Expert’s Rating
Pros
Cons
Our Verdict
Moment ’s removable telephotograph lens system for the iPhone hire brilliant photos and is a great solution for travelers , but can be a pain in the neck to pose up and transfer .
The iPhone name for a pretty secure camera on its own , but adding an additional lens can really assist your photo glow . Moment’s$100Wide Lensand $ 100Tele Lensoffer something a little dissimilar — unlike other iPhone photographic camera lenses that sit on top of your phone , Moment ’s lenses attach to your iPhone ’s lens using a special plate . It ’s a slight , potent piece of metallic element that adhere to the back of your sound like a sticker and allows you to bonk on dissimilar lenses similar to how you might with a DSLR . Perhaps that ’s why Moment had no problem reaching its Kickstarter funding goal for this pair of lens in 2014 .
Left : Moment ’s telephotograph lens . Right : Moment ’s wide - angle lens .
While the lenses really do help you take better photos , its innovative mount root leaves something to be desire .
Setting up
set up the Moment lenses ’ adhesive collection plate does n’t take much time at all . This home - establish installation arrangement pop the question a huge reward for former adopter who always have the a la mode iPhone model — the lenses are interchangeable between equipment , so instead of upgrading to buy new lenses at $ 100 a daddy , you just have to grease one’s palms a raw $ 10 crustal plate matched to your new iPhone . The downside , of line , is that you have to semi - permanently attach the mounting plate to your iPhone . If you adjudicate down the line that you do n’t desire to apply the Lens anymore , you ’ll have to inflame it up using a hair dryer so as to get it off your twist — it wo n’t just peel off . That means you have to be pretty attached to the lenses before you instal the photographic plate .
The adhesive back home base pops a little too much for my liking against my silver iPhone 6 .
I have a silver iPhone 6 , so the bootleg plate really remain firm out — enough that , aesthetically speak , I might be loath to take the air around with my iPhone case - less while it ’s still on there . That said , the alloy is flimsy enough for a case to fit flop over it . If you are a case user , then the collection plate will blend right in .
I try the Moment lenses with Apple ’s Leather Case for the iPhone 6 as well as comparably sized cases by Hex , Reach 79 , Sonix , and Speck . The Speck cases were the only I I had issues with . The cutout in the case for the camera is a bit too deep , and I was unable to get it on on the lenses with the case still on . You ’re likely to have a alike job with other thick cases , so it ’s deserving checking outMoment ’s tilt of compatible cases . Since you probably wo n’t be using the lenses all the meter — they’re more of a “ for particular occasions ” type of appurtenance — you could just take your case off before using them . Still , it ’s something to keep in mind .
The right Moment
The “ special occasions ” thing is fundamental . Neither lens is huge by any definition , but they ’re both bulky enough that you ’re belike not going to want to take them with you everywhere . Both come with a small pouch to keep them protected , but the sac ’s thin material will likely be no catch if throw around in a Good Book traveling bag or pocketbook all day .
Attaching the lenses is n’t exactly a immediate process , either . When you see something you want to snap a shot of , you have to hit into your bag , pull out the pocket , take out the lens , and then delineate the lens upjust rightso that it locks into spot . None of that is particularly hard on its own , but if you ’re trying to take a speedy mathematical group shot or casually capture a snap of a seagull in your path , you might opt to skip it , since the electron lens take so many steps .
The crystalline lens are awe-inspiring , but pretty bulky — especially compared to a naked iPhone 6 . You would n’t want to leave these lens of the eye on all the metre .
The lens system are also large and heavy compared to the thin , light iPhone . You ’re not going to want to walk around town with one of these attached . There ’s no lens of the eye cap , so you ca n’t just switch your iPhone into your pocket or travelling bag and keep go — you’re going to have to take it off and put it back on , or else risk it getting damaged . When you think about all that , it might be well-heeled to just bring along a standalone camera .
Putting the lenses to work
On the bright side , all that redundant work eventually pays off . I take away both crystalline lens with me on a walk tour of San Francisco , and the photo I was capture were outstanding — well beyond what I could have done with my iPhone alone .
capture with Moment ’s telephotograph lens .
The telephotograph crystalline lens allowed me to capture a close-fitting - up photo of Alcatraz from a sour grass where I could barely make it out with my au naturel eye , and it bring me closer to the ocean lions that had locomote far away from the pier to sit in the afternoon sun . When using the telephotograph lens of the eye along with the iPhone ’s build - in zoom , I was able to get airless enough to scan previously unreadable signs and get a good look at mass who were once just small figures in the frame .
Zoomed all the style in , however , small apparent motion like my respiration and more or less agitate manpower were very apparent . for get a clear guess , I had to brace my iPhone on a fence or newspaper stand nearby . A small locomotion tripod could have helped out a passel , and something I would definitely recommend if you ’re trying to labour the lens system and your iPhone ’s limit .
capture with Moment ’s spacious lens .
The blanket slant lens captured the entire crowd get together to learn a Chinese New Year public presentation and made it potential for me to take a picture of the entire Ferry Building while standing across the street . There ’s a turn of vignetting on the box of the images , but nothing that could n’t be easily remove in a photo editor or with a little cropping .
Bottom line
The Moment electron lens made a very obvious betterment in my photos , and I would n’t hesitate to throw them in my purse anytime I was head out for a exchangeable casual afternoon . Likewise , the lens of the eye could be a with child solution for travelers , who want to take gamey - calibre shots but do n’t need to lug a full - sized camera along with them all day .
The stick - on plate , however , means you ask to be committed to using the lenses , something that might be a bit more of a hassle than it ’s worth for daily use .
