RED Tools vs Magic Reds ViewFinder
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
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
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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.
Magic Reds ViewFinder
This tool simulates camera lens fields of view for filmmaking professionals. It helps visualize shots by selecting cameras and focal lengths, with options for aspect ratios and color presets. Save your compositions with detailed metadata.
- Simulates camera and lens field of view
- Supports various RED digital cinema cameras
- Adjustable focal length and aspect ratio
- Apply color presets (LUTs)
- Save shots with metadata
- Lock exposure and focus
- Adjust white balance
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Magic Reds ViewFinder presents a precise framing preview for the real camera/lens combination you'll be shooting with, right where you stand with your iPhone / iPad. It simulates the field of view of cinema digital cameras or lens and can help thousands of professionals in filmmaking at the preproduction. PLEASE READ: this app does not turn your Apple device into an external monitor, but operates as a stand-alone tool. The app contains ad banners, which can be turned off with additional in-app purchase (in 'About the App' menu). The app is a digital directors viewfinder - it helps you see the exact field of view for your future shot. Select the camera from the menu and rotate the wheel to select the focal length of the lens. Supported cameras ( http://www.red.com/products ): - Helium 8K - Gemini - Weapon 8K - Scarlet-W, - Weapon Dragon - Epic Dragon / Mysterium-X - Scarlet Dragon / Mysterium-X - Red One Magic ViewFinder simulates using tele adapters or anamorphic optics on your camera. From the menu you can also select the aspect ratio of the frame guide overlaying your image. Magic ViewFinder also lets you apply some commonly used color presets (also known as LUTs) to the live picture, which brings you even closer to the final shot. When you have found the right view, you may save it for future reference, with additional data like the focal length, date and time and camera / lens information. While taking a photo, you may lock exposure and turn on and off the auto focus to better control the captured picture. You can set camera to work in constant auto-focus mode, or lock the focus temporarily. You can also tap the live screen to focus on particular objects (which turns on the focus-locked mode). White balance may work in Auto, Locked or Manual mode. If the field of view of your real camera is wider than your in-device camera, the app adds 'padding' around the image, since the device cannot 'see' what is beyond. It is the best solution that we developed first amongst other viewfinder apps. Please note that position of your iPhone or iPad should correspond to the 'nodal point' of your real lens, which is somewhere in the middle of the lens. Ad policy: The ads are designed to appear non-intrusively. Ads can be turned off (see below). Additional info about the app may be read at: http://dev.kadru.net/index.php/magic-viewfinder/ If you have any issues please email us for a quick support: dev@kadru.net To activate additional settings (i.e. to use all available optical adapters and frame guides) and to turn off advertising, please subscribe to (Option #1) or purchase Premium Features (Option #2) in 'About the App' menu. In-App Purchase Option #1: - Title of service: Premium features: subscription - Length of subscription: a month (auto-renewable) - Contents of service: Turned off ads and additional options for frame guides, optical adapters, anamorphic indices, more LUTs - Payment will be charged to iTunes Account at confirmation of purchase - Subscription automatically renews unless auto-renew is turned off at least 24-hours before the end of the current period - Account will be charged for renewal within 24-hours prior to the end of the current period, and identify the cost of the renewal - Subscriptions may be managed by the user and auto-renewal may be turned off by going to the user’s Account Settings after purchase - Any unused portion of a free trial period will be forfeited when the user purchases a subscription to that publication, where applicable Terms of Use: http://dev.kadru.net/tos.html In-App Purchase Option #2: - Title of service: Premium features: purchase - Length of subscription: once and forever - Contents of service: Turned off ads and additional options for frame guides, optical adapters, anamorphic indices, more LUTs Privacy Policy: http://dev.kadru.net/privacy_policy/Privacy_Policy_Magic_Red_ViewFinder.html
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is rating: Magic Reds ViewFinder at 4.9 against RED Tools's 3.3. Magic Reds ViewFinder also leads on update cadence (every 2 months vs every 21 months) and review sentiment (67% vs 50%). RED Tools's advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 2) and ads (none vs shown). On price, ratings volume 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
Both are free to download. Magic Reds ViewFinder sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $1.49 per month. RED Tools asks for nothing beyond the download.
Magic Reds ViewFinder holds the better App Store score, 4.9 against 3.3. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 15 and 23 respectively. Written reviews point the same way: 50% of RED Tools's written reviews are positive against 67% of Magic Reds ViewFinder's.
RED Tools ships an update every 21 months, Magic Reds ViewFinder every 2 months. The most recent releases landed on September 19, 2026 and October 5, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | RED Tools | Magic Reds ViewFinder |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 3.3 (15 ratings) | 4.9 (23 ratings) — better |
| Positive reviews | 50.0% of reviews | 66.7% of reviews — better |
| Number of ratings | 15 | 23 — better |
| Update frequency | Every 21 months | Every 2 months — better |
| Ads | No — better | Yes |
| In-app purchases | No — better | Yes |
| Monetization | Free — better | Free with in-app purchases |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Requires iOS | 15.6 | 12.0 — better |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 7 MB | 19 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | RED Digital Cinema | Roman Medvid |
Customer experience
RED Tools
Magic Reds ViewFinder
In-app purchases
RED Tools
No in-app purchases
Magic Reds ViewFinder
- Premium features: subscription$1.491 Month
- Premium features: purchase$4.99








