When it comes to capturing photos from our phones, today’s handsets are truly remarkable devices. Image quality continues to improve, and post-processing software can lead to some really fascinating results.
Gone are the days of having just a few options for images. Now we have portrait, ultra-wide, telephoto, and macro capabilities at out disposal. That is, of course, provided you have a semi-recent device or a flagship with multiple lenses.
For those of you who do not have those extra cameras to work with, or who might want to stretch things even further, consider what is available from the ShiftCam family.
We’ve previously profiled the ShiftCam ProGrip Starter Kit, finding it to be a great bundle for consumers looking to improve their video and photo captures. Not only does it give you a better physical grip on things, it also charges your device and can be outfitted with additional accessories.
The ShiftCam ProLens Series is a line of camera modules that can be outfitted to work with any phone. Comprised of around one half dozen options, these lenses offer up anything from super-close 10x macro shots to long-range telephoto shots, with unique stuff along the way.
We were fortunate enough to check out a handful of the ProLens cameras, fitting them with various phones here in the office. Each of them were a bit different from the next; all of them working well with most of the devices we used.
It may take a bit of time to properly figure out precisely where to place a lens on some phones. And depending on what sort of camera module system you have on your handset, it may be tricky to work with — looking at you, Pixel 6 series. Raised camera arrays take a little finesse at first. Generally speaking, though, we loved the experience for some of the more traditional device layouts.
The lenses are very high quality and work as well as we had hoped. They’re constructed from top-notch materials with glass and aluminum and remind us of what you might add to a DSLR. Moreover, the included universal mount allows for adding in a light or microphone at the top.
1.33x Anamorphic
Looking to capture widescreen content that’s worthy of the big screen? This is the lens for you. In addition to filming at a cinematic 21:9 aspect ratio, it also allows for those interesting lens flares that give your media just a little more character. $120
75mm Long Range Macro
Foodies and those who like to keep a very close eye on things will appreciate this lens as it puts you up close and intimate without having to physically get down and dirty. It’s not just for snapping tight shots of small items; it has a tremendous depth of field for beautiful bokeh effects. It’s great for insects, plants, jewelry, and anything else that deserves close inspection. $110
230º Fisheye
When you want to capture everything in sight, plus some, you’ll want a lens like this in your toolkit. You’ll get a whopping 230-degrees of image that turns otherwise mundane landscape shots into a much more interesting look at nature. An excellent option for those who like to look at the world a little bit different, it’s also great for sports and personal vlogs. $110
