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Table Of Contents: iPhone 11 Lenses

Click any title link below to go straight to that section of the article:

1. iPhone 11 vs iPhone 11 Pro Lenses
2. What Do The Wide, Ultra Wide & Telephoto Lenses Do?
3. How To Switch Between The iPhone Camera Lenses
4. When To Use The iPhone Wide Lens
5. When To Use The iPhone Ultra Wide Lens
6. When To Use The iPhone Telephoto Lens
7. Capture Content Outside The Frame To Improve Composition In Editing

1. iPhone 11 vs iPhone 11 Pro Lenses

How many lenses does your iPhone have? And which lenses are they?

Well, that depends on which iPhone model you own.

The iPhone 11 Pro and iPhone 11 Pro Max have a triple-lens camera.

This means there are three rear-facing lenses: Wide, Ultra Wide, and Telephoto.

The iPhone 11 has a dual-lens camera with two rear-facing lenses: Wide and Ultra Wide. The iPhone 11 doesn’t have a Telephoto lens.

2. What Do The Wide, Ultra Wide & Telephoto Lenses Do?

So, your iPhone has either two or three lenses. But what exactly do these lenses do?

The Wide lens provides a moderately wide angle of view. It’s suitable for many different shooting scenarios. And it’s likely to be the lens you use most.

The Ultra Wide lens lets you zoom out for a much wider field of view. With this lens, you can capture far more of the scene (as shown below).

The Telephoto lens lets you zoom in for a closer view of your subject (as shown below).

3. How To Switch Between The iPhone Camera Lenses

So, how do you switch from one iPhone camera lens to another while shooting?

It’s very easy!

In the iPhone 11 Camera app, use the Zoom icons (0.5x, 1x, 2x) to switch between lenses.

Tap the 0.5x icon to switch to the Ultra Wide iPhone lens.

Tap the 1x icon to switch to the Wide lens.

And tap the 2x icon to switch to the Telephoto lens (only available on iPhone 11 Pro and 11 Pro Max).

You can use this method to switch between lenses in all photo and video shooting modes, except for Portrait mode.

In Portrait mode, you don’t have the option to use the Ultra Wide lens. However, on the iPhone 11 Pro models, you can use the 1x and 2x icons to switch between the Wide and Telephoto lenses.

When you shoot in Photo mode with the 1x Wide or 2x Telephoto lens, you’ll see a wider view of the scene outside the frame.

This preview gives you an idea of what you could capture if you zoom out to the next widest iPhone lens.

If you keep your finger held down on any of the Zoom icons (0.5x, 1x, 2x), the Zoom wheel appears.

You can drag the wheel left or right to zoom anywhere from 0.5x to 10x. The higher the number, the more the camera zooms in.

However, you should avoid using any zoom number above 2x. When you zoom in past 2x, the image quality starts to degrade. At 10x zoom, you’ll notice significant image quality problems.

For the highest quality photos, stick to 0.5x, 1x, and 2x. These zoom settings use the full optical quality of each iPhone camera lens.

4. When To Use The iPhone Wide Lens

The iPhone Wide angle lens is a versatile lens suitable for most shooting situations.

It captures a fairly wide field of view, so you can fit quite a lot of the scene into the frame.

Whether you’re shooting landscapes, still life, family photos, or street photography, the Wide lens is a great starting point.

If you’re unsure which iPhone lens to shoot with, start with the 1x Wide lens.

If you can’t fit everything into the shot, look at the semi-transparent areas outside the frame.

This gives you a preview of what you could capture if you switch to the Ultra Wide lens.

5. When To Use The iPhone Ultra Wide Lens

Are you struggling to fit everything into the frame with the Wide iPhone lens?

If so, it’s time to zoom out to the 0.5x Ultra Wide lens!

The Ultra Wide lens allows you to fit much more into the frame. Compare the 0.5x Ultra Wide screenshot above with the 1x Wide screenshot below.

You can see that the Ultra Wide lens allows you to capture much more of the scene.

This makes it perfect for shooting dramatic landscape photos.

The extra-wide field of view lets you capture more of the surrounding scenery, more foreground detail, and more sky.

The wider perspective helps you convey a stronger sense of the place. And this allows you to tell more powerful stories through your photography.

When you switch to the Ultra Wide lens, distant subjects appear smaller. This helps you to create a stronger sense of scale and perspective in your photos.

The Ultra Wide iPhone lens is great for city photography too.

You could find a high vantage point and capture an ultra-wide cityscape from above. Or use it for impressive architecture photography.

Switching to the Ultra Wide lens lets you fit entire buildings into the frame.

It’s also perfect for photographing the interiors of buildings too. You can capture super-wide interior shots, even in small rooms.

In fact, the Ultra Wide lens is useful in any situation where you can’t physically move back to get more into the frame.

So if there’s a wall, a road, or a fence preventing you from stepping back, just switch to the 0.5x Ultra Wide lens.

The iPhone Ultra Wide lens really opens up your options when composing your shots.

And its wider perspective produces powerful and impressive images!

Note that the Ultra Wide lens isn’t compatible with the iPhone camera Night mode and Deep Fusion features. Night mode allows you to capture more color and detail in your night photos. And Deep Fusion automatically captures better texture and detail in medium to low light.

6. When To Use The iPhone Telephoto Lens

Do you often wish you could capture a closer view of your subject… without having to physically move closer?

If you have the iPhone 11 Pro or 11 Pro Max, you can zoom in closer with the 2x Telephoto lens. (Remember, the iPhone 11 doesn’t have a Telephoto lens).

The Telephoto iPhone zoom lens is perfect for situations where you can’t physically get closer to your subject.

Maybe you want to capture some interesting detail high up on a tree or building.

Or perhaps there’s a fence or hedge preventing you from getting closer.

The iPhone Telephoto lens is also a great choice when you need to take photos discreetly. It allows you to shoot from further away, so your subject is less likely to notice you.

This makes it perfect for shooting candid portraits or street photos.

You’ll be able to capture unguarded moments and emotions. And this creates more compelling images that really speak to the viewer.

If you’re photographing animals, use the Telephoto lens so you don’t frighten the animal away by getting too close.

The Telephoto lens is useful for close-up photography too.

Even if you’re able to get the camera near to the subject, it’s a good idea to use the Telephoto lens.

This is because wide angle lenses produce “barrel distotion” which makes the center of the image appear to bulge out. The closer you are to the subject, the more apparent this distortion will be.

Switching to the iPhone Telephoto lens will eliminate the barrel distortion. And your close-up subjects will look true-to-life.

Do you like to shoot portraits of people?

If so, you should definitely switch to the Telephoto lens.

There are two reasons for using the iPhone Telephoto lens for portraits.

Firstly, it means you don’t have to hold the camera so close to the subject’s face. The subject will feel more comfortable, resulting in more natural facial expressions.

Secondly, the Telephoto lens produces more flattering portrait photos than either of the iPhone wide angle lenses.

When you shoot a close-up portrait, a wide angle lens causes facial features to appear distorted. For example, the nose can appear larger than it really is.

The wider the lens, the more distorted the facial features will be.

So always switch to the iPhone Telephoto lens for beautiful portrait photos.

In fact, if you shoot in Portrait mode on the iPhone 11 Pro or 11 Pro Max, the camera automatically switches to the 2x Telephoto lens.

You can zoom out to the 1x Wide lens in Portrait mode if you wish. But the results won’t be as good.

Whether you’re shooting distant subjects, close-up photos, or portraits, the Telephoto lens does an amazing job.

It really does make those impossible shots possible!

7. Capture Content Outside The Frame To Improve Composition In Editing

You’ve seen that the iPhone 11 Camera app displays content outside the frame as you’re shooting.

This preview (in the semi-transparent areas) gives you an idea of what you could capture with the next widest lens.

But did you know you can capture some of this content outside the frame… and then use it to improve the composition in editing?

Here’s how it works:

First, go to Settings > Camera. Switch on Photos Capture Outside The Frame.

If your iPhone camera is set up to capture images in JPEG format, you’ll see a message about High Efficiency (HEIF) format. Tap OK.

Note that HEIF format compresses your images into smaller files so they take up less space on your device. However, this format isn’t as widely compatible with other devices as JPEG images. Keep this in mind so that you can decide whether or not you want to use the Photos Capture Outside The Frame feature when shooting.

There’s another thing to consider when you have Photos Capture Outside The Frame switched on. Your iPhone won’t use the Deep Fusion feature to capture enhanced texture and detail in medium to low light.

Once you’ve switched on Photos Capture Outside The Frame, close the Settings app. Then open the Camera app.

Now, when you take a photo using either the Wide or Telephoto lens, the camera also shoots with the next widest lens.

So if you shoot with the 2x Telephoto lens, the camera also uses the 1x Wide lens to capture some of the scene outside the frame.

And if you shoot with the 1x Wide lens, some of the scene outside the frame is also captured with the 0.5x Ultra Wide lens.

When you view your image in the Photos app, you’ll see a small star icon above the image.

This indicates that you’ve captured content outside the frame. You can use this content to improve the photo’s composition when cropping, straightening, or adjusting perspective.

Note that the Capture Outside The Frame feature doesn’t seem to work in low light. So if you don’t see the star icon, it’s because there wasn’t enough light for the feature to work.

To improve the composition of your photo, tap Edit at the top right.

Tap the Crop icon at the bottom of the screen.

Does your photo need straightening?

Normally when you straighten an image, the edges have to be cropped when the image is rotated. But now you don’t have to crop because you can use the content captured outside the frame to fill in the edges as you rotate.

To straighten your photo, tap the Straighten icon beneath the photo.

Then use the slider beneath the icon to rotate the image so that it’s straight.

If you want to bring in more content captured from outside the frame, pinch inwards on the photo. You can also drag the image to adjust which parts of the picture appear in the frame.

If necessary, you can adjust the Vertical Perspective or Horizontal Perspective using the icons beneath the image.

As you adjust perspective, the content outside the frame will be used to fill in the edges of your photo.

When you’re happy with the composition, tap Done.

Below you can compare the original image with the recomposed edited photo.

Here’s the original photo that was taken with the 2x Telephoto lens:

And here’s the edited version that was recomposed using some of the content from outside the frame:

Adjusting the composition without cropping is only possible if you use the Photos Capture Outside The Frame feature.

Note that if you don’t use the area outside the frame to make corrections, it will be automatically deleted after 30 days.

If you no longer want to capture content outside the frame, go to Settings > Camera. Then switch off the Photos Capture Outside The Frame option.

