Cadrage Director's Viewfinder vs RED Tools
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
Cadrage Director's Viewfinder
This app provides precise framing previews for a vast array of professional camera and lens combinations. It helps filmmakers and photographers visualize shots, manage projects, and communicate their vision effectively during production.
- Accurate camera and lens previews
- Custom frameline creation
- Photo and video recording
- Built-in gallery and project manager
- PDF shotlist generation
- Manual exposure, focus, and white balance control
- 3-way color correction
Read full descriptionHide full description
Cadrage - the director's viewfinder app used by some of the best directors and DPs worldwide. Cadrage allows you to line up your shots with precise framing previews of any professional camera/lens combination and make sure everybody is on the same page during preproduction and on set. ◈◈◈ Planning your shoot has never been easier. Download Cadrage now and see how it will change the way you work. ◈◈◈ FEATURES ● Accurate previews for thousands of cameras and lenses ● Save photos and record videos ● Add custom framelines in any aspect ratio ● Track the sun's path at your location for any date ● Built-in gallery & project manager ● Create neat PDF shotlists and directly upload to Dropbox or send via email ● Manually control exposure, focus & white balance ● Professional 3-way color correction to pre-visualize the final look ● Supports dual and triple camera devices ◈◈◈ Communicate your vision to your team. Download Cadrage now and get the most out of your shooting day. ◈◈◈ ◆ CINE CAMERAS ◆ ARRI Alexa 265, Alexa 35, Alexa 35 Xtreme, Alexa 65, Alexa Classic, Alexa LF, Alexa Mini, Alexa Mini LF, Alexa SXT, Alexa XT, Amira, D-21 Blackmagic Cinema Camera, Cinema Camera 6K, Micro Cinema Camera, Micro Studio Camera 4K, Pocket Cinema Camera, Pocket Cinema Camera 4K, Pocket Cinema Camera 6K, Pocket Cinema Camera 6K Pro, Production Camera 4K, PYXIS 12K, PYXIS 6K, Studio Camera 4K, Studio Camera 4K Plus, Studio Camera 4K Pro, Studio Camera HD, URSA, URSA (Broadcast), URSA 4.6K, URSA Cine 12K LF, URSA Cine 17K 65, URSA Mini 4.6K, URSA Mini 4K, URSA Mini Pro, URSA Mini Pro 12K, URSA Mini Pro 4.6K G2 Canon C100, C100 Mark II, C200, C300, C300 Mark II, C300 Mark III, C400, C50, C500, C500 Mark II, C70, C700, C80 DJI Ronin 4D (6K), Ronin 4D (8K), Zenmuse X7 Film 16mm, 35mm, 65mm/70mm, 8mm Freefly Systems Ember S2.5K, Ember S5K, Wave Fujifilm GFX Eterna 55 Generic Broadcast Kinefinity KineMAX, KineMini, Mavo, Mavo Edge, Mavo LF, TERRA Panasonic AF101, DC-BGH1, EVA1, HDX 900, VariCam 35, VariCam LT Panavision DXL, DXL2 Phantom 65, Flex, Flex4K, HD GOLD, Miro LC321S, v2640 ONYX, VEO4K-PL RED Dragon-X, Epic Dragon, Epic-W (Helium), Epic-X, Gemini, Komodo, Komodo-X, Monstro-VV, One, Ranger (Gemini), Ranger (Helium), Ranger (Monstro), Raven, Scarlet-W (Dragon), Scarlet-X, V-Raptor S35, V-Raptor VV, V-Raptor XE VV, V-Raptor XL S35, V-Raptor XL VV, Weapon (Dragon-VV), Weapon (Helium) Sony Burano, F23, F3, F35, F5, F55, F65, F900, FS100, FS5, FS5 Mark II, FS7, FS7 Mark II, FS700, FX2, FX3, FX30, FX6, FX9, HDC-1500R, Venice, Venice 2 (6K), Venice 2 (8K) Z CAM E2, E2-F6, E2-F8, E2-M4, E2-S6, E2-S6G, E2C, E2G ◆ PHOTO CAMERAS ◆ Canon 1000D/XS, 1D, 1D C, 1D Mark II, 1D Mark III, 1D Mark IV, 1D X, 1D X Mark II, 1D X Mark III, 1Ds, 1Ds Mark II, 1Ds Mark III, 200D/SL2, 20D, 30D, 40D, 450D/XSi, 500D/T1i, 50D, 550D/T2i, 5D, 5D Mark II, 5D Mark III, 5D Mark IV, 5DS, 600D/T3i, 60D, 650D/T4i, 6D, 6D Mark II, 700D/T5i, 70D, 750D/T6i, 760D/T6s, 77D, 7D, 7D Mark II, 800D/T7i, 80D, 850D/T8i, 90D, M50, R, R5, R6, Ra, RP Film (Still) 35mm (135), APS, Large Format, Medium Format, XPan Fujifilm GFX 100, GFX 100S, GFX 50R, GFX 50S, X-A7, X-H1, X-Pro2, X-Pro3, X-S10, X-T2, X-T200, X-T3, X-T4, X100V Hasselblad Digital Medium Format Leica CL, M10/M10-R, M8/M8.2, M9/M9-P, S, S2, SL, SL2, SL2-S Mamiya Leaf Credo Series Nikon D1, D100, D1H, D1x, D200, D2H, D2Hs, D2x, D3, D300, D3000, D300s, D3100, D3200, D3300, D3400, D3s, D3x, D4, D40, D40X, D4s, D50, D500, D5000, D5100, D5300, D5500, D5600, D60, D600, D610, D70, D700, D7000, D70s, D7100, D7200, D750, D7500, D80, D800, D810, D850, D90, DF, Z50, Z6, Z7 Olympus E Series Panasonic GH1, GH2, GH3, GH4, GH5, GH5S, S1, S1H, S1R, S5 Pentax 645D, 645Z, K Series Phase One Achromatic+, IQ Series, P 30+, P 40+, P 45+, P 65+ Sigma fp, fp L, SD1, SD15 Sony A290, A390, A450, A580, A6000, A6300, A6500, A6600, A7 III, A7C, A7r II, A7r III, A7r IV, A7s, A7s II, A7s III, A850, A9, A9 II, A900, A99, SLT-A37K, SLT-A57, SLT-A65, SLT-A77
RED Tools
This app assists filmmakers and camera operators with camera setup by providing tools for crop factor, recording time, flicker-free video, depth of field, panning speed, and exposure. It offers customizable settings for various shooting situations and RED camera systems.
