Light Meter vs DSLR Camera
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
Light Meter
Measure ambient light levels using your smartphone's camera. Get quick and precise lux readings for personal use, saving you the cost of professional equipment. Simply open the app and point your camera to see real-time measurements.
- Easy lux measurement
- High precision readings
- Real-time updates
- Unique and attractive design
- Simple and convenient to use
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Light Meter – Professional Exposure & Lux Meter Turn your iPhone into a powerful light meter for photography, filmmaking, video, studio lighting, and everyday light measurement. Measure light levels in lux, foot-candles, and EV, then instantly calculate the ideal camera exposure using ISO, aperture, and shutter speed. Use precise spot metering, average metering, exposure compensation, histogram, waveform, false color, and zebra tools to better understand every lighting situation. Professional Light Metering Live lux and foot-candle measurement EV and EV100 calculations Spot, average, center-weighted, and multi-zone metering Exposure lock and compensation Custom calibration profiles Measurement stability and confidence indicators Photography & Video Tools ISO, aperture, and shutter calculator Exposure triangle Histogram Waveform monitor False color Zebra exposure display Zone System Lighting ratio calculator Color temperature estimation ND & Long Exposure ND filter calculator Long exposure calculator Shutter speed conversion Optical density calculations Reciprocity calculator for film photography Lighting Analysis Measure key, fill, rim, and background lighting Calculate lighting ratios Create lighting measurement maps Analyze lighting uniformity Save measurements with notes and photos Professional Workflow Measurement history Project-based measurement sessions Photo and EXIF analysis Custom reference profiles CSV, JSON, PDF, and image export iCloud synchronization Apple Watch companion Home Screen widgets Apple Shortcuts support Designed with a clean, modern iOS interface, Light Meter gives photographers, cinematographers, filmmakers, lighting technicians, students, and creators a powerful set of tools for understanding light and making better exposure decisions. Note: Camera-based lux measurements are estimates and can vary by device, scene, and calibration. For professional or compliance-critical measurements, use a calibrated external light sensor. The App offers two subscription options: -$3.99 Monthly -$34.99 Yearly Prices may vary by location. Privacy Policy: https://privacy.vanlangapps.com Terms of Use: https://tos.vanlangapps.com Should you choose to upgrade to a Pro subscription, payment will be charged to your 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. You may cancel automatic renewal and manage your subscription by selecting Manage App Subscriptions in your iTunes Account settings and selecting the subscription you want to modify. Any unused portion of a free trial period, if offered, will be forfeited when you purchase a Pro subscription, where applicable.
DSLR Camera
Unlock advanced manual controls for photography and videography. Shoot in professional modes, adjust exposure, focus, white balance, and utilize advanced analysis tools. Capture high-resolution photos and cinematic videos with extensive format and resolution options.
- Manual exposure and focus control
- Advanced image analysis tools
- 8K Time-lapse photography
- Multi-camera shooting modes
- ProRes video recording
- RAW photo formats
- High frame rate video recording
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Shooting Modes: - Professional Camera - Professional Cinema Camera - Multiple Cameras - 8K Time-lapse Photography - Film Camera Professional Camera Features: - Manual/Automatic Exposure Control (Shutter, ISO) - Manual/Automatic Focus Control - Manual/Automatic White Balance Control (Color Temperature, Tint) - Manual Zoom Control - Exposure/Focus Points of Interest - Zebra Lines, Peak Focus, False Color Image Analysis - Brightness Histogram, RGB Histogram - Macro Mode - Depth Mode - Slow Shutter Mode - Live Photos - HDR photography - Burst - Presets - Triple Camera Simultaneous Shooting - Timed Photography - De-sharpening - Level - Assist Lines - Multiple aspect ratios - Photo Quality Settings - Photo Formats (RAW+JPEG, RAW+HEIF, JPEG, HEIF, TIFF, RAW, PRORAW, PRORAW+JPEG) - Photo Pixels (48MP, 24MP, 12MP, 8MP, 5MP, 0.3MP) - Front Camera Mirroring Professional Cinema Camera Features: - Manual/Automatic Exposure Control (Shutter, ISO) - Manual/Automatic Focus Control - Manual/Automatic White Balance Control (Color Temperature, Tint) - Manual Zoom Control - Exposure Points of Interest, Focus Points of Interest (Supports Exposure-Focus Separation) - Zebra Lines, Peak Focus, False Color Image Analysis - Real-time Oscilloscope, including Brightness Histogram, RGB Histogram, Brightness Waveform, RGB Component Waveform, RGB Overlay Waveform - Real-time Audio