If you want to return to capturing photos in JPEG format rather than HEIF, tap Formats and select Most Compatible.

The post When To Use The Wide, Ultra Wide & Telephoto iPhone 11 Lenses appeared first on iPhone Photography School.

Hitcase iPhone Lenses

Hitcase offers three add-on iPhone camera lenses:

• Macro lens for close-up photography
• Wide lens for wide-angle shots
• SuperWide lens for an ultra-wide fisheye view

The Hitcase lenses feel solid and well-made. The lens body is made from anodized aluminum. And the lens itself is glass – unlike some lower-quality plastic lenses.

Lens elements are anti-reflective and have anti-scratch coatings.

All Hitcase lenses are completely waterproof, dust-proof, and snow-proof.

Each Hitcase iPhone camera lens comes with a front and back lens cap. So when you’re not using your lenses, pop the lens caps on to protect them from damage.

With each iPhone lens, you get a cloth case with integrated lens cloth for cleaning.

There’s also the option to buy a padded case for carrying all three lenses.

Each Hitcase lens cost $39.99. Or you can buy all three lenses with the padded case for $99.99.

How To Attach Hitcase Lenses To Your iPhone

So, how do you attach a Hitcase camera lens to your iPhone?

You can only mount Hitcase lenses onto a Hitcase iPhone case.

There are several case designs – from slimline leather to sturdy waterproof cases.

Each Hitcase iPhone lens has both a built-in magnet as well as a screwthread.

Most of the Hitcase phone cases let you attach the lenses magnetically.

The magnetic mounting system definitely has some benefits. It’s very easy to attach and detach the lenses. And it’s quick to switch between different lenses as you’re shooting.

But the magnetic mount isn’t as secure as the screwthread mount. So you have to be careful not to knock the lens as you’re shooting.

It’s quite easy to dislodge the lens if you knock it. And this can result in it moving to the wrong position or even falling off completely.

For this reason, I’d recommend using the Hitcase PRO case ($99.99). This case has a screwthread lens mount, allowing you to attach your lens very securely.

The PRO case is waterproof, so you can take amazing underwater photos too!

Now, let’s take a look at each of the Hitcase iPhone lenses in more detail…

Macro Lens For Incredible Close-Up Photography

Do you want to take stunning close-up macro photos of flowers, insects, and other small objects?

Then you’ll need the Hitcase Macro lens!

This 3x magnification macro lens lets you focus at very close distances (12-22mm). So you can capture tiny close-up details that are hard to see with the naked eye.

Some iPhone macro lenses suffer from heavy blurring around the edges of the image. But the Hitcase macro lens for iPhone has edge-to-edge clarity. And this results in fantastic image quality.

As with all macro lenses, the depth of field is very shallow. So keep in mind that only a small part of the scene will be in focus from front to back.

I found it easy to achieve sharp focus with the Hitcase macro iPhone lens. And it captured the tiny details and textures of my subjects.

Macro photography opens up a whole new world of creativity.

And the Hitcase macro lens is definitely one of the best lenses for iPhone macro photography. It produces clear and sharp images with fantastic detail.

Wide Lens For Getting More Into The Frame

Do you often struggle to fit everything into your photo?

This can be especially difficult when shooting landscapes, wide-open spaces, or architecture.

If you want to capture a wider field of view with your iPhone camera, the Hitcase Wide lens is perfect.

This wide-angle lens for iPhone allows you to fit twice as much into the frame.

It’s perfect for landscape and travel photography as you can fit more scenery into your photo.

I shot the photo above with the Hitcase Wide lens. For comparison, I took the photo below with the built-in iPhone lens.

As you can see, you can get a lot more into the frame with the add-on Wide lens from Hitcase.

The Wide lens is also ideal for architecture photography as you can get more of the building into the frame.

In the photo above, the Hitcase Wide lens allowed me to get the entire church into my photo.

For comparison, the photo below was shot from the same position without the add-on Wide lens.

Some wide-angle iPhone lenses produce images with very blurry edges. But the Hitcase Wide lens has great clarity.

On some photos, I could see some very slight blurring in the corners. But it’s barely noticeable.

One thing you’ll notice with a wide lens is that straight lines can appear curved.

In the photo below, notice how the sides of the house are curved rather than straight.

This kind of “barrel distortion” is normal when shooting with a wide-angle lens though. The wider the angle, the more distortion you’ll get.

Overall, I was impressed with the Hitcase Wide lens. And I’ll definitely use it whenever I want to get more scenery into my shot.

SuperWide Lens For An Ultra-Wide Field Of View

The Hitcase SuperWide lens allows you to capture an extremely wide field of view.

With this lens, you can fit a huge amount of the scene into your photo.

Ultra-wide lenses produce a “fisheye” effect. This is where the photo appears to bulge out from the middle.

With the Hitcase SuperWide lens, the curving of straight lines is very apparent.

You wouldn’t want this effect for all your shots. But it can definitely produce some interesting and creative results.

While much of the image has excellent clarity, you’ll definitely see a bit of blurring in the corners.

But this is typical of ultra-wide iPhone lenses. And the clarity is much better than other fisheye lenses that I’ve tried in the past.

One problem that you get with a lot of iPhone fisheye lenses is dark vignetting around the edge of the image. But you get hardly any vignette with the Hitcase SuperWide lens.

As you can see from the image above, I got a tiny amount of darkness in the top corners. But you could remove this using either the Crop or Healing tool in an editing app like Snapseed.

You could use the SuperWide lens for landscapes, cityscapes, or building interiors.

It’s also great for team photos and sports photography.

The Hitcase SuperWide lens offers an extremely close minimum focusing distance (16mm). And this allows you to take ultra-wide close-up photos.

You’re unlikely to want this SuperWide lens for everyday photography. But it’s certainly great fun to experiment with!

Hitcase iPhone Camera Lenses: Review Summary

If you’re looking for high-quality, affordable iPhone lenses, Hitcase is a great choice.

Each lens (Macro, Wide, and SuperWide) costs $39.99. Or you can buy the Hitcase Lens Kit containing all three lenses for $99.99.

The Hitcase Macro lens for iPhone is perfect for photographing flowers, insects, and other small subjects. It produces clear and sharp photos at very close distances.

The Hitcase Wide lens allows you to capture more of the scene in a wider-angle shot. It produces great quality photos with little or no blurring around the edges.

The Hitcase SuperWide lens lets you capture an even wider field of view. It does produce some blurring around the edges. But you get barely any of the dark vignetting that’s so common with this type of fisheye lens.

Hitcase are definitely amongst the best lenses for iPhone. And they offer a great range of cases for mounting your lenses onto.

From the slimline CRIO case ($19.99) to the waterproof PRO case ($99.99), you can choose one to suit your needs.

The only downside I could find with the Hitcase lens system was the magnetic mountings.

While it provides an easy way to attach and detatch the lenses, they don’t stay on securely when you’re on the move.

Maybe they’ll offer screwthread mountings on all their cases at some point. But for now, I’d recommend using the PRO case which lets you securely attach the lens with a screwthread.

With this setup, you can even experiment with amazing underwater photography!

The post Review Of Hitcase iPhone Lenses For Macro & Wide-Angle Photography appeared first on iPhone Photography School.

1. Use A Good Quality iPhone Macro Lens

The iPhone’s built-in camera lenses aren’t capable of capturing extreme close-up detail.

So how do shoot close-up macro photos with your iPhone?

You use an add-on macro lens!

There are many iPhone macro lenses on the market. But not all of them produce good quality photos.

If you’re serious about insect macro photography, you’ll need a good quality lens that produces sharp images.

So which is the best iPhone macro lens?

In my experience, you can’t beat the incredible Moment macro lens.

This high-quality lens produces beautifully sharp images. And you don’t get any blurring or distortion around the edges of the photo – which is a common problem with iPhone macro lenses.

The Moment macro lens costs $129.99 – which is more expensive than most other iPhone macro lenses. But the superior image quality is definitely worth it.

To attach the lens to your iPhone, you’ll need the Moment iPhone Case (from $49.99).

With the Moment case on your phone, you simply attach the macro lens whenever you want to shoot close-up photos.

Once you’ve got your macro lens attached to your iPhone, you’re ready to start shooting.

Read on to discover how to find great subjects for your insect macro photography!

2. Find An Interesting Subject For Your Insect Macro Photography

How do you find interesting insects for your iPhone macro photography?

Here’s the good news:

You don’t need to be in an exotic location to find fascinating insects to photograph.

In fact, an ordinary fly is one of the most amazing subjects for insect macro photography.

Once you get up close, your macro lens will reveal incredible detail that you wouldn’t normally see.

Other great subjects that you’ll find in abundance include:

Bees, ladybirds, spiders, ants, caterpillars, and beetles.

Look for interesting features, such as big eyes, delicate wings, bold patterns, and vivid or metallic colors.

Even the hairs on a fly’s leg, or pollen on a bee, make for eye-catching features in a macro photo.

You really won’t need to go far to find a whole range of insects to photograph.

Just go out into your garden, take a walk along a country lane, or explore your local park.

Get down low and look closely at the flowers and leaves.

Insects love flowers. So summer tends to be the best time of year for insect macro photography.

When the flowers are in full bloom, you’ll find a huge range of species in just a small area.

Once you start looking, you’ll see insects that you never would have noticed before.

And when you photograph them with your macro lens, you’ll capture the tiny, unique features of these incredible insects.

3. Shoot On A Still, Sunny Day

What are the best weather conditions for insect macro photography?

A still, sunny day is perfect!

This kind of weather brings out the insects. And it provides the perfect conditions for capturing great macro photos.

If it’s windy or raining, you won’t find as many insects.

Wind also makes it very difficult to capture sharp shots.

If the flower that your insect is perched on is blowing around in the wind, your photo will be blurred from the movement.

If there is a breeze, try holding the stem of the flower or leaf to keep it perfectly still.

In many photography scenarios, it’s best to avoid bright sunlight. But I find that bright light results in better photos when shooting insect macros.

It seems to illuminate the insect perfectly, bringing out fine detail and texture.

I usually achieve better focus on my subject in bright sunshine than on a cloudy day.

Bright light also allows the iPhone camera to use a fast shutter speed. (Shutter speed refers to the amount of time the camera’s shutter is open).

Fast shutter speeds are perfect for photographing moving subjects.

Why? Because a fast shutter speed freezes movement.

In low light, the camera will use a slower shutter speed. And any movement will appear as motion blur. So you’ll definitely want to avoid this.

When shooting in bright light, you do need to watch out for shadows.

