I’m always skeptical when it comes to accessories for iOS devices that add things whether it is a microphone, an extra lens for the camera, cases that add wallets, etc… The whole point of the iPhone for me was to have less. I got rid of my camera, video camera, handheld video games, and when my bank signs on to Apple Pay, I’ll lose the wallet. So when I got an Olloclip for Christmas I was worried about how much I would use it and if it was worth carrying these extra lenses with me.
Granted, I’m only a few days in, but so far the photos are worth it and it’s not a huge pain to carry. It’s not something I would carry every day as the camera on the iPhone is fine for everyday shots, but when you know you’ll have the chance to snap some great shots it’s well worth carrying the Olloclip. Like it’s original lens kit for iPhone 4/4S the 4-in-1 for iPhone 6 includes a fisheye lens, wide angle, and underneath both lenses it has a Macro 10x and 15x. These are great for capturing shots I never even thought of.
The fisheye allows you to capture more of your surroundings and of course gives that beautiful effect. Wide angle doesn’t affect the actual photo but still captures more of what’s around you. I really like using the wide angle lens to take panoramic shots…it creates a huge photo great for landscapes. Then the macro lens captures detail I didn’t know was possible with the iPhone. For instance, I took a picture of the ice during our recent thaw and you can see the air bubbles and other imperfections which made for a beautiful photo. Even a simple shot of the Lego I got for Christmas came to life.
Ok, enough of my ranting how amazing it is. What’s not amazing about it? Well not much but some small things for sure. The pluses I will note heavily outweigh the negatives, in my opinion. For instance, this version for iPhone 6 works on both rear and front facing camera. Which leads me into the negative. In doing that it covers the light sensor, so if you have your phone set to auto brightness it will automatically think it’s night and turn your screen down. It also makes hitting the effects within the camera app, such as HDR and timer, difficult to hit. You also can’t use a case with these attachments in use. I would imagine that for those using a LifeProof or Otterbox case this would cause quite a bit of hassle.
Overall a great accessory for those who love their iPhone’s camera but want to make it even better.