The best iPhone camera lens can transform your phone into a DSLR camera. Alright, maybe not a DSLR. But, at the very least, something like a superzoom camera or a macro beast, depending on what you’re after.
For this reason, we’ve gathered some of the best options that are out there in 2019 and we’re going to check them out just now. So, without any further ado, let’s get right into it!
1: Moment Wide-Angle Lens
A wide-angle lens can always help you capture a bit more scenery or fit one more person to the frame. The only issue with external lenses, though, is that they often introduce chromatic aberration which makes the colors look a bit washed out and funny.
Moment, on the other hand, claim that the picture quality is as good as it can get with their lenses. You can take that info with a grain of salt if you want, but do keep in mind that this particular lens is counting more than 3,000 positive reviews on Amazon with an average rating of 4.6/5.
However, despite being so good, the Moment wide-angle lens has two big cons to it:
- It’s vastly more expensive compared to the rest of our options out there
- And it also requires a dedicated Moment case to fit it in
So, not only you’ll have to pay a ton of money to get the lens, but you’ll also have to pay more in order to get the phone case that’s essential. And if you’ve got your own case? Well, no choice but to remove it now.
With all of that being said, before buying the lens, make sure that your phone has a compatible phone case to go with it. Otherwise, that’s just throwing about a hundred bucks down the drain.
At the end of the day, we’re not sure if it’s worth spending so much money and getting a new phone case just to capture wide-angle shots. But, we’re damn sure that if you’re after quality wide-angle shots, then this is one of the best iPhone camera lenses!
2: Xenvo Macro + Wide-Angle Lens
Xenvo is currently the number 1 best seller in external phone lenses. If we were to pick a single option as the best iPhone camera lens, then this would probably be it.
While still being considered a premium kit, Xenvo doesn’t cost nearly half as much as Moment’s lens. Not to mention that you don’t need a dedicated phone case to use it either.
This option still comes with two high-quality lenses:
- A single wide-angle lens
- And a macro one
As mentioned above, wide-angle lenses are just that, wide. Their job is to capture more space and fit it into the photo frame.
Judging from all the positive Amazon reviews, we can safely assume that Xenvo’s wide-angle lens is just as good as Moment’s offerings. No need to take our word for it. Check out some of the reviews for yourself.
As for macro, well, a common misconception is that macro lenses are used for zooming in, which is not the case. If you try to zoom in over the distance with a macro lens, you’ll see nothing but blurriness.
In reality, macro lenses are used for extreme close-up shots. They can be used to capture photos of insects, water drops running on a leaf, the veins of a leaf, and things like that.
So, when everything is said and done, Xenvo offers two high-quality lenses at a rather tempting price point without asking for additional accessories. It’s definitely worth checking it out!
3: Moment Superfish
The Moment Superfish lens aims to deliver 170-degree shots with perfectly flat corners and according to all the reviewers, it does that quite well.
Don’t confuse wide-angle lenses with fisheye ones. At first glance, they may look similar, but they aren’t.
Wide-angle lenses try to take perfectly clear shots without any warpings. Fisheye options, on the other hand, aim for rather warped edges or even a round/circle effect, depending on the lens of your choice.
However, we’re still talking about Moment here. As we previously saw, their lenses do get rather expensive and the Superfish isn’t an exception.
And as if that wasn’t enough, you do still need a dedicated compatible case in order to install it. So, the Moment Superfish may be one of the best iPhone camera lenses out there, but it’s also one of the most expensive ones.
4: Mactrem 9 In 1 Pack
We understand that not everyone is willing to spend nearly a hundred bucks for a single lens. That’s why we decided to add this kit to our collection!
The Mactrem 9 in 1 pack commonly retails at about $30 while offering a ton of lenses in one package. Needless to say that it’s an absolutely great value!
And it may not offer the same quality that other lenses do on the higher end of the spectrum. But, for the price? It’s hard to go wrong.
Now, to be more specific, we’re looking at a package that offers:
- A 20X telephoto lens
- 205-degree fisheye lens
- 25X macro lens
- Wide-angle lens (Screwed together with the macro one)
- Universal clip
- Tripod (Useful when utilizing the telephoto lens)
- Eye cup
- EVA bag
- Manual (Duh)
That being said, you get 4 of the most popular types of lenses for the price of a single Xenvo macro lens. That’s quite the bargain if you ask me.
And by the way, the telephoto lens is the one responsible for optical zooming over large distances. It’s simple and easy to use, but do keep in mind that the colors may look a bit weird and slightly blurry at times.
The Different Lenses and What They Do
You came here looking for the best iPhone camera lens. And to pick the one that’s the best for your needs, you also need to gain a solid understanding of what the different lens types do.
We did give an explanation above as well. But, if you’re new to this, then all that information can surely get a bit overwhelming.
So, to summarize shortly and simply:
- Telephoto: Zooms in over large distances. Not suitable for close-up shots
- Macro: Perfect for close-ups. Not suitable for zooming in the distance
- Wide-angle: Increases the field of view and fits more scenery into a single shot
- Fisheye: Increases the FOV but also adds a warped effect on the corners of the picture
There a few more types that we didn’t encounter in this article like kaleidoscope lenses and similar stuff. However, most people don’t care about these and that’s why we didn’t include them in this list.
That’s all for now. If you’ve got any other recommendations, let us know about them in the comments section down below!