Snap Spot: Improve Your iPhone Photos With These Clip-On Lenses
by Juli Clover
January 8, 2013
Last time on Snap Spot I featured the iPhone Wrist Strap, which screws into the bottom of your phone to keep it attached to your wrist even when taking pictures in precarious places.
Today I have a product that can work in conjunction with the wrist strap, the Clip-on Cell Lens.
I’ve shown you other iPhone lens options, like Photojojo’s own Phone Lenses, which attach to the phone using a stick on magnetic ring, but those don’t always work with cases that have a smaller back camera opening.
The Clip-on Cell Lens, however, does slide right over any thin iPhone case. This allows you to use the lenses without having to remove your iPhone from its case, which can be tedious. I have a thin Cygnett case on my iPhone 5, which each lens easily fits over.
There are three different Clip-on lenses: Polarizer, Kaleidoscope, and Fisheye.
The polarizing lens is used in sunny conditions to cut down on glare and produce brighter, less washed out colors. I often use a polarizing filter on my DSLR, and it produces far more impressive and vibrant pictures. The same is true of this iPhone version, though it is an admittedly subtle effect on the phone.
A polarizing filter is most noticeable in sunlight, especially when shooting things like water, which often reflects quite a bit of light. You will also see a big difference with the color of the sky and it will help when shooting through windows. The Polarizer doesn’t add a fun effect like say, a fish eye lens might, but it does produce consistently better daylight photos.
The Kaleidoscope does exactly what it sounds like it does, adding a kaleidoscope effect to photos. It multiples images six times, for a neat bug’s eye effect. This isn’t a lens you would want to use all of the time, but it’s great for the occasional snap.
My favorite lens, the Fisheye, produces a high quality fisheye effect. A fisheye lens is ultra wide angle, producing an intended visual distortion. It’s a good way to capture everything in a room.
All of the clips of these lenses are made from a thick plastic, which feels sturdy and rugged. The lenses themselves are metal, which makes them feel both substantial and high quality.
Each lens can screw off from the clip, which allows for simple cleaning should they get smudged. When the lenses are not in use, the clip allows you to stick them on a purse, a bag, a belt, and even a shirt, which makes them super easy to store and have on hand when you need them.
I saved the best part for last - unlike most other lenses, these can clip on to the front facing camera in addition to the back camera, which means you can snap great fisheye and kaleidoscope self portraits.
You can buy these lenses individually for $20 each on the Photojojo website, but you get the best deal if you buy all three for $45.
Want even more Snap Spot? Check out my archives. And as always, if you have a suggestion for an app or an item that you would like to see featured, make sure to get in touch.
I’ve shown you other iPhone lens options, like Photojojo’s own Phone Lenses, which attach to the phone using a stick on magnetic ring, but those don’t always work with cases that have a smaller back camera opening.
The Clip-on Cell Lens, however, does slide right over any thin iPhone case. This allows you to use the lenses without having to remove your iPhone from its case, which can be tedious. I have a thin Cygnett case on my iPhone 5, which each lens easily fits over.
There are three different Clip-on lenses: Polarizer, Kaleidoscope, and Fisheye.
The polarizing lens is used in sunny conditions to cut down on glare and produce brighter, less washed out colors. I often use a polarizing filter on my DSLR, and it produces far more impressive and vibrant pictures. The same is true of this iPhone version, though it is an admittedly subtle effect on the phone.
A polarizing filter is most noticeable in sunlight, especially when shooting things like water, which often reflects quite a bit of light. You will also see a big difference with the color of the sky and it will help when shooting through windows. The Polarizer doesn’t add a fun effect like say, a fish eye lens might, but it does produce consistently better daylight photos.
The Kaleidoscope does exactly what it sounds like it does, adding a kaleidoscope effect to photos. It multiples images six times, for a neat bug’s eye effect. This isn’t a lens you would want to use all of the time, but it’s great for the occasional snap.
My favorite lens, the Fisheye, produces a high quality fisheye effect. A fisheye lens is ultra wide angle, producing an intended visual distortion. It’s a good way to capture everything in a room.
All of the clips of these lenses are made from a thick plastic, which feels sturdy and rugged. The lenses themselves are metal, which makes them feel both substantial and high quality.
Each lens can screw off from the clip, which allows for simple cleaning should they get smudged. When the lenses are not in use, the clip allows you to stick them on a purse, a bag, a belt, and even a shirt, which makes them super easy to store and have on hand when you need them.
I saved the best part for last - unlike most other lenses, these can clip on to the front facing camera in addition to the back camera, which means you can snap great fisheye and kaleidoscope self portraits.
You can buy these lenses individually for $20 each on the Photojojo website, but you get the best deal if you buy all three for $45.
Want even more Snap Spot? Check out my archives. And as always, if you have a suggestion for an app or an item that you would like to see featured, make sure to get in touch.
