The iPhone has a great camera and the fact that it’s undebatable ignites the idea that it can be utilized much more professionally than most smartphone cameras. In fact, iPhone cameras have been in contiguous comparison with DSLRs.
Still, a camera sensor on an iPhone is only capable to produce industry-standard pieces if paired with authentic accessories meant for enhancing the overall quality of an image/video. But, the question is: What are the options when it comes to the best iPhone camera accessories?
Illustrious directors like Steven Soderbergh and Sean Baker have proved with films like “Unsane” and “Tangerine” respectively that those little devices in your pockets are capable of giving birth to stellar movies.
Although, just by observing the quality of the film, it can be easily made out that the piece was not shot on a professional device. Yet, the iPhone can outdo professional film cameras for a split second, if not the entire span of the movie. So, here are some iPhone camera accessories to support that notion.
1. DJI Osmo Mobile 2
The first thing a perfect snap or a video might need is a stabilized frame. Owing to the fact that smartphones, no matter what company, are incapable of capturing extremely stabilized shots, a gimble might help.
Usually, while recording a video on a smartphone, there’s plenty of shaky bits. Even though smartphone manufacturers do their best to reduce instability, they aren’t able to compete with industry grade tools produced specifically to reduce volatility.
DJI’s Osmo Mobile 2 Gimbal, though, is one such product that will produce remarkably stable shots. Just clip the iPhone, or for that matter, any smartphone with a decent camera sensor. This gimbal’s controls are quite impressive. With just a click of the button situated on the handle, the mechanical part rotates to a preset position.
Besides, cinematic panning is also one of the options that DJI packs in, which is quite impressive owing to the fact that the only use of a gimbal was to stabilize stuff- not sport cinematic sequential tricks. The DJI Osmo Mobile 2’s handle is designed in a manner that resembles a helicopter joystick. It feels sturdy and solid; at the exact moment- it’s lightweight.
You can also attach a tripod to the handle. Plus, DJI ups the ante by catering an application specifically designed to take advantage of the gimbal. Identifying a subject and stabilizing the gimbal while focused on the subject, for example, is one of the many impressive features.
Additionally, what’s the use of a gimbal if it can’t capture breathtaking panoramas? Well, the gimbal from DJI does that too! This is also the best iPhone camera accessory you can get right now.
2. Jopree 4-in-1 Camera Lens Kit
iPhone cameras aren’t just sought-after for video recordings, photos too, turn out to be fantastically vibrant. Although, there can be only so much the little lenses glued to the infamous unibody designs can do. For starters, they can’t click wide-angled shots. Macro shots are out of the question, and regular lens zoom grains the shot.
But, it seems technology today has revolutionized things in such a way, there are a million workarounds to a single problem. And the solution to this particular issue of iPhone camera lens’ limitations is a set of custom, detachable camera lenses. There are tons of them available on Amazon, while most of them being low-quality, cheap workarounds. There are some mid-priced kits as well, though. But Jopree is currently one of the best iPhone camera accessories.
The kit houses 4 lenses altogether- a 20X Macro lens, 2.0 X Zoom Telephoto lens, 120 Degree Wide-angle lens, and a 180 Degree Fisheye lens. While this kit is not necessarily intended towards an iPhone, it best fits with the same. You can use this kit even for a Samsung device, or for that matter, any smartphone- if at all it fits the design.
3. Manfrotto Pixi Mini Tripod
Taking shots at creating the best project ever- be it for college or an internship, sure requires stellar lenses and even spectacular sensors enhanced by stabilizing gear. But, sometimes, you need to extend your boundaries by adding maybe one or two time-lapse sequences.
Time-lapse photography is a technique whereby the frequency at which film frames are captured (the frame rate) is much lower than that used to view the sequence. Capturing one demands patience and grit, and the human mind, as well as its coordination with the hand, is far from the perfect condition to capture a unique time-lapse. Well, a tripod could ease things a bit. And the tripod we have in-sight is the Manfrotto Pixi Mini Tripod. Manfrotto has its base in Italy, which is also where all of its products are designed. The company is already prominent in stocking up tripods for DSLRs, so it is safe to say that it would perform just as well with smartphones.
Additionally, you get a smartphone mount capable of housing even the iPhone 8 Plus. Although, there’s not much assurance as to the fact that it couldn’t be used with cases. If you have a smaller iPhone with a case, you’ll have no issues. The Manfrotto Pixi Mini Tripod is available on Amazon for $30 (with the smartphone holder) and for $19.14 (just the stand).
