Obscura is an exposure calculator for film photographers, for iPhone and Apple Watch. It works out your shutter speed from the light you're standing in, your film speed, and your aperture.

Get in touch 

Questions, bugs, or a camera or lens we're missing: info@beersandcameras.com We read everything and usually reply within a few days.

Common questions 

Do I need an account? 

No. Obscura has no accounts and no sign-in. Nothing is stored anywhere but your device.

Does the Apple Watch app need my iPhone? 

No. The watch app is fully independent — it runs on its own, in the field, with no phone nearby.

Why is the lighting condition wrong? 

Obscura pre-selects a condition from local weather when you allow location access. Weather is a starting point, not a measurement — tap the condition to change it. Your choice always wins.

Why doesn't it know my location? 

Location is optional. If you declined the prompt, you can enable it in Settings → Privacy & Security → Location Services → Obscura. Without it, you pick the lighting condition yourself and everything else works normally.

Where do sunrise and sunset come from? 

They're calculated on your device from your coordinates — no network needed once Obscura knows where you are.

My camera or lens isn't in the list. 

Tell us. There's a "suggest gear" field in the app that opens a pre-filled email, or write to info@beersandcameras.com directly.

Is this a light meter? 

No — Obscura has no light sensor and measures nothing. It solves the exposure equation from the lighting condition, film speed, and aperture you give it, anchored on the Sunny 16 method and informed by local weather. It's built for daylight work outdoors.

Why does it say I'm a third of a stop off? 

Because you are, and most tools won't tell you. Obscura reports how far the nearest real shutter detent sits from the ideal exposure. Some film speeds — ISO 125, 160, 320 — can never land exactly on a full-stop dial, so they always carry about a third of a stop. That's the film, not a bug.

Privacy 

Obscura collects nothing. See the Privacy Policy at beersandcameras.com/obscura/privacy. © 2026