What to capture per frame: aperture, shutter speed, exposure compensation, lens and (optionally) a meter reading and location. Capture it at the moment you release the shutter, while you still remember it.
Why bother logging settings?
Two reasons. First, learning: if you don't know what you did, you can't tell why a frame worked or didn't. Logging turns a roll into a set of repeatable lessons. Second, editing: weeks later at the scanner, a note that a frame was shot at f/2 wide open, +⅔ compensation, on a 50mm, tells you exactly how to treat it.
What exposure information to record per frame
For each frame, capture the exposure you set and the few facts that explain it. At minimum: aperture, shutter speed and exposure compensation. Add the lens, a meter reading and a location when they matter — those are what let you reconstruct a frame's look weeks later at the scanner.
| Field | Why it matters |
|---|---|
| Aperture | Depth of field and how wide open you were — the biggest clue to a look. |
| Shutter speed | Motion and hand-holdability; pairs with aperture as your exposure. |
| Exposure compensation | How far you pushed from the meter — vital for contrasty or backlit scenes. |
| Lens / focal length | Which glass rendered the frame, if you swap lenses. |
| Meter reading | What you metered vs what you set — how you make exposure decisions. |
| Location | Where you stood, for context and for finding the spot again. |
| Notes / tag | Filters (ND, polariser), intent, or a keeper/mistake flag. |
A frame-by-frame workflow
Set the roll up first
Log the camera, film stock and ISO/EI once, when you load. Everything after that is just per-frame settings.
Log at the shutter, not later
Record aperture, shutter and compensation the moment you shoot. Memory fades fast, especially across 36 frames.
Add a reference image
A quick phone snap of the scene is the fastest way to reconnect a frame number to what you actually pointed the camera at.
Match frames to scans
When you get scans back, line them up with your log in order. Frame 12 in the log is frame 12 on the roll — now every scan has its story.
Getting the data out
Keeping the settings is half the job; being able to use them elsewhere is the other half. Film Logbook exports a roll as structured JSON (free) or a clean, printable PDF (with Pro), so your notes travel with your scans into your archive or editing workflow.
One honest caveat: Film Logbook records and exports this data — it does not write EXIF tags directly into your scan files. Think of it as the definitive notebook that sits beside your scans, not a scanner plugin that stamps metadata onto the images.
How Film Logbook makes it fast
Logging only helps if it's quick enough to keep up with shooting. Film Logbook keeps per-frame entry to a few taps, remembers your setup per camera, and captures location automatically when you allow it — so the notes never slow you down. It's free for up to two active rolls, with a one-time €5.99 Pro for unlimited rolls and PDF export.
Log every frame the moment you shoot it.
Free on the App Store. iPhone, iOS 15 or later.
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