Lens filters
Log ND, polarizer, and color filters. The meter compensates automatically and every capture records what was on the lens.
Second View See the shot before you load the film.
Every tool a film photographer needs, in one app.
Download on theApp Store Coming soon toAndroid
01What it is
Second View is a light meter, viewfinder, and exposure-planning app for film photographers. Set your lens and film format, and it crops the phone camera to show exactly what your film camera will capture: same field of view, same aspect ratio, same framing.
35mm
Rangefinder & SLR
Match any focal length to your frame before you wind on.
Medium format
6×4.5 to 6×17
Square, 6×7, or panoramic. See the aspect before you commit a frame.
Large format
4×5 to 8×10
Plan movements and framing before you pull the dark slide.
Digital
Planners
Sensor sizes and custom formats for shooters who scout first.
02Viewfinder
Frame the exact shot your film camera will see.
The crop is computed from the camera's actual reported field of view, not approximated. Pick your lens and format and the phone shows the real frame: portrait or landscape. Overlay a composition grid (rule of thirds, phi, or golden triangle) and a live bubble level keeps your horizon true before you trip the shutter.
Focal75mm
Format6×7
03Light meter
Meter the whole scene, or just one spot.
Second View meters continuously as you point the phone. Use global metering to read the whole frame for a balanced exposure, or switch to spot and place a square on any detail, a highlight, a shadow, a face, to read it precisely. Pick an aperture and get the shutter speed in real time, or work in EV with compensation in third stops.
MODE
Aperturef/8
Shutter1/60
EV0.0
ISO400
04Reciprocity correction
Long exposures, corrected for the film you loaded.
Second View carries a 60-stock film database with accurate reciprocity-failure curves: Portra, Ektar, CineStill, HP5, Tri-X, T-Max, Velvia, Provia, and more. Any exposure over one second is corrected automatically. A metered 60s on Portra 400 becomes a 4-minute exposure. Hit the trigger button and a full-screen countdown timer runs the corrected time with a progress ring, so you can open the shutter and walk away.
Auto over 1s Portra 400HP5+Velvia 50+57 more
4:00
EXPOSING
StockPortra 400
Metered60s
Corrected4 min
05Distance & parallax
Correct for the gap between phone and taking lens.
The phone sits beside your camera, not behind its lens, so the frames differ. Second View corrects that offset using distance. On iPhone 12 Pro and later, tap a point to measure it with LiDAR. On any other device, type it in. Parallax correction never requires LiDAR: only the automatic measurement does.
LiDAR tap-to-measure Manual distance Works on every device
Distance1.4 m
ParallaxCorrected
Offset16mm
06Rise, fall & shift
Simulate view-camera movements, live.
Offset the crop up, down, left, or right in 1mm steps and watch the frame move in real time. Plan a rising front for architecture or a shifted frame for a stitched panorama before you touch the standards.
Rise / fall+0mm
Shift+0mm
07Panoramic stitching
See your whole panorama before you shift a single frame.
Built for a shift camera or a shift lens. Enter the movements your gear actually has: maximum rise, fall, and shift, then hit PANO. Second View lays out every frame you can capture across those shift positions, with overlap built in, so you see the full stitched coverage you'll get before you make a single exposure.
STITCHED
Frame1 / 4
Overlap30%
Coverage6×7
08The rest of the kit
One app for the whole workflow.
Long exposure
A countdown built for long exposures, with a 3-second pre-countdown and a full-screen progress ring.
Spot metering
Read the whole frame or place a reticle on a small area. Calibratable against a reference meter you trust.
Camera kits
Save full configurations: lenses, format, stocks, features, offsets, layout, and checklist. Switch instantly.
Shot checklist
A per-kit, step-by-step checklist you run inside the viewfinder to not forget anything (like the dark slide)...
Capture & gallery
Save a reference cropped to the exact framing with full metadata. Group into rolls, track film, and export a CSV film log.
09How it works
Three steps, then you shoot.
Pick your kit and format
Choose a saved camera kit, or set a lens and one of 12 film formats.
Frame and meter
Hold up the phone. See the exact frame, meter the light, set distance, and dial in movements and filters.
Save and shoot
Save a reference photo plus full metadata to your roll, then make the exposure on your real camera.