Try to ensure there are no harsh shadows falling directly onto your subject.

Look out for shadows cast by surrounding flowers and leaves. And ensure your body or camera doesn’t cast a shadow on the subject.

Remember, you can use your hand to twist the flower stem towards the light for better illumination.

4. Get The Insect In Sharp Focus

The most challenging part of iPhone macro photography is getting your subject in sharp focus.

Here’s the problem:

When shooting extreme close-ups, the depth of field is very shallow.

Depth of field refers to how much of the image is in sharp focus from front to back.

A shallow depth of field means that only a tiny portion of the image is sharply focused. Anything in front of or behind the focused area will appear blurred.

If you don’t focus on the correct area, you won’t be able to capture the intricate detail of the insect.

So how do you achieve accurate focus in your macro photos?

First, ensure you’re not shooting on a windy day. If the insect is on a flower that’s blowing around, it will be almost impossible to get the subject in focus.

If there is a breeze, hold the flower with your free hand to stop it moving around.

Next, you need to decide which part of the insect you want in sharp focus.

What’s the most interesting feature that you want to emphasize?

Is it the eyes? The wings? The legs? The pollen on a bee?

Now you need to get that area in sharp focus.

The iPhone’s built-in Camera app allows you to quickly set the focus point. Simply tap the area you want in focus. You’ll see a yellow box indicating the focus point.

In most photography scenarios, tapping to set focus works really well. But with insect macro photography, it doesn’t always produce accurate results.

Why? Because you’re working with incredibly small subjects. And those subjects are moving!

It can be difficult to set focus on a very small area with your finger. And even if you do set it accurately, that focus point will be lost if the insect moves.

So here’s the key to getting perfect focus in your iPhone macro photos:

Simply move your iPhone towards and away from your subject until the correct area comes into focus.

Use tiny movements and take lots of shots at slightly different distances. (Later, you can go through your photos to find the ones with the best focus.)

When you take a shot, ensure you press the shutter button gently to avoid moving the camera.

The built-in Camera app is great for insect macro photography as you can open it quickly from the lock screen. (Swipe left on the lock screen to open the camera).

However, you might also want to check out the Halide Camera app.

This app has a “focus peaking” feature which highlights the area that’s in focus.

Simply tap the AF (Autofocus) icon near the bottom of the screen. Then tap the Focus Peaking icon to the left of the focus slider.

The focused area will appear highlighted in green. In the screenshot above, you can see that the insect’s wings and legs are in focus.

Another great feature of the Halide Camera app is that you can shoot in RAW format. RAW images are higher quality than standard JPEG images. And they allow you to bring out more detail in editing.

Whichever camera app you use, remember to take lots of pictures.

The more shots you take, the better chance you’ll have of capturing a perfectly focused macro photo.

5. Compose Your iPhone Macro Photos From Different Perspectives

When shooting macro photos of insects, you’re under pressure to get the insect in sharp focus.

This means you won’t have much time to think about creating the perfect composition.

If you spend too much time deciding how to compose the shot, your subject might fly away before you even press the shutter.

Composition techniques like the rule of thirds and leading lines are great ways to create eye-catching photos. But they’re not the most important elements in insect macro photography.

The intricate detail of your subject is what draws the viewer to the image.

With that in mind, you should definitely consider the best angle to shoot from.

Different perspectives will emphasize different features of an insect.

For example, shooting a fly or bee from above will capture the intricate detail of its wings.

Shooting from above also means you get a great view of the flower or leaf beneath the insect.

A side-on view usually reveals the shape of an insect’s body. You’ll get a better view of the legs and eyes which is perfect for photos of flies.

Shooting an insect from the front often doesn’t produce great results. But a front-on perspective does work well for wider subjects such as spiders.

When shooting front-on, you’ll only get a small part of the insect in sharp focus. So it’s important to set focus on the face of the subject.

You could also consider shooting from behind the insect. This works particularly well for bees, especially if you can shoot from slightly below to reveal the detail in the wings.

Remember, you don’t always need to have the insect looming large in the frame. You can get great results by shooting from slightly further away.

This perspective works particularly well when the insect is on a flower. It allows you to capture the beautiful detail of the flower. And the flower will act as a frame around the insect.

Shooting from further away also adds a sense of scale to your image. In the photo below, notice how tiny the ladybirds look when you see them against the flower.

Of course, once you’ve taken your picture, you can always improve the composition by cropping with a photo editing app.

In the ladybird photo above, I cropped the image to create a central composition. Symmetry works particularly well for close-up flower photos.

You can also crop the image so that the subject is off-centre, aligning with the rule of thirds.

6. Avoid Frightening The Insect Away

With iPhone macro photography, you have to get very close to your subject.

But as you approach an insect to compose your shot, you risk frightening it away.

So how do you avoid disturbing the insect you’re trying to photograph?

Here are my top tips for avoiding frightening the insects away:

Keep very quiet. And use slow, smooth movements.

Avoid approaching the insect from above. It’s better to approach it from beneath a flower or leaf.

When you spot an insect you’d like to photograph, get down low, using the plant as cover.

Then bring your iPhone slowly up to the insect’s level.

Take your shots quickly before the insect flies off.

It’s also a good idea to wait for the insect to start feeding on a flower.

You can capture wonderful photos of bees once they’re busy drinking nectar and collecting pollen.

Insect macro photography is challenging because you’re dealing with fast-moving and unpredictable subjects.

So you need to do everything you can to avoid frightening the insects away.

With these tricks, you’ll have far more chance of capturing amazing macro nature photography.

7. Edit Your iPhone Macro Photos To Bring Out Detail

You’ve taken your shots. How do they look?

Are you disappointed with how they turned out?

Does the insect look too small in the frame? Do the colors look dull? Does the subject lack clarity and sharp detail?

If so, don’t worry! You can dramatically improve your insect macro photos with a few simple photo editing tricks.

I’ll show you how to turn an average photo (like the one above) into a stunning macro shot with amazing color and detail (like the one below).

The free Snapseed app is one of the best iPhone photo editing apps for enhancing your images.

Open your photo in Snapseed, then tap Tools. The Tools menu will appear with a whole range of editing options.

Unless you managed to get really close to the insect while shooting (which is very difficult), you’ll probably want to crop your image.

Cropping allows you to cut away the edges of the photo, giving you a closer view of the subject.

Select the Crop tool. Then drag the corner handles to crop the image. Tap the checkmark when you’re done.

Keep in mind that cropping removes pixels from your photo, making the image smaller. The more you crop, the poorer the image quality will be. So be careful not to crop away too much of the image.

Now it’s time to improve exposure, color, and detail.

I like to use the HDR Scape tool to bring out shadow detail and give the colors a boost. Go to Tools > HDR Scape.

At the bottom of the screen, try out the different presets (Nature, People, etc.) to see what looks best. Then swipe left or right to adjust the strength of the HDR effect.

Be careful not to overdo the HDR effect. Remember, you want to keep the image looking as natural as possible. Subtle edits are the key to a great final result.

You can access more tools for improving color and exposure by going to Tools > Tune Image.

Swipe up or down to choose a tool. (I find that Ambiance works well at bringing out color and detail.) Swipe left or right to make your adjustment.

Another Snapseed tool that’s really great for macro photos is the Selective tool.

This tool allows you to adjust exposure, color, and sharpness of specific areas of the image. It’s particularly useful for bringing out detail in the insect’s eyes.

Go to Tools > Selective. Tap on the area you want to edit. A small circle with a B (for Brightness) appears. In the example below, you can see that I’ve tapped on the fly’s eye.

Swipe up or down on the screen to choose an adjustment: Brightness, Contrast, Saturation, or Structure.

(Structure is great for bringing out detail in an insect’s eyes.) Swipe right to increase the strength of the adjustment.

If there are small imperfections or unwanted objects in your photo, you can easily remove them in Snapseed. Go to Tools > Healing.

Pinch with two fingers to zoom in on the object you want to remove. Then brush over the object with your finger (the selected area will be highlighted in red). When you release your finger, the object will disappear!

Finally, you might want to sharpen the detail of the entire image. Go to Tools > Details. Swipe up or down and select Sharpening. Then swipe right to increase sharpness.

Note that too much sharpness can reduce image quality and introduce unwanted grain. So only apply sharpening at a low strength.

When you’re happy with your edit, save your image by going to Export > Save A Copy.

As you can see, editing makes a huge difference to your insect macro photos.

In just a few minutes, you can turn an ordinary image into a stunning photo with incredible color and detail.

Just remember the golden rule of photo editing:

Keep your edits subtle.

With careful editing, you’ll reveal the fascinating world of insects in all their glorious detail.

The post 7 Tips For Incredible Insect Macro Photography On iPhone appeared first on iPhone Photography School.

The Lenses

SANDMARC lenses for iPhone X are well designed, look great, and feel like high-end photography equipment in the hand. Their noticeable weight is due to the amount of glass in each lens, and the use of metal rather than plastic in the construction.

They’ll certainly turn heads and mark you out as someone who’s serious about their iPhone photography.

Each lens comes with a plastic cover for both the front and rear lens openings to keep dust out. It’s advisable to use these as once dust gets inside a lens it can affect image quality.

The lenses all boast multi-coated glass. While I’m not sure exactly what the coatings are, or what purpose they serve, it does at least show SANDMARC are serious about getting the best performance out of their lenses.

Next, let’s look at each of the four lenses in turn. Then we’ll examine the attachments common to all four lenses.

Wide Angle Lens

SANDMARC call their wide angle lens product Wide Lens Edition. Its 16mm focal length lets you capture much more of the scene than the native 28mm iPhone lens.

An impressively big lens, this one weighs in at 71 grams (2.5 ounces). However, its weight does make the iPhone feel a little unbalanced in the hand. It’s not a big problem, but it can make holding the iPhone in one hand a little challenging.

In terms of image quality, it’s very impressive. There’s very little image distortion and minimal softness in the corners or along the edges. It’s the perfect lens for landscape photography, or social events where you want to capture more of the available scene.

Wide Lens Edition – $99.99

Fisheye Lens

Called Fisheye Lens Edition by SANDMARC, this is a 10mm fisheye lens. It’ll capture even more of the scene than either the SANDMARC Wide Edition Lens, or the native 28mm iPhone lens.

The lens is fairly bulky and weighs 55 grams (just under 2 ounces). However, it’s a little smaller than the SANDMARC Wide Edition Lens, so not too large or obtrusive.

As with all fisheye lenses, there’s a significant amount of lens distortion. This is part of the appeal of a fisheye lens, so don’t let this put you off.