Analysis - Local Video Management, Batch Saving, Batch Deletion, Supports Viewing Video Information Video Resolutions: - 4K, 3K, 2K, 1080P, 720P, 540P Video FPS: - 4K, 3K, 2K Video Recording, 24 fps, 25 fps, 30 fps, 48 fps, 60 fps - 1080P Video Recording, 24 fps, 25 fps, 30 fps, 48 fps, 60 fps, 120 fps, 240 fps - 720P Video Recording, 24 fps, 25 fps, 30 fps, 48 fps, 60 fps, 120 fps, 240 fps - 540P Video Recording, 24 fps, 25 fps, 30 fps, 48 fps, 60 fps Video Aspect Ratios: - 16:9, 1:1, 2.2:1, 4:3, 2.39:1, 3:2 Video Codecs: - HEVC, H.264, ProRes Video Dynamic Range: - SDR8, SDR10, HDR (Dolby Vision), Apple Log (Only supports iPhone 15 Pro and above models) Video Color Mapping: - LTM, GTM Video Quality: - Low (30Mbps), Standard (60Mbps), High (100Mbps), Extreme (150Mbps) Video Storage Formats: - MOV, MP4 Audio Settings: - Microphone Position (Bottom, Front, Rear) - Audio Encoding Format (AAC, PCM) - Audio Sampling Frequency (44.1 kHz, 48 kHz) - Stereo Recording - Mute Recording Other Settings: - Assist Lines (Thirds, Crosshairs, Visual Safe Area, Golden Spiral, Golden Ratio, Golden Triangle) - Stabilization Support (Standard, Film, Extreme) - Video Storage Locations (Local, System, Dual Storage) Multi-Camera Shooting Features: - Picture in Picture (Displays a small window in the corner of the main screen containing the image captured by another camera) - Split Screen (Divides the screen into two parts, each displaying the image captured by different cameras) - Independent Storage (In multiple camera shooting mode, the image captured by each camera can be stored independently in different media files) Time-Lapse Photography Features: - Supports 8K resolution (Only supports iPhone 14 Pro and above models) Film Camera Features: - Film presets - Photo paper — About Subscription — Annual Subscription: $9.99 / Year About the subscription: After the trial period ends, it will automatically convert to a paid subscription. You can cancel the subscription before the trial period ends. Payment: When confirming the purchase, payment will be charged to your iTunes account. Auto-Renewal: The subscription will automatically renew unless auto-renewal is turned off at least 24 hours before the end of the current subscription period. Canceling Renewal: To cancel the renewal, please manually turn off the auto-renewal feature in the iTunes/Apple ID settings management at least 24 hours before the current subscription period expires. Privacy Policy: http://www.movieoff.com/privacypolicy.html User Agreement: http://www.movieoff.com/termsofuse.html
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is review sentiment: DSLR Camera at 82% against Light Meter's 30%. DSLR Camera also leads on rating (4.6 vs 2.5) and update cadence (weekly vs every 71 months). Light Meter's advantage is monetization model (free vs free with in-app purchases). On price, 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
Both are free to download. Light Meter sells 3 in-app purchases, starting at $3.99 per month and DSLR Camera sells 3 in-app purchases, starting at $2.99 per 7 days. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.
DSLR Camera holds the better App Store score, 4.6 against 2.5. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: DSLR Camera has 689 ratings behind it against 31, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 30% of Light Meter's written reviews are positive against 82% of DSLR Camera's.
Light Meter ships an update every 71 months, DSLR Camera weekly. The most recent releases landed on October 26, 2026 and October 30, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | Light Meter | DSLR Camera |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 2.5 (31 ratings) | 4.6 (689 ratings) — better |
| Positive reviews | 29.5% of reviews | 82.5% of reviews — better |
| Number of ratings | 31 | 689 — better |
| Update frequency | Every 71 months | Weekly — better |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Monetization | Free — better | Free with in-app purchases |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | iPhone, iPod |
| Requires iOS | 18.0 | 15.0 — better |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 2 MB | 62 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | Tu Anh Do | Xiamen Miuhua Technology Co., Ltd. |
Customer experience
Light Meter
DSLR Camera
Bugs and requests
Light Meter
Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.
DSLR Camera
Reported bugs
2 issues- Login screen freezes
- Incompatible with older devices
Requested features
5 requests- Add vertical video recording
- Allow mapping camera controls to buttons
- Improve film mode with realistic frames
- Add zoom and burst mode features
- Implement volume button as shutter
In-app purchases
Light Meter
- Light Meter Pro Monthly$3.991 Month
- Light Meter Pro Yearly$34.991 Year
- Lighte Meter Pro Lifetime$79.99
DSLR Camera
- Weekly Subscription3 Days trial$2.997 Days
- Yearly Subscription3 Days trial2 variants$9.991 Year
- One-time purchase$13.99









