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Best Lenses for iPhone Camera

A good lens for your smartphone or iPhone is so handy – you can take good quality photos wherever you go without having to lug any heavy equipment around.

But which one is the one for you?

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Coming up shortly we’ve got a handful of product reviews for our handpicked Top 5 lenses for iphones that are out on the market today.

And to help you choose which might be the one for you, we also have a buying guide for you which should help shed more light on your options.

In a hurry? This is our winner!

Our rating:
Xenvo Pro Lens Kit for iPhone and Android, Macro and Wide Angle Lens with LED Light and Travel Case Black
19,931 Reviews
Xenvo Pro Lens Kit for iPhone and Android, Macro and Wide Angle Lens with LED Light and Travel Case Black
  • ✔ COMPATIBLE WITH ALL SMARTPHONES, TABLETS, and LAPTOPS including ALL iPhone models, Samsung Galaxy and Note, Google Pixel, Huawei and more. CONTENTS INCLUDE: TruView 0.45x Wide Angle Lens, Clarus 15x Macro Lens, TruGrip Lens Clip, GlowClip Mini Rechargeable LED Light + Charging Cable, Quick-Release Lanyard, DuraCase, EasyClip, Cleaning Cloth and LIFETIME WARRANTY.
  • ✔ TRUVIEW 0.45x WIDE ANGLE LENS - CAPTURE 45% MORE PICTURE WITH EVERY SNAP: Shoot stunning photos of people, pets, travel scenery, landscapes, architecture, selfies and more. NO DARK CORNERS (vignetting) like cheaper lenses. Crafted from aircraft-grade aluminum and premium optical glass for durability and clarity. Multi-element, coated glass lenses minimize ghosting, reflections, lens flare, and other artifacts. Xenvo cell phone lens attachment is ideal for hobbyists and photography pros alike.
  • ✔ CLARUS 15x MACRO LENS - MARVEL YOUR SENSES. MAGNIFY NEARBY SUBJECTS FOR BREATHTAKING, SUPER CLOSE-UP PHOTOS: Capture all the intricacies and details with precision-focus for razor crisp macro photos every time. (For best results, position macro lens approximately 1/2 inch from subject. Not designed for zooming in on distant subjects.) THE TRUGRIP LENS CLIP offers SUPERIOR GRIPPING POWER to fasten your lenses to your cell phone when you're in action mode, framing your next perfect shot.
  • ✔ GLOWCLIP RECHARGEABLE LED FILL LIGHT - The GlowClip LED light clips ANYWHERE on your phone to instantly illuminate your subject and surroundings with warm continuous light. The warm and natural LED light is superior to your smartphone's built in flash—which can be blinding and unnatural—especially in darker settings and venues. FEATURES 3 BRIGHTNESS SETTINGS: Low, Medium and High. Say goodbye to frustrating photo "retakes" and hello to brilliant photos the first time.
  • ✔ QUICK-RELEASE LANYARD AND TRAVEL CASE - TRANSPORT AND PROTECT YOUR LENS KIT: Perfect for taking your Xenvo lenses with you on the fly. The travel case stores and protects all lens kit components snugly and safely while the quick-release lanyard is the perfect way to carry your lenses on your next outing. Just drape the lanyard and lens around your neck. The quick-release lanyard head makes it a cinch to access your Xenvo lenses in a flash so you never miss another photo moment.

Best Lenses for iPhone Camera – Comparison Table

Best Lenses for iPhone Camera – Reviews

Our Pick
Xenvo Pro Lens Kit for iPhone and Android, Macro and Wide Angle Lens with LED Light and Travel Case Black
Our rating:

When we saw just how well this lens kit was selling on Amazon, we simply had to look into it to see what all the fuss was about.

At first we thought it’s popularity was down to it’s super affordable price, but looking into it, this pair of lenses actually has award-winning quality and is compatible with ALL iPhone models. High enough quality that even professional photographers can appreciate.

After well over 3500 customer ratings it’s average comes out at 4 and a half stars out of a possible 5. That’s impressive feedback.

Within the kit you get a TruView 0.45 x Wide Angle Lens, enabling you to capture 45% more image with each shot.

Then you also get a Clarus 15x Macro Lens, enabling you to capture razor crisp imagery on your close ups.

Each of these lenses can be attached to your iPhone via the TruGrip Lens Clip, either individually or together – and the results are spectacular!

But that’s not all – you also get a GlowClip Mini Rechargeable LED Light with Charging Cable, and you can clip it anywhere on your iPhone, to provide up to 3 different levels of brightness. How useful is that – think of all the photos you could take!

We love that the kit comes with a handy quick-release lanyard, so you can carry the lens around your neck and whip out the lens whenever you want.

If you’re concerned about the lenses getting knocked or damaged however, you don’t need to worry, there’s a sturdy durable travel case included too.

