Zone Light Meter and FilmMeter

Two free analog companions, one Android, one iOS. Different platforms, different shapes.

About FilmMeter

FilmMeter is a free iOS app by photographer Zachary Hou, designed as an analog-photography companion that combines light metering, reciprocity calculation, an exposure timer, and a shot log. It is iOS-only. For its current features, see the App Store listing. This page does not describe FilmMeter's capabilities; we focus on Zone Light Meter so you can decide which fits how you shoot.

What Zone Light Meter offers

Zone System as a first-class workflow

Spot a tone, place it on a specific zone, and the app shows where every other tone in the scene falls on the 0 to 10 scale. Multi-spot biasing lets you weight a face above background or a highlight above shadow on slide film. Designed for photographers who want the Zone System as the workflow, not as an afterthought.

Analogue corrections built in

Reciprocity failure runs from a per-stock curve. Bellows extension is a dedicated setting for large format. IR filter factors apply automatically when you select a Wratten 87 or similar filter. Expired film gets a per-year or custom ISO offset. Each correction folds into the metered exposure automatically.

A 693-stock film catalogue across 70+ brands

Cinema, discontinued classics, Soviet and Eastern-European stocks, boutique rebranders, and instant film all ship pre-loaded with reciprocity curves, push and pull development times, and notes. You can clone a stock to make your own custom profile.

False-color HDR, bracketing wizard, bulb timer

On-demand false-color HDR surfaces blown highlights and crushed shadows for tricky scenes. The bracketing wizard suggests what to bracket and by how much. The bulb timer counts down with voice and haptics so you can keep your eye to the finder.

Shot log with CSV export

Every metered frame logs with gear, film, metering choices, notes, optional geolocation, and a timestamp. The log is searchable and filterable, and exports to CSV with a Lightroom-ready metadata preset for scan matching.

No ads, no subscription, no tracking

Free on Android. No advertising SDKs, no analytics SDKs, no account.

Choose Zone Light Meter if

You shoot Android today, or you can wait for the iOS port
You work with the Zone System, large format, slide film, or expired stock
You want every analogue correction handled for you in the metering pipeline
You log your rolls and want CSV export to Lightroom
You want a teach-as-you-shoot app with plain-language help on every modal

Another tool might suit you better if

You need a meter on iOS today (Zone Light Meter iOS is in development)
You want the simplest possible tool and the deeper features feel like overhead

FAQ

Can I use Zone Light Meter on iOS?

Not yet. Zone Light Meter is Android-native today with an iOS port in development. FilmMeter is iOS-only, so for many readers the platform choice settles it.

Is Zone Light Meter free?

Yes. Free on Android, no advertising SDKs, no analytics SDKs, no account, no subscription. The full feature set ships in the free build.

How does Zone Light Meter handle the Zone System?

Zone Light Meter is built around the Zone System as a first-class workflow. Spot a tone, place it on a specific zone, and the app shows where every other tone in the scene lands on the 0 to 10 scale. Multi-spot biasing lets you weight a face above background or a highlight above shadow on slide film.

How deep is the film stock library?

693 stocks across 70+ brands pre-loaded with reciprocity curves, push and pull development times, and notes. Cinema, discontinued classics, Soviet and Eastern-European stocks, boutique rebranders, and instant film are all included. You can clone a stock to make your own custom profile.

Can I export my shot log?

Yes. Each metered frame logs with gear, film, metering choices, notes, optional geolocation, and a timestamp. CSV export comes with a Lightroom-compatible metadata preset so scans match back to frames.

Try Zone Light Meter

Free on Android, no ads, no account, works offline.

See the full feature list

Last reviewed 2026-06-04. This page describes Zone Light Meter's own features. For FilmMeter's current features and platform support, see the App Store listing linked above. Other developers' apps evolve continuously; we do not maintain a feature-level comparison.