Comparison

foolcontrol vs RED Tools

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

Head to head
About

foolcontrol

This app provides comprehensive remote control for RED DIGITAL CINEMA cameras over a network. Adjust camera settings, manage focus, apply looks, and control playback from your iOS device.

Highlights
  • Full camera control over network
  • Advanced focus control with presets
  • In-camera grading with curves
  • Clip playback and management
  • Metadata and slate management
  • Camera menu navigation
Features
Read full description

foolcontrol lets you get full control over a RED DIGITAL CINEMA DSMC™ camera connected to the same network as your iOS device, WEAPON, EPIC-W, SCARLET-W and RAVEN all have built in wifi but EPIC / SCARLET cameras require additional wireless accessories to work with foolcontrol (see below). - PREVIEW : recording state, format, project / sensor frame rate, timecode, pre-record, frame trigger frame tagging, OLPF, REDcode, lookaround, shutter angle / speed, histogram, goal posts, traffic lights, gamma / color space, recording mode, frame processing, HDRx, Motion Mount, iris vale, white balance, tint, ISO, tools, RAW view, magnify, production info, scene and take metadata, VU meter, battery level / time left, media remaining / recording time, clip count, clip name, previous clip info. Indicators for : LAN, ext. timecode, sync, genlock, RIG, errors, camera fan speed and temperature. Eject media, power saving modes and shutdown the camera. - FOCUS : Circular focus disc with advanced features : colored users marks, smooth bezier rack focus with adjustable speed, add hard stop for near/far focus, select 1,2,3,4,5 or 10 knob turns for super precise focusing without loosing any previous marks, searchable preset focus discs markers, create, recall, sort, rename and export your own user focus distance discs : unique mode lets you add repeatable distance marks for your lenses. AF mode selection, autofocus trigger, AF zone size and center, rack focus mode points recall, iris, magnify, record start stop, audible marks and more. - LOOK : set camera look using a multi speed slider or manual value input : contrast, exposure, saturation, shadow, brightness, RGB gains, kelvin, tint and FLUT. Color temperature presets, auto white balance, ISO, color / gamma space. - CURVES : Shape luma, red, green and blue curves to create in-camera grades. Drag curves points using 3 different modes for normal, fine, and super fine curve adjustment. - PLAYBACK : list all the clips on your media with timecode, thumbnail and duration. Play forward, backward, frame by frame, go to end and beginning, set in/out points, navigate marked frame, set playback speed and looping mode. - KEYS : navigate your camera menu using knob, buttons or gesture pad. Access to all buttons and menu pages. - PRESETS : create and apply camera presets. A preset can include one or several parameters from look, curves, camera settings, slate and many more. Presets can be sorted, renamed and exported by email. - SLATE : quickly set metadata values for production, director, DOP, scene, shot, take, project info, camera operator, unit and location. GPS location (on GPS enabled devices). Set timecode mode and value. - CAMERA MENU tree - RECORD SETTINGS with access to advanced record formats, mode and options. - LINEAR FOCUS for single operators ------------- To use an EPIC or SCARLET camera with foolcontrol on the same wifi network you will need to use one of these : - RED lemo to cat5 ethernet cable and a GIG-E wireless router. - RED REDLink bridge wifi module. - Teradek COLR and GIG-E to lemo cable. - RTMotion latitude WEAPON / EPIC-W / SCARLET-W and RAVEN have built in wifi ready for foolcontrol. Wooden camera has an antenna replacement accessory called the 'Wifi Side Plate' to increase camera wifi range. It is always recommended to use a router on set (infrastructure mode) instead of the Ad Hoc network setup in camera. TPLink WR802N is a great affordable USB powered option. connection tips : foolcolor.net/tips.pdf more info, video demos and support : http://foolcolor.net/foolcontrol_iOS IG : @mikafool Please note : This application requires iOS 9.3 and up and will only work with RED DSMC cameras. It does not work with the RED ONE or any other camera. Focus control requires a RED Canon or Nikon mount and a compatible electronic lens.

About

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.

Highlights
  • Crop factor preview
  • R3D recording time evaluation
  • Flicker-free video calculation
  • Depth of field estimation
  • Panning speed guidance
  • Exposure assistance
Features
Read 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

foolcontrol4 screens
RED Tools4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is price: RED Tools at Free against foolcontrol's $99.99. foolcontrol's advantage is rating (4.1 vs 3.3) and update cadence (every 5 weeks vs every 21 months). On ratings volume, ads, in-app purchases 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

RED Tools is free to download; foolcontrol costs $99.99 up front. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

foolcontrol holds the better App Store score, 4.1 against 3.3. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 19 and 15 respectively. Written reviews point the same way: 71% of foolcontrol's written reviews are positive against 50% of RED Tools's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

foolcontrol ships an update every 5 weeks, RED Tools every 21 months. The most recent releases landed on September 16, 2026 and September 19, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard6 real differences · 4 level
foolcontrol versus RED Tools: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterfoolcontrolRED Tools
Price$99.99Free — better
Rating4.1 (19 ratings) — better3.3 (15 ratings)
Positive reviews70.6% of reviews — better50.0% of reviews
Number of ratings19 — better15
Update frequencyEvery 5 weeks — betterEvery 21 months
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNoNo
MonetizationPaidFree — better
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPod, Apple Watch — betteriPhone, iPad, iPod
Requires iOS9.3 — better15.6
Further details — not scored
Size29 MB7 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperMikael LubtchanskyRED Digital Cinema

Customer experience

foolcontrol

All ratings19 ratings
Positive73.7%
Neutral5.3%
Negative21.1%
Written reviews17 reviews
Positive70.6%
Neutral5.9%
Negative23.5%

RED Tools

All ratings13 ratings
Positive53.8%
Neutral7.7%
Negative38.5%
Written reviews18 reviews
Positive50.0%
Neutral16.7%
Negative33.3%

In-app purchases

None

foolcontrol

No in-app purchases

None

RED Tools

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is foolcontrol free?
foolcontrol costs $99.99, with no in-app purchases.
Is RED Tools free?
RED Tools is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Which has better reviews, foolcontrol or RED Tools?
foolcontrol is rated higher. foolcontrol averages 4.1 out of 5 from 19 ratings, while RED Tools averages 3.3 from 15 ratings.
Do foolcontrol or RED Tools have ads?
Neither foolcontrol nor RED Tools shows ads.
Which is updated more often, foolcontrol or RED Tools?
foolcontrol ships an update every 5 weeks, and RED Tools every 21 months. Most recently, foolcontrol was updated on September 16, 2026 and RED Tools on September 19, 2026.

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