Pros
  • Very affordable
  • Flying off the shelves
  • Impressive customer feedback
  • Award winning quality
  • 0.45 X wide angle lens
  • 15x macro lens
  • Attach lenses individually or together
  • Rechargeable led lights
  • Handy quick release lanyard
  • Sturdy durable travel case
Cons
  • Personally we’d be wary about wearing the lenses swinging about on a lanyard, but the inclusion of a travel case makes up for it.
  • If the clip on LED light could be tilted it may make for better lighting in your shots – not a con as such just how we would like it improved.

olloclip 3-in-1 Lens Kit Includes: Fisheye, Super-Wide and Macro 15x Premium Glass Lenses for iPhone 8/8 Plus & iPhone 7/7 Plus with Selfie Bluetooth Remote Shutter
Our rating:

This is a great little lens kit from Olloclip, and at a very reasonable price.

We think the only reason it’s seen so few ratings on the Amazon page is because it’s such a specialized product. It works on just 4 models of iPhone, but it’s really great at what it can do, and well worthy of inclusion in our Top 5 picks.

In the kit, you get 3 lenses. Fisheye, for funky panoramic photos, Super-Wide for a 120-degree view with minimal distortion, doubling the field of view, and Macro 15x for precise detailed close-ups.

It’s USP though has to be that the lenses can be placed on either the rear-facing camera OR the front-facing camera, meaning you can check how you look and take some nifty selfies.

To that end, there’s also a Selfie Bluetooth Remote Shutter, so you don’t have to have your arm out to hold the phone for it.

And that’s where one of the kit’s other additions comes in! It comes with a special stand and is like having a pocket tripod. And better yet, you can wear the stand like a pendant when not in use.

The kit works with some great iPhone apps – and is great for things like time-lapse videos, panoramas, and 360 VR photos!

It’s easy to attach the lenses with the included clip, and there’s no need to go out and buy something extra to get it to perfectly align.

Pros
  • Good value for money
  • Fisheye lens
  • Super-Wide
  • Macro 15x lens
  • Works on both front- and rear- facing cameras
  • Selfie Bluetooth Remote Shutter
  • Wearable Pendant Stand
  • No extra parts needed, such as a special case
Cons
  • Only compatible with with the iPhone 8/8 Plus & iPhone 7/7 Plus

Moment Wide Lens (M-Series & T-Series) - 18mm Attachment Lens for iPhone Pixel Galaxy OnePlus Phones (M-Series)
Our rating:

Moment is THE brand for iPhone lenses, they’re the hot stuff that just about every photography website is talking about right now.

They’re also one of the best selling brands, in the phone lenses category on Amazon, taking up 3 different spots in the Top 20, including this model.

Their Wide 18mm lens is the most advanced lens Moment has ever made, and captures twice more picture than you’d get without it. So good for capturing landscapes!

What makes the lens such good quality is how they’ve used cinema grade glass and optics to their lenses, ensuring minimal chromatic aberration and maximum sharpness.

It’s also a durable little lens, made from aerospace grade metal.

There is a drawback to buying this lens, and that’s that you’ll have to make an extra purchase and buy either the Moment Case OR the Wallet Photo Case, OR the Battery Photo Case to enable you to attach the lens to your phone.

The good news though is that you get a great, durable case, which is a lot more affordable than the lens itself – and how handy is a battery photo case!

Moment is so confident in their product that they offer a lifetime warranty. They also provide great customer service, should you ever need it.

It’s compatible across a wide range of iPhones – please see the Amazon page for a full list of which iPhones and other phones it’s compatible with.

Pros
  • The brand for iphone lenses
  • One of amazon’s best sellers
  • Most advanced moment lens
  • Captures twice as much picture
  • Cinema grade glass and optics
  • Minimal chromatic aberration
  • Maximum sharpness
  • Made from aerospace grade metal
  • Lifetime warranty
  • Great customer service
  • Compatible with a range of iphones
Cons
  • Premium product at a premium price
  • In order to attach this lens you NEED a compatible case from the Moment range, which are available at a reasonable price on Amazon

Moment 58mm Tele Lens - (M-Series and T-Series) Attachment Lens for iPhone, Pixel, and Galaxy Phones (M-Series)
Our rating:

When you buy from Moment, you know you're going to get top quality. Just look at the customer feedback on the Amazon page – after well over 200 ratings, the average customer rating still comes out a whopping 4 and a half stars out of 5.

A telephoto lens like this one really brings your subject into sharper focus. On a single lens phone it’s equivalent to a 58mm lens, so you can make a beautifully hazy background look, while having a crisp sharpness on your subject in the foreground – even if you can’t get close up.

If you have a dual lens on your iPhone you get even more creative options – used on the Tele side of a dual lens phone it’s equivalent to a 115mm lens. Amazing!

As with any Moment phone lens, you will also need to buy a special Moment Case OR Battery Photo Case in order to attach the lens to the phone. These are widely available on Amazon. A good phone case is always a good investment anyway.

What makes Moment lenses such good quality is the optics and materials they use, such as the hand polished glass they use for high end 4K film lenses, and the aerospace grade metal housing.

This like other Moment products comes backed up by a lifetime warranty. And with their super friendly customer service, they are happy to help get you set up.