4. Griffin Survivor Extreme
Being a photographer/videographer is difficult. You have to go to extreme lengths just to capture a single shot/video. However, while in haste, there’s a high chance of capturing instruments to deter. Cameras, usually, are very delicate and a single drop could end up them being dysfunctional; most of the times, even rainfall wrecks one thing or two internally.
The same effects can be expected on an iPhone. Sure, it’s water-resistant but it won’t manage to bear extreme conditions. There are indeed phones for extreme conditions, but they don’t have impressive cameras. The Griffin Survivor Extreme comes to the rescue- a case that protects an iPhone in the harshest conditions. It has a 3-meter drop protection onto concrete. Internal foam lining, shatter-resistant polycarbonate frame, and shock absorbing silicone are its highlighted features. And believe it or not, these are the only things that can protect the little masterpiece living in your pockets.
Griffin has also added an anti-scratch screen clamped along the case that stonewalls the original screen. But, a downside is the case doesn’t have a covering for the camera- which is a prominent issue when it comes to photo/video production. Yet, it does protect the phone from drops and harsh weather.
5. Hitcase Pro
The Hitcase Pro is another case constructed to provide durability in raucous conditions one meets when filming a video or capturing a shot. But there’s a reason it’s different from the Griffin Survivor Extreme- it is a case meant for photographers.
You can’t compare it with a GoPro, but it makes an iPhone appear as one. The case has a mount that can be clamped to almost anything compatible with a GoPro. In fact, it also comes with a wide lens. But, like the Griffin Survivor Extreme, the Hitcase Pro does not offer a 3-meter drop protection. But on the bright side, the latter is far more good-looking when compared to the former. Everything on the case works magically- more like magnetically. With an iPhone X, iPhone 8 (Plus), and iPhone 7 camera attachment that magnetically attaches to the case, this case could be highly considered one of the best iPhone camera accessories- as it covers almost every aspect of photography/videography.
6. Manfrotto LED light
Even an entry-level photographer would know that photography is a game of lights. The correct manipulation of light entering the sensor could result in award-winning photos/videos.
But, there are numerous instances when an additional source of light is required to produce a grain-free photo or video. At times as such, the Manfrotto LED light might come in handy. A pocket-sized LED light that looks like a credit card (a little bloated), Manfrotto has surely gained a good grasp of the visual world. It’s not that the flashes on an iPhone wouldn’t help, but they are far from efficient in catering adequate lighting conditions.
A clamper is shipped pre-attached to the light which enables the LED to be placed on tripods, or even certain cameras. Although, it does not support clamping on smartphones. But, there is a flurry of tools out there for an iPhone that enables it to sport a dock- like a case etc.
The box comes with 2 lithium-ion batteries included. And guess what? The Manfrotto LED Light could go hand-in-hand with the Manfrotto Pixi Mini Tripod- which is also described in this list.
7. Anker Powercore 20,100 mAh Portable Charger
A portable charger would be the least involved with photography, but its applicability is way more significant when it boils down to dealing with an iPhone.
An iPhone 8 has 1821 mAh battery which lasts for a day and a half tops if its obtained for regular usage. However, recording a video all day isn’t an instance of the term ‘regular iPhone usage’. Capturing photos and videos utilize almost every mechanism on an iPhone, or for that matter, any smartphone- which implies the battery would wear off soon. You wouldn’t want a dead iPhone while filming your most important frames. And the only way to save your battery is to bring extras. However, since the iPhone does not sport detachable batteries, portable chargers seem to be the only way to keep the roll going.
Anker’s Powercore portable charger is a reputable choice. It has a 20,100 mAh battery capacity which means that you can charge an iPhone 8, 12 times. A staggering 12 times. Not just that, Anker’s battery packs are known to usually last longer and are much less prone to relentless damages.
8. FujiFilm Instax Share SP-3 Smart Phone Printer
Now that you’ve clicked dozens of magnificent photos, you might want to add a little value to them by framing it. Although, framing any photo physically requires one to be printed. And you won’t be able to get a print-out without visiting a shop that might help get you one. But, what if I say you can print an image immediately; that too, in crisp resolution?
You can do that by using the FujiFilm Instax Share SP2 Smart Phone Printer. It connects with your phone using a standalone app. The printer, however, prints images in a resolution of 318 DPI, and shows 256 levels per color. This makes it one of the best portable printers out in the market. Printing process takes around 10 seconds from feeding the image to de facto printing it. And when it comes to charging, a micro-USB port does all the job. This makes it one of the best iPhone camera accessories.
Let us know your picks in the comments below, and we might as well add it to the second part of this post. If you may, you can also check out Pixpa’s take on the best camera accessories for travel photography.
