Comparison

RED Tools vs ARC II

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

Head to head
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.

About

ARC II

Control your Arc II unit to capture professional videos and time-lapses. Features automatic face tracking, manual video control with keyframes, and real-time remote operation. Easily set up time-lapses and trigger your camera's shutter.

Highlights
  • Automatic Face Tracking
  • Manual Video Control with Keyframes
  • Real-time Remote Control
  • Time-Lapse Setup
  • Camera Shutter Triggering
Features
Read full description

Use this app to control your Arc II unit to capture incredible videos and time-lapses. There are multiple modes to choose from depending on what you’re filming. Automatic Face Tracking - Get in the frame and start filming. Arc II tracks your movement and keeps you in the shot. Change the framing, tracking speed, and even loop your slider for interview shots. Note: this mode requires you to mount your phone to your camera. See our website for the Camera Phone Mount. Video Mode - Use the intuitive trackpads to setup your move. Create keyframes to adjust up to 4 axis of movement. Remote Control - Use the trackpads to control Arc II and your Rhino Slider in real time. Loop your slider when you want to focus on nailing your pan/tilt move. You can lock off individual axis for more precise control and even change the sensitivity of the pad. Time-Lapse - Setup a time-lapse in minutes with the easy-to-use controls. Arc II can also trigger your camera’s shutter to eliminate motion blur. Note: shutter triggering requires a shutter release cable that can be purchased on our website.

Screenshots

RED Tools4 screens
ARC II4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is review sentiment: RED Tools at 50% against ARC II's 0%. RED Tools also leads on rating (3.3 vs 2.4). ARC II's advantage is update cadence (every 10 days vs every 21 months) and iOS requirement (12.0 vs 15.6). On price, ratings volume, ads and in-app purchases 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

Both are free to download. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

RED Tools holds the better App Store score, 3.3 against 2.4. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 15 and 18 respectively. Written reviews point the same way: 50% of RED Tools's written reviews are positive against 0% of ARC II's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

RED Tools ships an update every 21 months, ARC II every 10 days. The most recent releases landed on September 19, 2026 and June 2, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard4 real differences · 6 level
RED Tools versus ARC II: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterRED ToolsARC II
PriceFreeFree
Rating3.3 (15 ratings) — better2.4 (18 ratings)
Positive reviews50.0% of reviews — better0.0% of reviews
Number of ratings1518 — better
Update frequencyEvery 21 monthsEvery 10 days — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNoNo
MonetizationFreeFree
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPod — betteriPhone, iPod
Requires iOS15.612.0 — better
Further details — not scored
Size7 MB24 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperRED Digital CinemaRhino Camera Gear

Customer experience

RED Tools

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

ARC II

All ratings18 ratings
Positive22.2%
Neutral22.2%
Negative55.6%
Written reviews12 reviews
Positive0.0%
Neutral25.0%
Negative75.0%

In-app purchases

None

RED Tools

No in-app purchases

None

ARC II

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is RED Tools free?
RED Tools is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is ARC II free?
ARC II is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Which has better reviews, RED Tools or ARC II?
RED Tools is rated higher. RED Tools averages 3.3 out of 5 from 15 ratings, while ARC II averages 2.4 from 18 ratings.
Do RED Tools or ARC II have ads?
Neither RED Tools nor ARC II shows ads.
Which is updated more often, RED Tools or ARC II?
RED Tools ships an update every 21 months, and ARC II every 10 days. Most recently, RED Tools was updated on September 19, 2026 and ARC II on June 2, 2026.

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