- Crop factor preview
- R3D recording time evaluation
- Flicker-free video calculation
- Depth of field estimation
- Panning speed guidance
- Exposure assistance
Read full descriptionHide full description
RED Tools is a convenient reference tool designed for use by filmmakers and camera operators to outline best practices in camera set-up for a variety of shooting situations. Each tool is customizable based on a selected RED camera and sensor type. Standard film formats are also included for comparison. RED Tools is also included in the RED Control app, which also provides free, full-featured camera control and video streaming for RED’s latest DSMC3 products. TOOLS INCLUDED: CROP FACTOR Preview how a given focal length will appear depending on resolution setting and sensor type. Illustration depicts viewable area relative to a traditional 35 mm stills photography sensor by default, but other reference sensors are selectable within the drop-down menu. R3D RECORDING TIME Evaluate the video data rate and available recording time based on your RED camera settings. This can help you understand media requirements and production costs in advance of a shoot. FLICKER FREE VIDEO Find a flicker-free shutter speed and frame rate combination when shooting under artificial lighting. DEPTH OF FIELD Understand how various camera settings influence depth of field. PANNING SPEED Estimate the panning speed where judder will likely become too pronounced. The goal is to provide a more accessible tool than the charts and tables commonly referenced in cinematography manuals. It uses the standard rule of thumb that camera panning should not cause objects to transit the entire horizontal extent of an image in any less than seven seconds. EXPOSURE Assist with exposure when one camera setting has to change. Example usage scenarios include when a higher frame rate needs to be used for slow motion, when the T-stop has to change for depth of field, or when the shutter angle has to change to minimize flickering in artificial light. NIKKOR Z Lens Coverage Use this tool to understand how NIKKOR Z lenses will look on your RED Z Mount camera bodies. The tool shows the extent the light will fall off at different sensor formats, and if any hard vignetting occurs.
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is price: RED Tools at Free against Cadrage Director's Viewfinder's $19.99. RED Tools also leads on iOS requirement (15.6 vs 18.6). Cadrage Director's Viewfinder's advantage is rating (4.7 vs 3.4) and review sentiment (91% vs 50%). On ads, in-app purchases, monetization model 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
RED Tools is free to download; Cadrage Director's Viewfinder costs $19.99 up front. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.
Cadrage Director's Viewfinder holds the better App Store score, 4.7 against 3.4. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Cadrage Director's Viewfinder has 378 ratings behind it against 16, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 91% of Cadrage Director's Viewfinder's written reviews are positive against 50% of RED Tools's.
Cadrage Director's Viewfinder ships an update every 3 weeks, RED Tools every 21 months. The most recent releases landed on October 29, 2026 and October 24, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | Cadrage Director's Viewfinder | RED Tools |
|---|---|---|
| Price | $19.99 | Free — better |
| Rating | 4.7 (378 ratings) — better | 3.4 (16 ratings) |
| Positive reviews | 90.7% of reviews — better | 50.0% of reviews |
| Number of ratings | 378 — better | 16 |
| Update frequency | Every 3 weeks — better | Every 21 months |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Monetization | Free | Free |
| Best chart rank | #24 — better | — |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | iPhone, iPad, iPod — better |
| Requires iOS | 18.6 | 15.6 — better |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 50 MB | 7 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | Cadrage GmbH | RED Digital Cinema |
Customer experience
Cadrage Director's Viewfinder
RED Tools
Bugs and requests
Cadrage Director's Viewfinder
Reported bugs
3 issues- Camera shutter sometimes unresponsive
- Occasional crashes or freezes
- Metadata not always accurate (e.g. 'unknown camera')
Requested features
5 requests- Add manual camera and lens information input
- Implement vertical/portrait mode
- Add more composition overlays (e.g. golden ratio)
- Improve project/photo management and organization
- Implement camera settings controls (aperture, shutter, ISO)
RED Tools
Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.
In-app purchases
Cadrage Director's Viewfinder
No in-app purchases
RED Tools
No in-app purchases
Questions
Is Cadrage Director's Viewfinder free?
Is RED Tools free?
Which has better reviews, Cadrage Director's Viewfinder or RED Tools?
Do Cadrage Director's Viewfinder or RED Tools have ads?
Which is updated more often, Cadrage Director's Viewfinder or RED Tools?
Other comparisons















