# Manual vs Spectre Camera

The clearest difference is price: Spectre Camera at Free against Manual's $3.99. Spectre Camera also leads on ratings volume (2.4K vs 279). Manual's advantage is iOS requirement (11.4 vs 16.0). On rating, review sentiment, update cadence and ads there is nothing between them.

Spectre Camera is free to download; Manual costs $3.99 up front. Manual sells 3 one-off in-app purchases and Spectre Camera sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 4.2 for Manual against 4.3 for Spectre Camera. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Spectre Camera has 2.4K ratings behind it against 279, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews are what separate them: 41% of Manual's written reviews are positive against 46% of Spectre Camera's.

Manual ships an update every 2 months, Spectre Camera every 3 months. Both last shipped on October 19, 2026.

## The numbers

| Metric | Manual | Spectre Camera |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | $3.99 | **Free** |
| Rating | [4.2 (279 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/manual-raw-camera/id917146276/reviews) | **[4.3 (2.4K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/spectre-camera/id1450074595/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | 279 | **2.4K** |
| Positive reviews | 41.4% of reviews | **45.7% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | **Every 2 months** | Every 3 months |
| Monetization | **Free with in-app purchases** | Paid |
| Size | 12 MB | 12 MB |
| Requires iOS | **11.4** | 16.0 |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPod** | iPhone |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Will Global](https://appshunter.io/developer/306029453) | [Lux Optics Incorporated](https://appshunter.io/developer/885697371) |

## What reviewers say

### Manual

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/manual-raw-camera/id917146276)

Take full control of your iPhone camera with custom exposure settings. Adjust shutter speed, ISO, focus, and more to capture professional-quality images in RAW DNG format. Ideal for photographers who want to move beyond automatic settings.

**Highlights:** Custom exposure controls, RAW DNG image format, Shutter speed adjustment, ISO control, Manual focus, Focus zoom, Histogram

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases (3)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Tip 1 | $0.99 | one-time |
| Tip 2 | $2.99 | one-time |
| Tip 3 | $5.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 🚀 Great manual controls
- 👍 Simple and intuitive interface
- 🔍 Precise control over ISO, shutter speed, and white balance
- 📷 Powerful photography tool for iPhone
- 🎨 Allows creative control over photos

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Buggy and unstable
- 👎 Finicky and unintuitive controls
- 🔍 Difficult to precisely set desired settings
- 🔍 Cropped viewfinder
- 🔍 Missing features like aperture control

**Reported bugs**

- Crashes and freezes
- Settings reset unexpectedly
- RAW images come out blurry
- Exposure compensation not working as expected
- Focus issues on certain devices

**Requested features**

- Longer shutter speed options
- Self-timer and burst mode
- Ability to lock white balance
- Improved RAW image quality
- Volume button shutter release


### Spectre Camera

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/spectre-camera/id1450074595)

This app uses AI to create stunning long exposure photographs, making it easy to capture professional-quality shots. Remove crowds, create light trails, and achieve silky smooth water effects effortlessly.

**Highlights:** AI-powered long exposures, Crowd removal, Light trail creation, Silky water effects, Live Photos and video support, Automatic scene detection

**In-app purchases (1)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Spectre Pro | $4.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 🚀 Easy to use
- 🔍 Captures great long exposure shots
- 👍 Convenient and intuitive
- 🎨 Allows for creative photography
- 💡 Innovative features

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Blurry images even with stabilization
- 🔋 Battery draining issue
- 🤔 Limited exposure time options
- 🤷‍♀️ Inconsistent performance
- 💰 Paid features not worth the cost

**Reported bugs**

- Crashes and freezes on some devices
- Compatibility issues with older iPhones
- Focusing and stabilization problems

**Requested features**

- Longer exposure time options
- More manual control over settings
- Raw image format support
- Apple Watch remote support
- Improved low-light performance


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Manual free?

Manual costs $3.99, and also offers in-app purchases.

### Is Spectre Camera free?

Spectre Camera is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Which has better reviews, Manual or Spectre Camera?

Spectre Camera is rated higher. Manual averages 4.2 out of 5 from 279 ratings, while Spectre Camera averages 4.3 from 2.4K ratings.

### Do Manual or Spectre Camera have ads?

Neither Manual nor Spectre Camera shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Manual or Spectre Camera?

Manual ships an update every 2 months, and Spectre Camera every 3 months. Most recently, Manual was updated on October 19, 2026 and Spectre Camera on October 19, 2026.

---

*Compared by [AppsHunter](https://appshunter.io/) from daily US App Store data. Review summaries are generated from verbatim App Store reviews.*