Short version: paper is unbeatable for simplicity, cost and battery-free reliability. An app wins on speed of entry, searching back through many rolls, automatic location, and a backup that survives a lost notebook. Plenty of photographers use both.
Side by side
| Paper log | iPhone app | |
|---|---|---|
| Cost | Effectively free to print | Free tier; small one-time unlock for more |
| Battery | Never dies | Needs a charged phone |
| Speed per frame | Write it out each time | A few taps; remembers your setup |
| Location | Type it manually | Captured automatically (if allowed) |
| Reference photo | Not really | Attach a quick snap per frame |
| Search across rolls | Flip through pages | Instant — every roll in one place |
| Backup | Lose the sheet, lose the notes | Stored on device and your iCloud |
| Export | Photocopy or retype | JSON or a printable PDF |
When paper is the right call
Paper shines when you want zero friction and zero dependencies. It never runs out of battery, it works in the cold and the rain where a touchscreen struggles, and there's nothing to boot up. If you shoot one camera occasionally and like the tactile ritual, a pocket log sheet per roll may be all you ever need. If that's you, grab our free printable film log template and go.
The catch is the long game: a shoebox of loose sheets is hard to search, easy to lose, and doesn't back itself up. One spilled coffee and a roll's history is gone.
When an app is worth it
An app earns its place once you're juggling more than one camera, more than a handful of rolls, or you want to learn from your archive. Per-frame entry drops to a few taps because the app remembers your camera setup; location is captured for you; a reference image ties each frame to the scene; and — crucially — everything is searchable and backed up to your own iCloud. When you develop, the roll and every frame's settings are waiting, ready to match to your scans.
Or just use both
A common setup: paper in the field as a fail-safe, then transfer to the app at home so it's searchable and backed up. Or the reverse — app as the primary record, a printed sheet in the bag for the rare dead-battery day. There's no purity test here; the goal is that the notes survive to meet the scans.
How Film Logbook fits
Film Logbook is the app half of this comparison. It keeps each roll named, dated and tied to a camera, logs per-frame settings, locations and reference images, and stores everything privately on your device and your own iCloud — no account, works offline. It's free for up to two active rolls; a one-time €5.99 Pro unlocks unlimited rolls, PDF export and custom icons. And if you ever want paper too, the printable template uses the same fields.
Try the app half for free.
Two active rolls free, forever. iPhone, iOS 15 or later.
Get Film Logbook