10Supported formats
Twelve film formats, plus digital and custom.
| Format | Frame (nominal) | Aspect | Class |
|---|---|---|---|
| Small format | |||
| 35mm | 36 × 24mm | 3:2 | Rangefinder / SLR |
| Medium format (120 / 220) | |||
| 6×4.5 | 56 × 42mm | 4:3 | Medium format |
| 6×6 | 56 × 56mm | 1:1 | Medium format |
| 6×7 | 56 × 70mm | 7:6 | Medium format |
| 6×8 | 56 × 76mm | 4:3 | Medium format |
| 6×9 | 56 × 84mm | 3:2 | Medium format |
| 6×12 | 56 × 112mm | 2:1 | Panoramic |
| 6×14 | 56 × 140mm | 5:2 | Panoramic |
| 6×17 | 56 × 168mm | 3:1 | Panoramic |
| Large format (sheet) | |||
| 4×5 | 4 × 5 in | 5:4 | View camera |
| 5×7 | 5 × 7 in | 7:5 | View camera |
| 8×10 | 8 × 10 in | 5:4 | View camera |
| Also supported | |||
| Digital | Sensor sizes | Varies | Full frame, APS-C, more |
| Custom | Your values | Any | Fully custom entry |
11FAQ
Questions photographers ask.
Is Second View a light meter app?
Yes. Second View is a light meter, viewfinder, and exposure-planning app for film photographers. It reads exposure continuously from the phone camera, gives you a shutter speed for any aperture across 14 stops, and supports spot metering with a placeable reticle you can calibrate against a reference meter.
Is it a camera app? Does it take photos for me?
No. Second View is not a camera app and does not take photos for you. It will not make a phone shoot like film. It is a companion and planning tool that helps you frame, meter, and plan a shot before you press the shutter on your actual film or digital camera. The reference photos it saves are framing aids, not final images.
Does it work for large format and view cameras?
Yes. Second View supports 4×5, 5×7, and 8×10 large-format sheet sizes, plus medium format from 6×4.5 to 6×17 and 35mm. It can also simulate rise, fall, and shift movements so you can plan view-camera framing before you set up the camera.
Does it need LiDAR?
No. LiDAR is optional. On iPhone 12 Pro and later you can tap a point in the viewfinder to measure subject distance automatically. On other devices you enter the distance manually. Parallax correction works either way: it needs a distance, not a LiDAR sensor.
What film stocks does it support for reciprocity?
Second View includes a 60-stock film database with accurate reciprocity-failure curves, including Kodak Portra, Ektar, CineStill, Ilford HP5, Tri-X, T-Max, Fuji Velvia, and Provia. Exposures longer than one second are corrected automatically.
What film formats does it support?
Twelve formats: 35mm, 6×4.5, 6×6, 6×7, 6×8, 6×9, 6×12, 6×14, 6×17, 4×5, 5×7, and 8×10. It also supports digital sensor sizes and fully custom format entry.
How accurate is the meter, and can I calibrate it?
The meter reads continuously from the camera across 14 aperture stops (f/1 to f/64) and 19 shutter speeds (1/8000s to 30s), with EV compensation in third stops, plus hyperfocal distance and auto or manual modes. Spot metering can be calibrated against a reference meter so your readings match equipment you trust.
What does it do about parallax?
The phone sits beside your camera, so its view is offset from the taking lens. Second View corrects that offset using subject distance, measured with LiDAR or entered by hand. It also handles spot metering with lens filters: log ND, polarizer, and color filters, and the meter compensates automatically.
Is there an Android version?
Second View is available on iOS now. The Android version is currently in Google review, which is taking much longer than expected, so it should land soon.
What devices does it need?
Second View runs on iPhone. Automatic LiDAR distance measurement requires iPhone 12 Pro or later; every other feature, including manual-distance parallax correction, works without LiDAR. The bubble level uses the device accelerometer.
Who is it for?
Film photographers shooting 35mm, medium format, and large format, analog hobbyists and professionals, and digital shooters who plan their frames. It speaks in focal lengths, aspect ratios, stops, ND, hyperfocal distance, and camera movements.
How do I get support?
Email linard_benoit@ymail.com. Second View is built and published by Benoit Linard.
Frame it. Meter it. Then make the photograph.
Download on theApp Store Coming soon toAndroid
Every tool a film photographer needs, in one app.