequencyEvery 2 monthsEvery 2 weeks — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNoNo
MonetizationFree — betterPaid
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPod — betteriPhone, iPad
Requires iOS15.6 — better16.6
Further details — not scored
Size4 MB2 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperDavid QuilesByungil Park

Customer experience

Light Meter Wheel

All ratings12 ratings
Positive91.7%
Neutral0.0%
Negative8.3%
Written reviews46 reviews
Positive91.3%
Neutral4.3%
Negative4.3%

LightScope

Written reviews12 reviews
Positive41.7%
Neutral0.0%
Negative58.3%

In-app purchases

None

Light Meter Wheel

No in-app purchases

None

LightScope

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is Light Meter Wheel free?
Light Meter Wheel costs $1.99, with no in-app purchases.
Is LightScope free?
LightScope costs $9.99, with no in-app purchases.
Do Light Meter Wheel or LightScope have ads?
Neither Light Meter Wheel nor LightScope shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Light Meter Wheel or LightScope?
Light Meter Wheel ships an update every 2 months, and LightScope every 2 weeks. Most recently, Light Meter Wheel was updated on October 13, 2026 and LightScope on October 13, 2026.

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