The image quality is very good, but in the corners and, to a lesser extent, the edges of the frame, you’ll get some softening of the image. Therefore, it’s important to keep your primary subject near to the center of the frame.

Fisheye Lens Edition – $89.99

Macro Lens

This lens is referred to as the Macro Lens Edition by the manufacturer. Macro lenses are a personal favorite of mine so I was especially keen to try this one out.

A macro lens allows you to capture incredible close-up photos of tiny subjects. It’s perfect for flower macro photography and insect macro photography.

It’s a bulky lens, but this is mainly due to the removable plastic hood supplied with the lens. The actual macro lens itself is relatively small, and can be used without the plastic hood or the heavy threaded ring which connects the macro lens to the hood, making it much more compact the shown above.

The plastic hood is incredibly useful, as you can press it against your intended subject to ensure the iPhone’s camera and the subject are the optimal distance apart. This helps you to have at least part of your subject in focus.

Without the hood, you’ll find it difficult to use the macro lens hand-held. Even the smallest movement of the iPhone can cause the focal point to change.

The image quality is as good, if not better, than other macro lenses I’ve used. There’s a little softening in the corners and along the edges of the frame, but it’s not too distracting. Besides, with macro photography you would most likely have your subject centrally positioned.

Macro Lens Edition – $89.99

Telephoto Lens

SANDMARC call this the Telephoto Lens Edition. It’s another solid, well-built, lens which provides 3x optical zoom when positioned over the iPhone X’s standard lens, either using the case provided, or the Clip-On attachment.

The 3x optical zoom is an increase over the iPhone X’s 2x telephoto lens, but even better than that, if you position the lens over the iPhone X’s telephoto lens using the Clip-On attachment, you get a huge 6x optical zoom!

Unfortunately we didn’t receive a sample of this lens so I can’t comment on the image quality, however, if the other lenses are anything to go by, the image quality should be fine.

Telephoto Lens Edition – $99.99

What Comes In The Box?

All four SANDMARC lenses for iPhone X come bundled with useful accessories. Let’s look at each of these accessories in turn, in order of their importance.

Slimline Case

A dedicated, iPhone-specific case is the most effective way of attaching lenses to your iPhone, especially when it comes to accurately aligning the lens with the iPhone’s built-in lens.

The SANDMARC case is a super snug fit, which I really like, however it’s tricky to remove. And because the case is so thin and stiff, I suspect that it won’t survive frequent attachment and removal.

One other concern I have is that the case partially covers the iPhone’s built-in flash. With a SANDMARC lens attached, this is to be expected, because the lenses are fairly large, and would obscure the flash anyway.

However, when taking photos with the SANDMARC case attached but no lens attached some of the flash bounces off the case and enters the iPhone’s lens. Unfortunately, this means the case can’t be left on permanently unless you never use your iPhone’s flash!

Clip-On Attachment

Each lens comes with a spring-loaded Clip-On clip which grips your iPhone, holding the attached lens in position, as shown below.

The clip has a threaded metal insert for connecting to the lens. This is a nice touch as it’s very easy to damage the threads when one of the threads is metal and the other is plastic.

Aligning a SANDMARC lens with your iPhone’s native lens using the Clip-On is a bit tricky, so I’d recommend using the supplied case for optimal alignment and the very best image results.

Drawstring Bag & Cleaning Cloth

SANDMARC include a drawstring bag and cleaning cloth. It’s an important reminder to protect your photography equipment to ensure the longest lifespan.

Where To Buy SANDMARC Lenses For iPhone X

All four lenses featured in this article are available individually from SANDMARC’s online shop.

Wide Lens Edition – $99.99

Fisheye Lens Edition – $89.99

Macro Lens Edition – $89.99

Telephoto Lens Edition – $99.99

You can buy the Photography Edition – iPhone X package from SANDMARC for $239.99.

This package includes the Wide, Fisheye and Macro lenses and represents a saving of $39.98 when compared to purchasing the three included lenses individually.

SANDMARC Lenses For iPhone X: Conclusion

The four lenses we’ve reviewed in this article are optically very good, so you’ll be able to take fantastic photos with them. SANDMARC lenses for iPhone X provide a highly desirable flexibility to your iPhone photography, and will allow you to take photos not possible with the native iPhone lenses.

The post Discover The SANDMARC Lenses For iPhone X (Wide, Fisheye, Macro & Telephoto) appeared first on iPhone Photography School.

Types Of Olloclip Lenses For iPhone 8 & 8 Plus

Olloclip lenses for iPhone 8 and 8 Plus come in a wide range of options.

Lenses are still available for the iPhone 7 and 7 Plus, iPhone 6 and 6 Plus, iPhone 6s and 6s Plus, iPhone SE and the iPhone 5 and 5s.

Unfortunately, Olloclip hasn’t launched their iPhone X products yet, however, we’re assured they’re in development and will be available for pre-order early in 2018.

Now, let’s look at the specific types of add-on lens offered by Olloclip, and discover why and when you’d want to use them.

1. Wide-Angle Lens

Your iPhone already has a high-quality wide-angle lens as standard, but an add-on wide-angle lens will let you capture even more of the scene. This makes it perfect for shooting landscapes or group shots where it’s not possible to squeeze everyone into the frame with the standard iPhone lens.

Every lens has a “field of view,” measured in degrees, which specifies how much of the scene will be captured. Depending on iPhone model, the standard front-facing lens has a field of view of between around 55 and 75 degrees. Olloclip offers a 120-degree wide-angle lens and a 150-degree Ultra-wide lens.

Although you’ll get more in the shot with a wide-angle lens, you’ll notice a fair bit of distortion in your final image. That is to say, any straight lines in your photo will appear curved. The wider the angle of the lens, the more distortion you’ll get.

The photos above show the difference between the standard iPhone lens (left image) and the super wide-angle lens (right image). The amount of lens distortion visible in the right image is significantly more than in the left image.

While wide-angle distortion is often considered undesirable, you can either embrace this as a creative feature or use an app like SKRWT to correct the distortion.

Also, be aware that if you have people in the shot you’ll want to compose your image with them at the center of the frame. This is because the distortion is worse nearer the edge of the frame.

2. Fisheye Lens

Fisheye lenses are effectively extreme wide-angle lenses. You can get a 180-degree field of view with the Olloclip fisheye lens. You can use this to create dramatic sphere-shaped rounded shots with darkened corners. The distortion of the scene in these images is part of their appeal.

Here you can see the dramatic difference between shooting with the iPhone’s built-in lens (left image) and the Olloclip fisheye lens (right image).

3. Telephoto Lens

One way to bring a distant subject closer to the camera is to use the zoom feature in the camera app. However, using any amount of zoom on the iPhone 8, or a more than x2 zoom on the iPhone 8 Plus, causes the iPhone to use digital zoom, which always results in poorer quality images.

However, you can bring your subject closer and maintain image quality by using the Olloclip telephoto lens. The Olloclip telephoto lens relies on lens optics for magnification.

With a telephoto lens, you can take shots from wherever you are without having to move closer and risking interrupting the moment.

The larger the magnification number of the telephoto lens, the bigger the distant object will appear in your photo. The Olloclip telephoto lens offers 2x magnification. This effectively means you can get twice as close to the action without physically moving.

If you have the iPhone 8 Plus, your camera also has a built-in 2x telephoto lens. When used with the iPhone’s built-in telephoto lens, the Olloclip telephoto lens increases your optical magnification to an impressive 4x.

Lastly, telephoto lenses tend to flatten facial features and so are far more flattering for portrait subjects.

4. Macro Lens

Macro lenses have a very specific purpose. They allow your iPhone camera to get much closer to your subject so it can capture tiny details. The larger the magnification of the lens the more detail you’ll be able to capture.

Olloclip offers several different macro lens magnifications. Check out what is available for each iPhone model by looking at the tables in the “Lens Kits” section below.

You’ll need to get up close to your subject and hold your iPhone very still to get detailed, in-focus images. This is because the depth of field (the amount of the subject which is in focus) is very shallow, meaning that the smallest hand movements will cause big changes as to what is in focus. This becomes even trickier for the larger magnifications.

Olloclip has introduced the InstaFocus hood to help overcome this challenge. When attached to the macro lens, the hood acts as a spacer, to give you a physical guide as to how far away from the subject you need to be in order to achieve sharp focus.

The hood is translucent and diffuses the incoming light to illuminate your subject with a nice, soft and even light. The hood is provided as standard with Olloclip’s macro lenses.

If you take a photo of something flat, like a pressed leaf, you’ll achieve a sharply focused image throughout. However, if you’re photographing a three-dimensional object, only a small part of the image will be in focus. You’ll need to decide which part of the image you want to be sharply in focus, and adjust your distance from the subject by a few millimeters.

Choose The Right Olloclip Lens Kit For You

The Olloclip lenses discussed above are available in a selection of lens kits – as shown in the table below. Each kit offers a different combination of lenses aimed at particular types of photography.

The Core Lens Set ($99.99 from Amazon) is a good option for an introduction to the range of lenses available. This kit comes with a fisheye, 120-degree super-wide and 15x macro lens.

If you enjoy landscape photography, go for either the Active Lens Set ($119.99 from Amazon) or Vista Lens Set ($119.99 from Amazon). Both of these lens kits offer a wide-angle lens for capturing more of the view, as well as a telephoto lens for picking out distant subjects.

If you’re a fan of close-up photography, the Macro Pro Lens Set ($79.99 from Amazon) is a great choice because it consists of three macro lenses of different magnifications, giving you the ability to shoot a wider range of close-up subjects.

You can also purchase the following lenses individually. Some are single lenses, while others are a pair of different lenses.

• Fisheye & Macro 15x ($49.99 from Olloclip)
• Telephoto 2x ($69.99 from Olloclip)
• Super-wide ($49.99 from Olloclip)
• Macro 7x & 14x ($39.99 from Olloclip)
• Macro 21x ($39.99 from Olloclip)
• Ultra-wide ($49.99 from Olloclip)

These lenses can only be used with your iPhone 8 or 8 Plus if you have the Connect Clip which is provided with any of the lens kits above, but not with the individual lenses. Read on to learn more about the Connect attachment system.

Attaching Olloclip Lenses To Your iPhone

The Connect lens attachment system has been introduced for the iPhone 8 and 8 Plus. It works simultaneously with both the rear and front-facing camera on your iPhone. The Connect system also has the advantage over the previous system of working with your screen protector in place.

