Comparison

Starry sky Camera vs Dark Preview Camera

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

Head to head
About

Starry sky Camera

Capture stunning images of the night sky, including stars and potentially the Milky Way, with advanced long exposure and ISO settings. Enhance your photos with a variety of image processing filters.

Highlights
  • Starry sky photography modes (Star 1, 2, 3)
  • Long exposure and manual ISO settings
  • Dozens of image processing filters
  • Manual focus and exposure control
  • Camera shake correction
  • HDR function
  • Import photos from camera roll
Features
Read full description

This camera app is able to take pictures of a real starry sky. You can take stars of the first magnitude and stars of the second magnitude or less in good condition. If you have a device with a high-performance camera these days, you might even be able to capture the Milky Way, depending on the conditions. (Conditions include long exposure (e.g., 4 seconds or more) x 10 or more continuous shots, and keeping the ISO as low as possible while still achieving sufficient brightness.) You can also get the pictures processed through dozens or more kinds of image processing filter. To take pictures of the starry sky, you have only to (1)set your iPhone camera toward a starry sky on a tripod, (2)tap the star icon (star1, star2 or star3), (Star1 is recommended.) (3)release the shutter, and just wait a minute or so. Adjust the long exposure parameters using manual exposure depending on the results. For Star 1, select the brightest pixel for each pixel in the continuous shooting image to highlight the brightness of the stars in the dark night sky. Star 2 raises the tone of brightness according to the number of continuous shots and shoots brightly. Star 3 adds brightness to each pixel of the continuous shooting image and shoots very brightly. Even with the same number of exposures, the images are brightly combined in the low to high order of star 1, star 2, star 3. However, please note that the brightness of Star 3 tends to be saturated. The main features of this app are as follows. [Initial setting] (1) Camera position / library selection (setting screen) You can select the front camera and the rear camera. Also, if you select the library, you can import photos from the camera roll. (2) Shooting scene settings The following scenes (functions) can be set. Daytime (HDR), Starry sky 1 (comparative bright composition), Starry sky 2 (screen composition), Starry sky 3 (additional composition), Night view Valve (superimposed) (3) Color temperature setting When white balance is set to manual, 1000 K to 12000 K can be selected as the color temperature. If it is set to auto, the automatic setting value will be used. (4) Focus setting If the focus is set to manual, you can set the focus at any distance within the range of device performance. If set to auto, it will be the automatic setting value. (5) Exposure compensation settings It can be set within the range of device performance. (6) Camera shake correction function The camera shake correction function is useful for minute camera shake. Also, even if the star moves during shooting due to diurnal movement, the deviation is corrected and combined. (7) HDR (high dynamic range) function You can take multiple pictures with automatically changed exposure and combine them to take a picture with a pseudo-widened dynamic range. (8) Manual exposure setting function The shutter speed and ISO value can be manually set to any value within the range of device performance. [Camera function] Camera work is possible according to the contents set in the initial settings. You can also pinch in and out for digital zoom. The shutter also has a 2-second or 10-second timer to avoid camera shake when tapping. These can be selected by pressing and holding the shutter icon. [List display function] Photos taken with this app are stored in this app at the same time as they are stored in the camera roll, and can be displayed in a list with shooting date and time information on the list display screen. You can delete the tapped image by tapping Select, selecting the image, and tapping the trash can icon. [Image processing function] Tap the displayed image to display the filter list for image processing. There are about 70 types of filters such as brightness adjustment, contrast, blur, sharpening, sepia, monochrome, edge detection, sketch, etc.

About

Dark Preview Camera

Features
Read full description

Dark Preview Camera is a camera app designed to let you take photos and videos while keeping your screen brightness low. At night or in dark environments, your iPhone display can feel surprisingly bright. With Dark Preview Camera, you can reduce the screen brightness while using the camera, helping you keep the light from your display to a minimum while taking photos or recording videos. Screen brightness can be adjusted to suit your surroundings. [Simple Shooting Controls] Just tap the screen to start shooting. When you’re finished, double-tap the screen to stop. Simple controls make it easy to start and stop shooting in the dark. On iPhone models that support Camera Control, you can also use Camera Control to shoot without having to interact with the screen as much. [Main Features] * Shoot while keeping screen brightness low * Adjustable screen brightness * Tap the screen to shoot * Double-tap to stop shooting * Shoot using Camera Control * Photo and video capture * Front and rear camera switching * Zoom * Grid display * Level * Save location information with photos Ideal for nighttime, dark rooms, or anywhere you want to minimize the light coming from your screen.

Screenshots

Starry sky Camera4 screens
Dark Preview Camera3 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is update cadence: Dark Preview Camera at every 2 months against Starry sky Camera's every 5 months. Starry sky Camera's advantage is device support (3 vs 1) and price ($0.99 vs $1.99). On ads, in-app purchases 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

Starry sky Camera costs $0.99 and Dark Preview Camera $1.99 up front. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Starry sky Camera ships an update every 5 months, Dark Preview Camera every 2 months. The most recent releases landed on September 18, 2026 and September 21, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard3 real differences Β· 5 level
Starry sky Camera versus Dark Preview Camera: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterStarry sky CameraDark Preview Camera
Price$0.99 β€” better$1.99
Positive reviews28.6% of reviewsβ€”
Update frequencyEvery 5 monthsEvery 2 months β€” better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNoNo
MonetizationPaidβ€”
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPod β€” betteriPhone
Requires iOS15 β€” better16.0
Further details β€” not scored
Size15 MB4 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperHIROFUMI MARUOKouichi INAFUKU

In-app purchases

None

Starry sky Camera

No in-app purchases

None

Dark Preview Camera

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is Starry sky Camera free?
Starry sky Camera costs $0.99, with no in-app purchases.
Is Dark Preview Camera free?
Dark Preview Camera costs $1.99, with no in-app purchases.
Do Starry sky Camera or Dark Preview Camera have ads?
Neither Starry sky Camera nor Dark Preview Camera shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Starry sky Camera or Dark Preview Camera?
Starry sky Camera ships an update every 5 months, and Dark Preview Camera every 2 months. Most recently, Starry sky Camera was updated on September 18, 2026 and Dark Preview Camera on September 21, 2026.

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