Camera phones keep on getting better and better, and the ability to instantly connect with social media and share images makes them a very seductive and powerful tool. But in almost all cases, a smartphone is a phone/communications device first, and then a camera. For photographers, this often means modifying your picture-taking behavior and techniques to the camera, rather than the other way around.
So today, we’re going to turn that paradigm on its head. Here are 18 products that will let you take better-quality images, zoom in more and zoom out farther, focus much closer, hold steadier, make prints, and attain better lighting.
In other words, make your camera phone more of a camera (but not less of a phone). Let’s go!
Prices and availability are current as of September 26, 2017.
Lenses
Let’s face it: The lens on your phone doesn’t zoom optically, and your phone’s sensor is tiny, compared to most stand-alone cameras. But you can change one or both of these parameters by adding clip-on lenses and lens/sensor attachments.
Olympus Air A01
Adorama Price (body only): Unavailable
The Olympus Air A01 is a stand-alone camera that accepts any Micro Four Thirds lens. If you already own Olympus or Panasonic MILCs, you can swap lenses. It features a 16MP CMOS sensor; you operate it via an app which turns your iOS or Android device into the camera’s viewfinder and controller.
DxOLabs One Camera
Adorama Price: Unavailable
A self-contained camera and lens with a 20MP 1-inch sensor and a super-sharp, and low-light friendly 32mm (full-frame equivalent) f/1.8 lens, the DxOLabs One attaches to your smart phone and turns it into a swivel screen controller. With an ISO range of 100-51200, shutter speeds from 15-1/8000 sec, 1080/30p HD video capture, and JPEG plus RAW file format compatibility, the One gives you DSLR image quality and control.
Lensbaby Creative Mobile Kit for Android & iPhone 5c
Adorama Price: Unavailable
Lensbaby revolutionized DSLR photography with its selective-focus sweet-spot lenses, and now its doing the same for mobile photography. This kit includes the LM 20 sweet spot lens, which features a sharp center surrounded by blur, and the LM-30, which provides a nearly keleidescopic effect around a sharp center image—as well as adhesive rings and a Kickstand to keep them attached..
Olloclip 4-in-1 Lens for iPhone6
Adorama Price:
The Olloclip 4-in-1 is four lenses in one that can be attached to your smart phone camera. It consists of two macro lenses plus a fisheye and wide-angle optic; when not attached to your iPhone 6 Plus (there are Olloclips available for other phones as well) this Olloclip can be worn as a pendant. The lens is also optimized for front-facing face-time cameras so you can shoot more expansive selfies. The lenses are high quality, made from multi-elenment, coated glass optics.
Carson Micromax LED Plus-2 Microscope
Adorama Price: Unavailable
The first microscope designed for an iPhone, the Carson Micromax magnifies up to 100x, and illuminates the item via a built-in LED light for bright, clear images. Use separate knobs to zoom in and focus. Amazingly, it fits in your pockets—and the price is even more incredible. Discover a whole new world.
Sony DSC-QX10 Smartphone Attachable Lens-Style Camera
Adorama Price: Unavailable
The camera that was designed to attach to, and be operated via a smart phone, the Sony QX10 has a 10x built-in zoom with the equivalent of a 25-250mm reach, and a 1/2.3 inch CMOS sensor that produces fine image quality. Want better image quality? The Sony DSC-QX1 https://www.adorama.com/ISOQX1.html, like the Olympus Air above, houses a 20MP APS-C sensor, and accepts Sony E-mount lenses. Either way, you’re on the bleeding edge.
Kodak SL10 Pixpro Smart Lens Camera for Smartphones
Adorama Price: Unavailable
Who said Kodak has fallen behind the times? The SL10, like the Sony, is a digital camera with a built-in 10x optical zoom lens, 16MP 1/2.3-inch CMOS sensor, 6fps burst rate, and ISO sensitivity up to 3200. It uses Wi-Fi and NFC to communicate with your Android and iOS smart phone. The price? Can’t be beat.
Holga Lens Case for iPhone 5
Adorama Price: Unavailable
The Holga Lens Case lets you dial up the specialized, artsy lens you want to use, and with 10 different choices, you will be creatively busy for a while. Designed to look like a rotating old phone dial, the case’s lens turret consists of the following lenses: Dual split-image; triple image split, quadruple image split, 60mm macro lens, empty hole (no special effect) red filter with clear heart-shaped center, red, green, blue and yellow filters (blue and yellow with or without clear center). Dial in your creativity!
Tripod adapters, Lights and Stuff
MeFOTO SideKick 360
Adorama Price: $30-$39
Available in a rainbow of colors including red, yellow, chocolate, green, titanium, and white, the MeFOTO Sidekick lets you mount your smart phone on a tripod. A 360-degree rotating ball joint allows for quick repositioning from horizontal to vertical as well as jaunty tilts. It has an Arca Swiss style base, two 1/4″-20 and one 3/8″-16 screws for mounting to a variety of tripods, quick release plates, monopods, clamps, and handles. It is adjustable and fits almost all smart phones on the market with the exception of the iPhone 6 Plus and the largest-screen Android models.
Joby GripTight Mount
Adorama Price:
The Joby GripTight Mount adapts smaller smartphones to tripods via a 1/4-20 universal tripod screw mount, and folds up to fit in your pocket or bag. Great price!
Kick LED Full Color Light
Adorama Price: Unavailable
The result of a Kickstarter campaign (hence the name), the Kick LED light offers adjustable color temperature (2500 to 10,000 degress Kelvin), bright 400-lumen output, Wi-Fi support, and an iOS App to operate it in tandem with your iPhone’s on-board camera. Use the app to create unique color effects (such as candle flicker without any candles, for video) or simply blast the light to illuminate the darkness for either stills or video. It’s about the same size as an iPhone but casts big light.
iBlazr LED Flash
Adorama Price: Unavailable
One thing given short shrift in camera phones is flash. The little LED just doesn’t do much. The iBlazR LED Flash works with iOS, Android or Windows-based smart phones and provides a blast of light similar to that of a standalone camera’s built-in flash, providing just enough to fill in shadowy faces so you can see the details. Running on its own battery, the adjustabe iBlazr can flash its LED lights up to 500 times per charge, and can also light steadily to illuminate video footage.
Fujifilm Instax Share SP-1 Instant Film Printer
Adorama Price: Unavailable
Bring this little printer around with you and print 2.4×1.8-inch prints wirelessly from your smart phone. It uses Fuji Instax instant film a photochemical-based process. The printer matches up with your smart phone via Wi-Fi and the Instax SHARE App, and is compatible with both iOS and Android devices.
VuPoint Photo Cube Mini Wireless Pocket Photo Printer
Adorama Price: Unavailable
The VuPoint Photo Cube is a pocket-sized printer that produces 2×3.4-inch prints using a Dye-Sublimation printing process. A free downloadable app, Wi-Fi and NFC, and a iOS or Android smartphone are all you need. Plug and print!
Apple Lightning to SD Card Camera Reader
Adorama Price:
You can download images from your SD card to your iPhone or iPad so you can quickly and easily edit the images and then immediately share them on your favorite social network or image sharing online service. The Lightning to SD Card Camera Reader supports JPEG and RAW and some video formats.