The compact and lightweight lens attachment fits quickly to your iPhone and allows you to easily drop in the lens of your choice.

You can purchase a Connect Clip and Pendant Stand separately (from $19.99 from Olloclip). There are two models – one for use with an Olloclip case, and another for use without a case, both priced at $19.99.

Olloclip offer different cases for the iPhone 8 and the iPhone 8 Plus, both priced at $29.99.

Olloclip Lenses For iPhone 8 & 8 Plus: Limitations

Remember that with any add-on lens you won’t be able to improve the quality of the images that you take using the native iPhone camera, however, you will be able to extend your iPhone’s photography capabilities.

With the wide-angle lens, you will notice some distortion of straight lines and facial features, however, this is not unique to Olloclip – all wide-angle lenses share these shortcomings.

Finally, you’ll need plenty of available light when using Olloclip lenses for iPhone 8 and iPhone 8 Plus. This is because they’re don’t work with the iPhone’s built-in flash.

Olloclip Lenses For iPhone 8 & 8 Plus: Where To Buy

You can buy Olloclip lens kits, individual lenses, and accessories direct from the Olloclip website or from other retailers such as Amazon. The price for a lens kit starts at around $80. Individual lenses start at $39.99.

Olloclip Lenses For iPhone 8 & 8 Plus: Summary

In this article, you’ve discovered Olloclip’s lens kits and what kind of photography each lens kit is best suited to.

The Core Lens Set is a great general purpose lens kit. The Active Lens Set is perfect for landscape, action and adventure photography. The Macro Pro Lens Set is ideal if you want to shoot macro subjects of different sizes. The Vista Lens Set is ideal for landscape photography.

Finally, you’ll have lots of fun shooting with the Olloclip lenses for iPhone 8 and iPhone 8 Plus. Just make sure you choose lenses and attachments that are specific to your iPhone model and use the information in this article to help you choose the right lens kit for your photography.

The post Discover The Olloclip Lenses For iPhone 8 & 8 Plus (Wide, Fisheye, Telephoto & Macro) appeared first on iPhone Photography School.

Types Of Lenses

Let’s look at the types of lenses available for your iPhone, and what they’re suitable for:

Wide-angle iPhone Camera Lens: Wide angle lenses help you get more in your photo than the standard iPhone camera lens. This makes them great for landscape shots, and a good substitute for using the built-in iPhone panorama mode.

Telephoto iPhone Camera Lens: This type of lens brings your subject closer to you. The larger the magnification number, the bigger the distant object will appear in your photo. Telephoto lenses also create far more flattering portrait photos, as the facial features will look more natural.

Fisheye iPhone Camera Lens: Fisheye lenses create dramatic spherical images, with darkened corners and distorted lines.  The distortion in these images is part of their appeal. These lenses are great for really creative shots, but you’ll need to get in close to your subject.

Macro iPhone Camera Lens: These lenses help you capture subjects not normally visible to the naked eye. You’ll need to get up close to your subject and hold your iPhone very still to get detailed, in-focus images. Use this kind of lens for shooting incredible iPhone macro photos of insects and flowers.

Next, let’s look at some specific brands.

1. Olloclip

Olloclip is one of the best-known iPhone camera lens brands. They offer a range of lens kits aimed at different kinds of photographer. The lens kits are available for iPhone 4 onwards, although their iPhone X camera products are still in development.

Each lens kit offers different lens options:

• The Core Lens Set comes with 180 degree fisheye, super-wide and 15x macro lenses.
• The Vista Lens Set has the super-wide and 2x telephoto lenses.
• The Active Lens Set includes the ultra-wide and 2x telephoto lenses.
• The Macro Lens Set has 7x, 14x and 21x macro lenses.

iPhone 7 / 7 Plus and iPhone 8 / 8 Plus users will find the Core Lens Set on sale for around $100, the Vista Lens Set for about $119, the Active Lens Set for $119 and the Macro Lens Set for $80.00

Users of iPhone 6 / 6s / 6s Plus and earlier model users should consider purchasing the 4-in-1 Lens Kit, available for $80.

A new lens attachment kit has been introduced for the iPhone 7 and iPhone 8 camera. The Connect system, pictured below, allows you to easily add to your lens collection with the interchangeable setup and is also selfie-ready making use of the iPhone’s front-facing camera.

There are other kits available tailored to your preferred photography style. You can choose a macro kit if you’re a fan of close-up photography. Or go for a kit including telephoto and wide-angle lenses if you enjoy landscape photography.

The pendant storage system supplied lets you keep the lenses handy for use. It also serves as a steadying tripod for those macro shots. Olloclip also gets the Apple seal of approval as you can buy them directly from Apple, but you can also find them on Amazon.com.

2. Moment

Moment lenses are renowned for their image quality, which explains why they’re considerably more expensive than the competition.

Lenses are available for the iPhone X as well as for older iPhone models, right back to the iPhone 4.

Your best option for mounting the lens to your iPhone is to purchase a custom case that the individual lenses attach to. The stylish cases will cost you between $24 and a whopping $99 for a case with a built-in battery. There is a cheaper option with a lens mounting plate. This will set you back a mere $5 though it is a permanent fixture as attached with adhesive.

All lenses and accessories can be purchased directly from Moment, who also offer a trade-in service. Send in your old Moment lens and get a $25 voucher towards a new one.

3. Oowa

Oowa take a unique approach to the design of their mobile lenses. Their oval asymmetrical design results in a clearer image with less distortion than seen from some other competitors. The lenses are claimed to be the highest quality mobile lenses on the market and comparison tests support this claim.

If you’re an avid user of Instagram you’ll get to see what regular people produce using these lenses. The company has an active team of users showing off the lenses at their best. Check out the #MadeWithOOWA hashtag to see for yourself.

The iPhone camera lens range on offer is limited to a 2.5x telephoto lens and a wide-angle lens. Unfortuantely, Oowa don’t supply a macro lens. So, if you’re interested in taking close up shots, then consider a different lens system. You’ll also need the Oowa phone case to connect the lens to your phone.

Get the whole set by choosing the Pro Kit which is currently available for $109. You can also purchase the individual lenses for $69 each. You’ll get two phone cases, lens caps and a carrying case included with your individual lens purchase.

The lenses are available for iPhone 6 and above but not yet available for the iPhone X. Also note that if you have an iPhone 7, the telephoto lens is only compatible with the 1x phone camera.

The lenses attach via model-specific iPhone case costing just $15. Next time you upgrade your iPhone, you just need to purchase the corresponding case.

4. SANDMARC

SANDMARC are best known for their GoPro and DJI camera accessories. But they’ve been creating lenses for iPhones for several years and are fast becoming a household name. Based in California, their focus is on action photography, but they offer a range of iPhone lenses for landscape and macro photography too.

Their current product lineup caters only for the iPhone X and includes the following lenses:

Wide Angle Lens

With its 16mm focal length, the wide-angle lens lets you capture much more of the scene than the native 28mm iPhone lens.

It’s a large lens and weighs in at 71 grams (2.5 ounces), and its weight does make the iPhone feel a little unbalanced in the hand. It’s not a big problem, but it can make holding the iPhone in one hand a little challenging.

In terms of image quality, it’s very impressive. There’s very little image distortion and minimal softness in the corners or along the edges. It’s the perfect lens for landscape photography, or social events where you want to capture more of the available scene.

Wide Lens Edition – $89.99

Fisheye Lens

This 10mm fisheye lens lets you capture even more of the scene than either the SANDMARC Wide Edition Lens above, or the native 28mm iPhone lens.

The lens is fairly bulky and weighs 55 grams (just under 2 ounces). However, it’s a little smaller than the SANDMARC Wide Edition Lens, so not too large or obtrusive.

As with all fisheye lenses, there’s a significant amount of lens distortion, but this is part of the appeal of a fisheye lens, so don’t let this put you off.

The image quality is very good, but in the corners and, to a lesser extent, the edges of the frame, you’ll get some softening of the image. Therefore, it’s important to keep your primary subject near to the center of the frame.

Fisheye Lens Edition – $79.99

Macro Lens

The macro lens is very bulky, but this is mainly due to the removable plastic hood supplied with the lens. The actual macro lens itself is relatively small, and can be used without the plastic hood or the heavy threaded ring which connects the macro lens to the hood, making it much more compact the shown above.

The plastic hood is incredibly useful, as you can press it against your intended subject to ensure the iPhone’s camera and the subject are the optimal distance apart. This helps you to have at least part of your subject in focus.

The image quality is really good, but there’s a little softening in the corners and along the edges of the frame. It’s not too distracting, especially if you keep your macro subject centrally positioned.

Macro Lens Edition – $69.99

Telephoto Lens

This telephoto lens is another solid, well-built, lens which provides 3x optical zoom when positioned over the iPhone X’s standard lens, either using the case or the clip provided.

The 3x optical zoom is an increase over the iPhone X’s 2x telephoto lens, but even better than that, if you position the lens over the iPhone X’s telephoto lens using the Clip-On attachment, you get a huge 6x optical zoom!

Telephoto Lens Edition – $89.99

5. Amir

At the budget end of the scale, Amir offers a choice of various different lenses and kits. The 3 in 1 lens kit consists of a 0.4x super wide-angle lens, a 180 degree fisheye lens and a 10x macro lens.

To use the fisheye lens make sure you keep it screwed to the macro lens. And then unscrew the pair to make use of the macro lens. At 10x magnification, the macro lens gets you enough close-up detail to be impressive but is also relatively easy to use.

You get a handy cleaning cloth bag and lens covers as part of the kit – perfect for keeping your lenses in pristine dust-free condition.  Choose from black or silver for the lenses themselves.

The Amir lenses attach to your phone using a clip. This is a versatile fitting that is compatible with many models of iPhone, from 5 through to 8. The interchangeability is great for when you upgrade your iPhone as the lenses aren’t model specific. The design also lets you connect any 37mm threaded lens to the clip.

It’s fair to say that such a cheap lens won’t give you professional results, but they’re a lot of fun and can be used to expand your iPhone photography beyond what the iPhone’s native lenses allow.

The Amir 3-in-1 Lens Kit costs under $20.

iPhone Camera Lens: Conclusion

There are clearly plenty of options available to you to further utilize your iPhone for photography. Weigh up what’s most important to you to help you choose a system that’s right for you. A lens kit gives you the most flexibility, but a single, more expensive, dedicated lens will give you a better quality iPhone camera lens to do a specific job.

Remember to also think about what suits you in terms of how the lenses attach to your iPhone. Each lens system offers their own approach. Price is also likely to be a consideration and consequently interchangeability between different iPhone models when you upgrade.

