The problem: You (or your kids) love taking pictures of nature with your iPhone. But it’s nearly impossible to get a decent close-up shot.
The remedy: A macro lens for your smart device.
When I shared a photo that The Big Explorer had taken using his iPad recently on Facebook, I was surprised by how many of you wanted more details about the lens we had used and what we thought of it. Here you go!
What type of lens do you have for your iPhone/iPad?
My husband purchased a 3-in-one clip lens for a mere $15. Our model (LieQi 3-in-one Clip Photo Lens) is one of many that comes with three interchangeable lenses:
- Fish-eye lens (provides 180 degrees of a scene)
- Wide-angle lens (can shoot wider range of scenery)
- Macro lens (can take clear photos of small objects and very close-up photos)
Our lens and others like it do basically the same thing: They attach to an iPhone, iPad, Samsung, HTC, tablet and more, allowing you to take macro (very close up) photos, as well as wide-angle and fish-eye shots.
It’s worth noting that I was given a much more professional grade (and expensive) lens for Christmas in 2012. The problem? It was compatible with only one phone – which has since been upgraded, making the lens virtually obsolete for me.
How does the lens work?
One of the big draws of the lenses for smart phones is that they’re fairly simple to use – even simple enough for my 9 year old. Here’s what you do:
- Select your lens.
- Screw it in place. Our lens screws into a clip that then snaps on to the device.
- Take pictures!
What you’ll like:
- The price! For around $15, kids and beginning nature photographers can capture cool macro and fish-eye shots.
- The versatility. Many 3-in-one photo lenses are compatible with iPhones, iPads, Samsung, HTC and other smart devices. One set of lenses works for everyone in our family.
- Portable & lightweight. Our clip photo lenses fit in the palm of your hand and weigh almost nothing.
- Easy to use. The lenses are fairly easy to attach to your device. Just remember that taking photos with a macro lens requires a very steady hand (or a tripod).
Here are just a few of the photos The Big Explorer has taken recently with our macro lens. Can you guess what’s pictured?
What you might wish was different:
- You must remove any cover on your device to use each lens. And since I always use a protective cover, that’s kind of a pain.
- The wide-angle lens difference isn’t that noticeable. You get a little more room around the edges, but nothing we considered very significant.
Note: We purchased a LieQi Universal Clip Lens for personal use. I received no compensation of any kind to share my honest review with you here.