Pros
  • Excellent brand
  • Great customer rating
  • Equivalent to a 58mm lens
  • Even better performance with a dual lens
  • Amazing quality
  • Backed up by a lifetime warranty
  • Super friendly customer service
Cons
  • Premium product at a premium price
  • In order to attach this lens you NEED a compatible case from the Moment range, which are available at a reasonable price on Amazon

Moment 10x Macro Lens (M-Series & T-Series) - Attachment Lens for iPhone Pixel Galaxy OnePlus Phones (M-Series)
Our rating:

Moment does a great range of high end iPhone camera lenses – and this macro lens does not fall short!

As a macro lens, it captures those all important details on even the smallest of objects at the highest quality. This lens gets you 10 times closer to your subject.

It’s perfect for Etsy sellers who want to showcase their talents in arts and crafts or for detailing something that’s super dainty.

It also features a removable light diffuser to provide you with images without shadows within the optimal 1 inch working distance.

And you get edge to edge clarity, thanks to it’s multi-element glass design.

When you buy anything produced by Moment, you know you're going to get top quality stuff – this lens for example uses the same hand-polished glass used for high-end 4K film lenses, while the metal casing is aerospace grade.

It made Amazon’s Top 20 for this category, and the Amazon customers seem pretty impressed with it, since after well over 100 ratings, the average still comes in a nice 4 and a half stars out of 5.

It’s not a simple clip on lens though – you will have to also buy one of Moment’s special cases in order to fix the lens on properly. These are readily available on Amazon at a reasonable price, and we believe they are worth the money.

This lens, like all Moment products, is backed up by a lifetime warranty. And Moment’s customer service is really good too.

Pros
  • Gets you 10 times closer to your subject
  • Removable light diffuser
  • Edge to edge clarity 4k cinema grade glass
  • Metal casing is aerospace grade
  • 4 and a half stars out of 5 Lifetime warranty
  • Great customer service
Cons
  • Premium product at a premium price
  • In order to attach this lens you NEED a compatible case from the Moment range, which are available at a reasonable price on Amazon

Best Lenses for iPhone Camera – Buyers Guide

There are a number of different things you might want to consider before buying your iphone lens. Let’s walk you through.

Type of lens

Your first decision must be what type of lens you want to go for. There are four main types of lens available for iPhones: wide-angle, telephoto zoom, fisheye, and macro. Each is best suited to different scenarios and different types of photos.

A wide angle lens allows you to fit more into the frame, making them best suited for capturing scenes such as expansive landscapes. If you’re in the market for a wide angle lens, you may be interested in our Number 1, 2, and 3 picks.

A telephoto lens, also known as a long lens, is a type of lens designed for taking photographs of subjects at moderate to far distances. If this is the lens for you, we highly recommend our Number 4 pick, the Moment Tele 58mm Lens for iPhone.

A fisheye lens is designed for shooting very wide angles, usually 180 degrees, and is popular in artistic photography. There’s one of these in our Number 2 pick, the olloclip 3-in-1 Lens Kit.

A macro lens is designed for photographing small subjects at very close distances. They can focus much nearer than normal lenses, allowing you to fill the frame with your subject and capture more detail.

You will find a good macro lens in our two lens kit picks, our Number 1 and Number 2 picks, or if you wanted just a macro lens alone, the one to go for is our Number 5 pick, the Moment – Macro Lens for iPhone.

If you think you’ll be inclined to want to use several different lenses to work on many aspects of your photography you might want to buy a kit of several lenses. To this end we can highly recommend our Number 1 and Number 2 picks.

Method of attachment

Many iPhone lenses can be clipped onto and off your phone as needed. These clip-on lenses tend to work on multiple iPhone models, so even when you upgrade your iPhone your old lens should still fit.

There are drawbacks however. They’re easier to lose for one. And they’re also more likely to get damaged.

But there is an alternative, and that’s to invest in a special phone case that has your required lens fitted in. This is a sturdier, more durable method of attaching a lens to your iPhone, and can result in better image quality, since you get perfect alignment between your iPhone and lens.

The drawback is that these special cases tend to cost a little more than the clip on lenses.

Some clip-on lenses, including a few in our Top 5 picks, require you to have a special case attached in order for you to clip the lens on.

Price

Ever heard the phrase “Buy cheap, buy twice”? That applies here. If you were to purchase a camera lens kit that offers 9-12 lenses for a price of less than $30, you’re not going to get anywhere near as good quality as you would with the higher end models. They won’t be as powerful or effective or give a sufficiently high quality image and won’t last as nearly as long as their high end counterparts.

Real photography enthusiasts need good quality tools for their art. If however you’re reluctant to pay out $100 for just one type of lens, we feel that our Number 1 and Number 2 picks provide the perfect balance between good quality and good value value for money.

Frequently Asked Questions

Are lenses for iPhone cameras worth buying?

“The best camera is the one you have with you.” It gets said a lot, and we feel it’s true. Unless you’re a professional photographer, you’re unlikely to be lugging a bulky DSLR with you. But if you get the right lenses for your iPhone you can get spectacular professional-photographer quality images right through the smartphone in your hand. Alone your iPhone camera has certain limitations, but adding a lens or lenses can take your smartphone photography to a whole new level.

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