The post Pick The Best Add-On iPhone Camera Lens For You appeared first on iPhone Photography School.

As iPhone accessories for photography go, a third-party lens is one of the most popular. Adding more glass between your iPhone camera and your subject will never improve image quality. However, it can improve other aspects of your photography. For example, a wide-angle lens can make the iPhone’s built-in wide-angle lens even wider, meaning you get even more of the scene into your shot. A macro lens lets you photograph a world that’s hard to see with the naked eye.

1. Moment Lenses & Case For The iPhone X

The high-end, third-party lens manufacturer, Moment, appears to have won the race to bring out case and lens kits for the iPhone X camera. They offer a wide angle, a 2X telephoto, a fish-eye, and a macro lens. Since the iPhone X has an excellent optical 2X telephoto lens and a regular wide-angle lens you may want to look at the Macro Lens.

If you do decide to go for Moment’s 2X Telephoto lens then you’ll be pleased to know that when placed in front of the iPhone X’s built-in 2X telephoto lens you’ll get the equivalent of 4x telephoto “zoom”.

However, it’s worth noting that with any of Moment’s lenses attached you won’t be able to use the Portrait Mode feature since the bulk of the Moment lens blocks out the second lens, meaning the iPhone’s camera can’t gather the depth information it needs from the scene.

Moment’s case and lenses are available for the iPhone X, iPhone 8 and iPhone 8 Plus.

2. Olloclip Lenses For The iPhone 8 & 8 Plus

Some of our favorite iPhone accessories are made by Olloclip. They have lens kits for the iPhone 8 camera and iPhone 8 Plus camera. It would be fair to say few, if any, third-party add-on lenses are truly high-end. So it’s not unfair to say Olloclip only manages acceptable results with its versatile Core Lens Set. We’ve seen softening or distortion in the corners of images photographed with these lenses. However, since your subject isn’t usually in the corners, this shouldn’t be too much of a problem. The Core Lens Set costs $99.99 and provides lenses including Fish Eye, Super Wide and X15 Macro.

If you want more reach, Olloclip also offer the Active Lens Set which includes a 2X telephoto and wide-angle lens. It costs $119.99.

3. Waterproof Case For Underwater Photography (Up To 6’6″)

Do you want to take more photos in or near water? While the iPhone 8, iPhone 8 Plus and iPhone X have the IP67 rating for dust and water resistance, it only protects in up to 3’ 3” of water and even then, only for a maximum of 30 minutes. As good as that sounds, I’m not sure I’d want to test that claim out with my own iPhone! Luckily, there are several iPhone accessories for improved waterproofing which will give you more confidence to venture out into the pool or the sea with your pride and joy.

Third-party waterproof cases have been carefully designed to prevent water ingress due to the pressure of being underwater. The deeper you go, the more pressure the waterproof case and its seals are under, and the more likely it is that water will get in and reach your iPhone. Cases with a rating of IP68 are designed to cope with being up to 6 feet 6 inches under water for up to an hour, and have been tested over 1000 times.

Products you could consider are the Temdan waterproof case for the iPhone X for $24.88, or for the iPhone 8 Plus for $19.88, or for the iPhone 8 for $21.99.

4. Rugged “OtterBox” Case

Do you spend most of your time outdoors or have a very active lifestyle? With a rugged case to protect your iPhone from knocks and drops, you’ll use your iPhone for photography far more often. It’ll probably be one of your most valuable iPhone accessories!

It’s normal for such cases to be bulky and somewhat on the masculine side in terms of design, but OtterBox seems to have found a good middle-ground in terms of design and functionality. The OtterBox Defender case for iPhone X costs $33.81 is available in several colors. The OtterBox Defender case is also available for iPhone 8 costing $28.94, and for the iPhone 8 Plus costing around $45.00.

5. Tripod

Did you know one of the biggest causes of bad photographs is camera shake? That’s when the camera moves whilst the shutter is still open, causing undesirable blurring. This mostly happens in low light conditions, or when you’re creating a long-exposure photo. Now, there are many ways to reduce camera shake, but when you need to be sure, a tripod for iPhone is the perfect accessory.

Tripods come in all shapes and sizes – from the smallest which fit in your pocket, through to heavy-duty professional models. Since your iPhone is so small and portable, it makes sense to have a similarly small and portable tripod.

The Manfrotto MTPIXI-B PIXI Mini Tripod costing $34.99 is compact yet sturdy and is easily adjustable. It even comes with a universal iPhone tripod mount which attaches to the tripod and holds your iPhone in place. The tripod has a standard 1/4″ screw.

6. Remote Bluetooth Shutter Release

Even with your iPhone mounted on a tripod, you can still get blurry shots if you’re too heavy-handed when pressing the shutter button. Sure, you could use the camera app’s timer feature – and that’s certainly a good thing to do – but for more control, you need a bluetooth remote shutter release. This will give you the ability to trigger your iPhone’s camera shutter whenever you’re ready, and from up to around 30 feet away.

Not only will this result in less blurry shots, but you’ll be able to get yourself in the frame too! Why not position your iPhone near the bird feeder in the garden, retreat indoors and shoot the feathered visitors when they arrive? It couldn’t be easier and the results can be stunning.

The Zodiac Bluetooth Selfie Remote Shutter costs just $19.99.

7. Power Bank / External Battery

Using your iPhone powerful camera app puts a big demand on your iPhone’s built-in battery. Under normal use, you might be able to get a day’s use out of one charge – but just a few hours of fairly constant shooting will drain your battery. For the more serious iPhone photographer, an external battery is the perfect solution. These are available from different manufacturers in a variety of sizes, capacities, and colors. Aside from the physical size of the battery, each battery has a capacity rating, a maximum input amperage, and a maximum output amperage.

The capacity rating tells you how much power can be stored in the battery, measured in mAh – milliamp hours. The mAh value tells you how many milliamps of power can be provided in one hour. 1000 milliamps is the same as one 1 amp – so a 5000mAh can provide 5 amps for up to an hour before running flat.

Most iPhones can charge on as little as 0.5 amps but can take up to around 2 amps. Charging at 0.5 amps, a 5000mAh (or 5Ah) battery could provide up to 10 hours of charging. Charging at 2.1amps, the same battery would provide only 2 hours 22 minutes of charge. The number of times you can recharge your iPhone’s battery will depend on the iPhone model and the condition of the battery when you recharge.

Check out Anker’s 6700mAh, 10000mAh, and 20100mAh PowerBanks.

8. Show Your Photos On The Go, With A Portable Projector

Wouldn’t it be great to share photos or videos from your iPhone onto the wall wherever you are? A party, a family gathering, a camping trip, the side of a vehicle. There are many portable projectors available, so we’ve chosen one that’s both compact and popular – with hundreds of positive reviews.

Before you get too excited, be realistic. You’re not going to get high definition results from such a cheap, small, low-power device as this one by Artlii. It’s certainly more of a fun toy than a professional display tool! The manufacturers claim it can project over a distance of 3.8 meters / 12.5 feet. At this distance, the display area will be large but most likely quite faint. So you may want to experiment with distances and also projection surfaces.

The Artlii Micro Portable Projector is available for $48.99.

iPhone Accessories: Conclusion

None of the accessories listed here are essential. However, together they offer you great ways to increase the range of subjects you can photograph while protecting your iPhone and keeping you shooting. If you’ve found a must-have iPhone accessory not listed here, please share it in the comments below!

The post 8 iPhone Camera Accessories For Getting More Out Of Your Photography appeared first on iPhone Photography School.

There are currently three olloclip iPhone 7 and 7 Plus lens kits available for pre-order:

• the Core Lens Set
• the Active Lens Set
• and the Macro Pro Lens Set

Additionally there are two new ollo Cases available – one for the iPhone 7 and one for the 7 Plus.

You don’t need to purchase an ollo Case in order to use the olloclip lenses, however, it works seamlessly with the new lens kits and will offer valuable protection for your iPhone.

In common with existing olloclip lens kits for the iPhone 6 series, these new lens kits feature two offset lenses attached to a reversible mount.

This mount slots onto the top of the iPhone, with one of the lenses aligned to the rear-facing lens and the other to the front lens.

However, the new olloclip lens system for iPhone 7 features a newly designed “Connect Lens System” which allows the lenses to be interchanged.

So you if you own multiple lens kits, you can switch the lenses around to give you the perfect combination for the task at hand.

For example, for landscape photography you might choose the Ultra-Wide and Super-Wide lens combination. Or if you like shooting nature, maybe the 2x Telephoto and a Macro lens would be a good combination.

Another welcome feature of this new olloclip system is the screen-protector friendly design. With previous olloclip lenses, users have suffered damage to their screen-protectors when sliding the olloclip onto their phone.

However, the newly designed olloclip iPhone 7 lens kit includes a hinge mechanism which allows it to work with screen-protectors up to 0.5mm thick without damaging them.

As with previous versions of the olloclip, these new lens kits are supplied with a wearable pendant. This allows you to carry the olloclip around your neck on a lanyard when it’s not attached to your phone.

But a clever new design feature also allows for the pendant to open up into a stand that will support your iPhone – replacing the need for a bulky tripod.

In addition to these new design features, olloclip claims that the optics of these new lenses have been improved.

We haven’t yet tested out these lenses ourselves, but improved optics would be a welcome feature. Some of the older olloclip lenses suffered with a fair amount of lens distortion and edge blurring, which compromised image quality.

Finally, it’s worth noting that all of these olloclip lens kits obstruct the iPhone’s flash – although in most cases you wouldn’t want to use flash as it usually has a negative effect on the image. And in the case of the iPhone 7 Plus, the olloclip obstructs the new built-in telephoto lens.

Now let’s explore the new olloclip iPhone 7 lens sets, so that you can decide which lens kits would best suit your needs.

Olloclip Core Lens Set

The olloclip Core Lens Set costs $99.99 and includes three different lenses:

• Super-Wide
• Fisheye
• Macro 15x

This is a versatile lens kit offering a range of creative shooting options, from super wide shots to close-up macro images.

The Super-Wide lens offers around 120 degrees coverage – scooping up more of the scene than the iPhone’s built-in lens.

One problem that we’ve seen with previous wide-angle olloclip lenses is that the edges of the image can appear quite blurred.

Hopefully the improved optics of these new lenses will produce better quality images, however, the example image a above does show evidence of some blurring in the corners.

The Fisheye lens offers around 180 degrees coverage, resulting in a near spherical image.

