Light Meter Wheel vs LightScope
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
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.
- 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
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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.
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.
- 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
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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
Verdict
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
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.
Light Meter Wheel ships an update every 2 months, LightScope every 2 weeks. Both last shipped on October 13, 2026.
| Parameter | Light Meter Wheel | LightScope |
|---|---|---|
| Price | $1.99 — better | $9.99 |
| Rating | 4.7 (12 ratings) — better | — |
| Positive reviews | 91.3% of reviews — better | 41.7% of reviews |
| Number of ratings | 12 — better | — |
| Update frequency | Every 2 months | Every 2 weeks — better |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Monetization | Free — better | Paid |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod — better | iPhone, iPad |
| Requires iOS | 15.6 — better | 16.6 |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 4 MB | 2 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | David Quiles | Byungil Park |
Customer experience
Light Meter Wheel
LightScope
In-app purchases
Light Meter Wheel
No in-app purchases
LightScope
No in-app purchases
Questions
Is Light Meter Wheel free?
Is LightScope free?
Do Light Meter Wheel or LightScope have ads?
Which is updated more often, Light Meter Wheel or LightScope?
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