What’s the best camera, you may ask? Why, it’s the one you have on you. For many people, smartphones are exactly that. In fact, we often treat our smart devices as cameras first, phones second. And why not? Thanks to the rapid advancement of mobile camera technology, smartphones have greatly outpaced and subsequently replaced many entry-level point-and-shoot cameras. Although higher end ones are having a bit of a comeback, smartphones are just oh so convenient. But what if you want to take your smartphone photography to the next level? Enter mobile add-on lenses.
What Is a Mobile Add-On Lens?
Just as a photographer would put a lens on camera, so can you on a smartphone! The type of lenses that are popular with mobile phones are similar to the type of lenses used with conventional cameras. You can add a wide-angle lens to expand your field of view; telephoto lenses let you zoom in on distant subjects; a macro lens will get you up close; fisheye lenses add a dramatic spherical viewpoint; or you can throw on an anamorphic lens for a wider aspect ratio and cinematic look. Many of these lens types can be further enhanced with a range of filters.
We all know that with conventional camera lenses, you attach the lens onto the camera’s lens mount, but how does it work with a phone? Well, you have two main options to consider: clip-on lenses and what we’ll refer to as “case-and-lens” or “complete” systems. The clip-on style is primarily for casual use to augment personal photos and videos. The lenses screw into the clip and the clip literally squeezes over your phone’s lens. The plus is a lower cost, but the downside is that they can be finicky to keep in place.
For the case-and-lens option, you have to purchase a specific case for your phone. This case will have a built-in connector with a proprietary mount that only works with that brand’s lenses. Yes, this locks you into a brand and a case is an added cost, but the benefit is a unified ecosystem, a larger selection of products and phone compatibility, and usually, better quality materials.
Casual Clip-On Fun
Clip-on lenses can be purchased individually, but the real value is getting a complete set. You get a bunch of creative options and usually a handy carrying case to store them in. Plus, the clip attachment makes for easy mounting and dismounting. Our picks for this style come from Apexel.
Their 5-in-1 Camera Lens Kit provides five lenses: 110-degree wide-angle, 170-degree super wide-angle, 195-degree fisheye, and a 2x telephoto. An upgrade from that is Apexel’s 10-in-1 Smartphone Lens Kit. This expands the capability of their clip with both lenses and filters. You get 0.63x wide-angle, 2x telephoto, 15x macro, and 198-degree fisheye lenses, as well as CPL, dual kaleidoscope, star and flow, and radial filters. And yes, both options include that handy travel case I mentioned.
The Complete Mobile Ecosystem
When looking to invest in a complete system for your mobile content creation, we definitely recommend looking into each brand’s offerings, because as we said, you can’t switch between them. We will highlight some of the most popular brands in this space, which are SmallRig and Moment.
They have a wide variety of cases that cover Apple iPhone and select Google Pixel models, and their lenses are made from premium materials, such as metal and cinema-grade glass. Attachment is also super secure with their QuickLock technology, which has the added benefit of letting you connect each add-on lens securely over your phone lens of choice.
Their lens options run the gamut of desirable types, such as wide-angle, telephoto, macro, fisheye, and anamorphic. The lenses for Moment come in two mounting styles: T-Series for newer phone models, and M-Series for older ones. The lenses for Moment come in two mounting styles: T-Series for newer phone models, and M-Series for older ones. What’s great with Moment is their drop-in mounts that let you use one or the other, so you’re not stuck with incompatible lenses when you get a new phone.
If you’re an iPhone user and want additional options, we would suggest taking a look at ShiftCam’s LensUltra/S.Mount series of lenses and cases, as well as the O-Lock system of lenses and cases from Ulanzi.
Into the Extremes
It’s important to remember that this category can be just as versatile as the smartphones they work with. Some add-on lenses have very unique and special functions that can be a great addition to your mobile content kit. For two examples of this, we go back to the Apexel brand. They make a 20-40x Telephoto Zoom Lens with tripod mount for super-long distances, and a 200x LED Microscope Lens to capture what’s invisible to the naked eye.
Other Fun and Practical Gear
Easily the most irreplaceable filters in photography are the circular polarizing filter. Also called “CPLs,” these filters control reflections in our images, resulting in livelier, vibrant colors. Simply rotate the front of the filter to adjust the level polarization. This cannot be replicated or corrected after the fact, so a filter is necessary for this effect.
Luckily, both SmallRig and Moment offer filter mounts for their complete case systems. The Moment 67mm Phone Filter Mount and the SmallRigs FilMov Attachable Filter Adapter allow users to make use of the brands attachable 67mm CPL filters. The adapter also allows the use of VND or variable neutral density filters, which provide greater control of exposure in challenging light for both stills and video.
Whether you’re a casual shooter or mobile pro, we hope this guide has given you the information to expand the abilities of the already impressive technology that’s packed inside your smartphone. To browse the products mentioned here or find even more, you can head over to the Mobile Add-On Lenses & Filters section of our website, or, you can visit our B&H SuperStore in person. To learn more about photography, videography, and all things related, check out our other guides, articles, and reviews on the B&H Explora site.