This extreme effect isn’t to everyone’s taste, but it certainly has a place in creative photography – or for getting everything into the shot at the expense of any sense of realism.

Removing the Fisheye lens reveals the Macro 15x lens which magnifies your subject by 15 times.

A macro lens is essential for capturing detailed close-up shots of small subjects, such as flowers, insects and textures.

When taking macro photos, the subject needs to be very close to the lens. And you’ll need to be very accurate when setting focus to ensure that your subject appears sharp.

Keep in mind that you’ll get a very shallow depth of field when shooting with a macro lens, so only a small part of the scene will be in sharp focus while the rest will appear blurred.

Olloclip Active Lens Set

The olloclip Active Lens Set costs $119.99 and includes two lenses:

• 2x Telephoto
• Ultra-Wide

This lens kit is a great option for landscape, travel or action photography as it allows you to capture both wide-angle scenes and closer views of distant subjects.

The 2x Telephoto lens brings your subjects twice as close, making it easier to fill the frame with your subject without having to get physical closer.

This is useful if getting closer to your subject isn’t possible… or sensible! It’s perfect for photographing animals that might be scared off if you were to get close to them.

Interestingly, in the case of the iPhone 7 Plus, olloclip have chosen to position the telephoto lens in front of the iPhone’s built-in wide-angle lens – rather than in front of the new built-in telephoto lens.

It would have been nice to see the native 2x telephoto of the iPhone 7 Plus doubled up to 4x by the addition of the olloclip lens.

The Ultra-Wide lens offers 155 degrees coverage, which is a similar field-of-view to what you’d expect from the current crop of “action” cameras. So action photographers will find this lens useful for cramming more into the frame.

Another advantage of such a large field-of-view is a noticeable reduction in camera shake. In effect, every degree of hand movement is reduced, which gives you a better chance of getting a sharp shot. This will be especially noticeable when using your iPhone 7 or 7 Plus to shoot video.

Macro Pro Lens Set

The olloclip Macro Pro Lens Set costs $79.99, and consists of three different magnification macro lenses: 7x, 14x and 21x.

This lens kit is for exploring the fascinating world of close-up photography.

If olloclip’s claims of “edge-to-edge clarity” are true, this will be a very popular choice for those of us who love capturing the macro world on our iPhones.

In my experience with the olloclip Macro lenses for iPhone 6, the greater the magnification, the shallower the depth of field will be.

Therefore, care is needed to achieve and maintain the optimal focal distance from your macro subject – especially when using the 21x magnification lens.

Thankfully, olloclip have retained the removable semi-transparent InstaFocus hood which slots onto the lenses and helps to keep the subject roughly where it needs to be.

Olloclip claim that these lenses have improved depth of field and reduced pin-cushion distortion, which should improve image quality.

The olloclip Macro Pro Lens for iPhone 6 is one of my favorite third-party lenses, so I can’t wait to test out this new and improved set of Macro lenses for iPhone 7.

Ollo Case

In addition to the new lens kits for iPhone 7 and 7 Plus, olloclip have produced two new ollo Cases which are designed to work seamlessly with these lenses.

The cases have a cut-out section at the top, allowing the ollclip lenses to slide easily onto your iPhone 7 or 7 Plus.

These cases are optional as olloclip lens kits will work perfectly well without any case – but they do offer valuable protection for your phone.

I’ve been using the ollo Case on my iPhone 6 for the last couple of years. It’s a really high quality case, and allows me to easily attach my olloclip lenses at any time.

You can purchase the ollo Case for iPhone 7 or 7 Plus for $29.99.

Olloclip iPhone 7: Summary

To summarize, this looks like an exciting new range of lenses for the iPhone 7 and 7 Plus.

While they’re not yet offering such a wide variety of lens kits as for the iPhone 6 and 6s, we hope that they’ll expand the range after this initial launch.

In particular, it would be great to see a lens kit offering the very useful CPL (circular polarizing lens) that allows you to reduce or eliminate glare and reflection on water and other reflective surfaces.

You can pre-order these new olloclip iPhone 7 lens kits and ollo Case from the olloclip website. You can expect them to be shipped mid-November.

If you do purchase one or more olloclip products for your new iPhone 7 or 7 Plus, we’d love to hear what you think of them. Feel free to comment or upload your photos shot with olloclip in the comments section below.

The post Olloclip iPhone 7 & 7 Plus Lens Kits Offer New Improved Design appeared first on iPhone Photography School.

Before we explore the different olloclip lens kits, let’s take a quick look at the features which are common to all of these lens systems.

The Olloclip Lens System

All of the olloclip lens kits are robust and well-designed. Each one features olloclip’s ingenious mount (or clip) which supports two offset lenses on opposite sides of the iPhone.

One lens lines up with the iPhone’s front lens, and the other aligns with the rear lens. Switching them round is quick and easy.

The lens kits come in a range of different colors, some of which are shown below.

In addition to the lenses and mount, you’ll also get several different colored plastic pendants which allow you to easily carry your olloclip around.

You simply clip the lens mount onto the pendant, allowing you to wear it around your neck with the supplied lanyard, or even clip it onto your bag.

A small plastic insert is provided with each kit, and this is required when using the lens kits with the iPhone 6, but not the 6s. This is due to the different sizes of the iPhone models.

Due to the way that the olloclip mount clips over the phone, these lens kits can’t be used with third-party iPhone cases. So you either have to use the olloclip without a case on your phone, or purchase one of olloclip’s specially designed cases.

Now you’ll discover the range of olloclip iPhone 6 and 6s lens kits, so that you can find the perfect combination of lenses to suit your iPhone photography needs.

Overview Of Olloclip iPhone 6 Lens Kits

Let’s start with a brief overview of each olloclip lens kit for the iPhone 6 and 6s – so that you know what’s included in each one. After that, you’ll find detailed reviews of each lens kit, together with example photos taken with these lenses.

Macro Pro Lens: The perfect lens kit for capturing extreme close-up macro shots of flowers, insects, textures and other small details. Includes three different Macro lens magnifications: 7x, 14x and 21x. Cost: $69.99

Telephoto + Wide-Angle + Macro 10x Lens: Probably the most useful and versatile lens kit from olloclip. Get closer to your subject with the Telephoto lens, get more into the frame with the Wide-Angle lens, and shoot beautiful close-ups with the Macro lens. Cost: $99.99

Telephoto + Wide-Angle + Macro 10x + CPL Lens: Even more versatile than the lens kit above due to the addition of the CPL lens which reduces glare and reflections, boosts colors, and darkens skies. Perfect for landscape photography and shooting outdoors. Cost: $119.99

Active Lens: Shoot further and wider with this Ultra-Wide and Telephoto lens combo. Great for landscape and travel photography, as well as portraits. Cost: $99.99

4-in-1 Lens: Comprising a Fisheye, Wide-Angle and two Macro lenses, this lens kit can expand your creativity – from extreme close-ups to ultra-wide fisheye shots. A fun lens kit, but don’t expect outright image quality. Cost: $79.99

ollo Case: The perfect partner to any of the olloclip lens kits mentioned above. It protects your phone, looks really smart, feels great, and accommodates all of olloclip’s lens kits. Cost: $29.99

Macro Pro Lens

This is the perfect lens kit for capturing stunning close-up macro shots of flowers, insects, textures and other small details.

Macro lenses open up a whole new world of photography subjects as they allow you to see the intricate details of tiny objects.

They work particularly well for capturing small detail in nature, such as leaves, petals, insects and feathers. But they’re also great for revealing tiny detail in small and textured objects, such as wood grain, rust, sand, coins and fabric.

The olloclip Macro Pro Lens kit offers three different macro magnifications: 7x, 14x and 21x. The higher the number, the higher the magnification.

As with all olloclip lens kits, the mount has a lens on each side. On one side of the mount is the 7x macro lens – which can be extended to 14x by adding the removable 14x lens. On the other side of the mount is the 21x lens.

One of the best design features of this lens kit is the InstaFocus hood. You can use this hood to press up against the surface you’re shooting in order to keep the subject at the near optimal distance from the iPhone while still allowing light to reach the subject.

I say “near” optimal because the depth of field is so shallow with these macro lenses that only perfectly flat subjects will be in perfect focus. However, the hood still gives you a good starting point for three dimensional subjects where a little bit of experimentation with the focal distance is usually required.

Another benefit of the hood is that it’s perfect for preventing small insects from escaping while you photograph them. Please note the InstaFocus hood can only be attached to the 14x and 21x macro lenses.

As with most lenses in this price bracket, you can expect to see a certain amount of blurring around the edges of the image.

Even with a completely flat subject, you can get quite heavy blurring around the corners – especially when using the highest magnification lens.

To minimize the effect that the edge blurring has on your photo, it’s best to avoid placing your subject too close to the corners of the frame.

The blurring becomes more evident at the higher magnifications, so shooting with the lower magnification lenses will give you sharper images.

When working with three-dimensional objects, such as the blueberries shown below, the depth of field is so shallow that only a small part of the subject will be in focus.

Because the depth of field is very shallow with these lenses, you’ll need to hold the iPhone very still once you’ve got the subject in focus. Any small movement of the lens will likely render your subject out of focus.

It can take a lot of patience and fine adjustment of the camera-to-subject distance to get the focus just right. However, if you can achieve sharp focus on your subject, the extremely shallow depth of field can be used for creative effect, and it’s especially useful for drawing attention to the subject of your photo.

Achieving excellent optical quality with the olloclip Macro Pro Lens system can be difficult, especially at the highest magnification. But if you accept its limitations, then what you have here is a wonderfully creative tool to add to your iPhone photography toolkit. In addition, it lets you into the amazing world of the very small that we rarely see up close.

For more information about how the this lens kit performs, check out our full in-depth review of the olloclip Macro Pro Lens.

You can purchase the olloclip Macro Pro Lens kit for $69.99 from the olloclip website.

Telephoto + Wide-Angle + Macro 10x Lens

This is probably the most useful and versatile lens kit that olloclip have to offer. It allows you to get closer to your subject with the Telephoto lens, get more into the frame with the Wide-Angle lens, and shoot extreme close-ups with the Macro lens.

This olloclip lens kit includes a 2x Telephoto lens on one side, and a Wide-Angle lens on the other. As an added bonus, you can unscrew the Wide-Angle lens to reveal a Macro 10x lens.

It’s worth remembering that the iPhone’s built-in lens is fairly wide-angle. While this is great for getting more into the frame, it means that distant subjects can appear very small in your images.

The olloclip 2x Telephoto lens can help with this as it allows you to capture a closer view of your subject without having to walk any closer to it.

Below is a photo of a castle that was shot with the built-in lens of the iPhone. Unfortunately it also includes some of the carpark in the foreground.

Rather than walking closer to your subject, the olloclip Telephoto lens allows you to effectively zoom in on the scene – as you can see in the photo below.

These two photos were shot from exactly the same position, demonstrating that the Telephoto lens allows you to capture a much closer view of the subject without having to move physically closer.

Like most of the olloclip lenses (and other iPhone lenses in this price bracket), you’ll probably get some blurring around the edges of the image, but the central area should be nice and sharp.

The Telephoto lens is also perfect for situations where getting closer to your subject isn’t an option, such as when photographing wildlife or a candid moment with your child where to get any closer might distract them.

Another downside to the built-in lens on the iPhone is that it can make facial features appear distorted. Have you ever noticed that your subject’s nose looks disproportionally large when you take a close-up portrait shot? This is caused by the wide-angle nature of the iPhone lens.

Using a telephoto lens for portrait photography is often a better option as it doesn’t produce the distortion that you get with wide-angle lenses. The result is a more realistic and flattering portrait. A telephoto lens also means you don’t have to hold your iPhone camera so close to your subject’s face.

The left-hand photo below was shot with the iPhone’s built-in lens. Notice how the subject’s face is somewhat distorted and his nose seems enlarged.

The right-hand image was taken with the olloclip 2x Telephoto lens. With this lens you don’t get the distortion, and his facial proportions are more life-like and flattering.

Flipping this lens kit over allows you to use the Wide-Angle lens. This lens lets you fit much more of your subject and the surrounding area into the frame.

A wide-angle lens is perfect for shooting landscapes, group shots, and any situation where you’re restricted from moving further away from your subject – perhaps because you’re in a small room or there’s a busy road behind you.

Keep in mind that wide-angle lenses create distortion in your subjects. So straight lines – such as horizons or the edges of a building – are likely to appear curved.

You can see the effect of this wide-angle distortion in the photo below. Notice how the castle appears to be leaning or curving in towards the center of the photo.

This distortion is to be expected with all wide-angle lenses, so it isn’t a fault with olloclip. However, the softening or blurring around the edges of the image is due to the fact that these are mid-range lenses which don’t produce professional quality results.

Unscrewing the Wide-Angle lens reveals a Macro 10x lens for capturing extreme close-up shots. This lens behaves in the same way as the lenses in the Macro Pro Lens kit.

You’ll need to experiment with the subject-to-lens distance until you achieve the best possible focus on your subject. Remember that macro lenses produce a very shallow depth of field, so only a small part of your subject is likely to be in sharp focus.

If you want a versatile lens kit that allows you to shoot anything from wide-angle to extreme close-ups, this lens kit is a great option.

You can purchase the olloclip Telephoto + Wide-Angle + Macro 10x Lens kit for $99.99.

Telephoto + Wide-Angle + Macro 10x + CPL Lens

This lens kit is the same as the kit shown above, but with an additional CPL (Circular Polarizing Lens).

A circular polarizing lens is basically a filter that reduces glare and reflections. This makes it perfect for photographing water and other reflective surfaces.

For example, if you’re photographing a river, the glare from the sun can create significant reflections that might overpower the photo – as shown in the photo below.

Using a CPL can can remove most, if not all, of the glare from the water’s surface. Below is the same scene photographed using the olloclip CPL.

Reducing or removing the reflections allows you to see more color and detail on the water’s surface. And if the water is clear and shallow you’ll be able to capture the detail of the riverbed.

Below is another example of using the olloclip CPL to reduce the glare on a shiny leaf. Notice how the reflected glare in the image on the left is completely removed by using the Circular Polarizing Lens.

As well as reducing glare and reflections, a CPL also makes the colors in your photo look rich and true to life. When shooting outdoors, you’ll notice that it can also make skies appear darker.

The left-hand photo below was taken with the CPL. The photo on the right shows how the olloclip CPL makes the colors more vibrant and the sky a darker blue.

To use the olloclip CPL, simply point the iPhone at your subject and rotate the CPL’s outer ring until you achieve the result you want.

You’ll get the best results if you shoot perpendicular to the sun, i.e. with the sun at 90 degrees to where you’re pointing the iPhone.

The great thing about the olloclip CPL is that it doesn’t create any blurring or distortion in your image – like some of the other lenses do. This is because it’s really just a filter (which filters out a certain type of light) rather than an optical lens.

The CPL is a really great addition to any lens kit as it allows you to capture a punchy, more color-saturated image with less glare and fewer unwanted reflections.

Combined with the olloclip Telephoto, Wide-Angle and Macro lenses, this is a really great kit for landscape photography. You can shoot wide-angle scenery shots, get closer to distant subjects, and capture extreme close-ups of nature – all with reduced glare and colors that really pop.

The olloclip Telephoto + Wide-Angle + Macro 10x + CPL Lens kit can be purchased for $119.99. The extra $20 that you pay for the Circular Polarizing Lens is definitely worth it, compared to the same kit without the CPL.

Active Lens

If you’re not interested in taking close-up macro shots, the olloclip Active Lens kit might be of interest to you – especially if you enjoy traveling and shooting landscapes.

This lens kit only has two lenses: a 2x Telephoto lens and an Ultra-Wide lens.

The Telephoto lens lets you quickly zoom in on a distant subject. And it’s also great for shooting more flattering portrait photos without any facial distortion.

The Telephoto performs well, however, as you’ve probably guessed, you’ll likely notice some softening at the corners of the frame. It’s therefore advisable to keep your main subject fairly central in the composition.

If you flip the lens around you’ll be able to use the Ultra-Wide lens which lets you capture much more of the scene within the frame.

This is perfect for wide open landscapes as it captures more sky and foreground, allowing you to tell more of a story in a single shot.

Below are three photos of the same subject that were shot from the exact same position. The image on the left was shot with the Ultra-Wide lens, the middle photo was taken with the iPhone’s built-in lens, and the right-hand picture was shot with the 2x Telephoto lens.

This comparison shows what a difference using these two olloclip lenses can have on the final image.

Below you can see larger versions of these photos to give you a better idea of the quality, distortion and edge-blurring that you get with each lens.

First is the Ultra-Wide lens which creates a super-wide view of the scene. But as you’d expect with an extremely wide-angle lens, there’s noticeable distortion/curving, especially on the left-hand side of the castle. A small amount of blurring is visible in the corners.

Next is the photo taken with the built-in iPhone lens. This image is sharp from edge-to-edge, which is what you’d expect from the iPhone’s high quality lens.

And finally, you can see the photo taken with the 2x Telephoto lens which shows how much closer you can get to your subject. While the image is sharp in the center, there is some undesirable blurring around the edges.

For this reason, it’s best to keep your main subject centered, and maybe shoot from a bit further away so that you can crop away the blurred edges in post-processing.

The olloclip Active Lens kit costs $99. This does seem quite expensive compared to some of the other lens kits – considering it only consists of two lenses. However, it’s the only lens kit that contains the Ultra-Wide lens – so if this appeals to you, the Active Lens kit would be the one to go for.

4-in-1 Lens

This is a versatile lens kit which allows you to capture anything from extreme close-ups to ultra-wide fisheye shots.

The 4-in-1 Lens kit appears to come with only two lenses – a Fisheye lens on one side and a Wide-Angle on the other. However, unscrewing either of these lenses reveals a Macro lens beneath.

As you’ve seen with some of the other olloclip lens kits, the Wide-Angle lens allows you to get more of the scene into the frame. However, keep in mind that this lens does suffer from quality issues and you’re likely to see blurring around the edges.

The olloclip Fisheye lens could be considered as rather gimmicky. The Fisheye lens captures way more of the scene than the Wide-Angle lens, resulting in a circular image with a huge amount of distortion. Straight lines will appear extremely curved, and you’ll see a black border surrounding the circular image.

Below are some examples of a scene captured with the iPhone’s built-in lens (left), the olloclip Wide-Angle lens (center), and the olloclip Fisheye lens (right).

The uses for a Fisheye lens are fairly limited, however, it does allow you to produce some very creative images if you like this kind of look.

The two Macro lenses offer 10x and 15x magnification, which let you shoot close-up photos of small subjects and interesting textures.

These work in the same way as the other olloclip Macro lenses already discussed. Just remember that the depth of field is very shallow with these lenses, so you’ll need to carefully adjust the lens-to-subject distance until you achieve good focus on your subject.

Due to the blurring that you get around the edges of the photo with these lenses, aim to keep your subject fairly central to ensure it appears sharp.

The olloclip 4-in-1 Lens kit can be purchased for $79.99. There’s also a version of the 4-in-1 lens kit specifically designed to fit the OtterBox uniVERSE case.

While this lens kit can be used for expanding your creativity, it’s probably only worth purchasing if you think you’ll make use of the Fisheye lens.

If you don’t want to shoot Fisheye photos, but you want a lens kit with a Wide-Angle and Macro lens, a better option would be the Telephoto + Wide-Angle + Macro 10x Lens kit.

Ollo Case

Finally, it’s worthwhile mentioning this excellent case for your iPhone 6/6s or 6/6s Plus. Not only does the ollo Case protect your iPhone, but it has a special cutout designed to accept the olloclip lens kits.

You can’t use the olloclip lenses with other phone cases, so without the ollo Case you’d have to shoot with your iPhone unprotected.

The ollo Case is excellent quality, sturdy, and offers a rubberized edging which makes the iPhone much easier to keep hold of when shooting. You can keep the case on your phone even when you’re not shooting with your olloclip lenses.

The ollo Case costs $29.99 and is available in black, orange or clear.

Olloclip iPhone 6: Conclusion

While olloclip doesn’t offer the most superior professional-grade lenses on the market, their lens kits are extremely popular and they have a great range of different lenses for a wide range of uses.

Whether you want to shoot close-up macro shots or ultra-wide angle landscapes, you’re sure to find a lens kit that suits your needs.

Keep in mind that lenses in this price range tend to suffer from some blurring around the edges, and olloclip are no exception.

With lenses, you tend to get what you pay for. If you’re looking for the highest quality optics, check out the Zeiss Exolens range which offers exceptional image quality for an add-on lens – but expect to pay around double the olloclip prices.

UPDATE: Since the launch of the iPhone 7 and 7 Plus Olloclip have released a dedicated lens kit for these models.

The post Pick The Best Olloclip iPhone 6 & 6s Lenses For You & Your Photography appeared first on iPhone Photography School.