NEW SMARTPHONE ACCESSORIES LET YOU TAKE YOUR BEST SHOT.
From Loews Magazine, Spring/Summer 2015
By Linda Domingo
Once upon a time, you couldn’t take a picture with your cellphone. And when photo-taking technology was introduced to the mobile phone arena, users were wowed by a staggering 0.35-megapixel camera. It’s difficult to imagine, in a time where Instagram is used as a verb and “selfie” was recently deemed a word by Merriam-Webster.
Now, smartphone cameras can snap pictures worthy of albums, frames and even magazine covers (Time magazine notably used an iPhone photo for a November 2012 issue on Hurricane Sandy). The advances are making photography more accessible than ever, with add-ons that take cellphones to the next level of image recording. From high-tech lenses that can make any amateur feel like a pro to external lighting devices that are slim enough to fit in your back pocket, Loews Magazine rounded up some of the top accessories that are changing the game when it comes to phone photography.
The Instant Lab Universal from The Impossible Project allows all iOS and most Android users to turn digital images into analog instant photos by simply placing their phones atop the device, $169, at the-impossible-project.com.
Take perfectly lit photos with the Nova Bluetooth iPhone flash, a slim card that fits in your wallet and works with a complementary app to control it, $59, at novaphotos.com.
Joby’s GripTight GorillaPod for smartphones has an adjustable grip for all best-selling phone models and leg joints that bend and rotate 360 degrees, allowing users to mount their phones just about anywhere, $29.95, at joby.com.
The new 4-in-1 lens from Olloclip works on both front and rear-facing cameras, and includes fisheye, wide-angle, 10x macro and 15x macro lens options. Versions for both the iPhone and Samsung Galaxy are now available, $79.99, at olloclip.com.
Your phone and all its accessories will fit snugly into the fashionable Clarendon organizer by Ona, handcrafted from Italian leather with slim pockets, strong elastic bands and a zip closure, $169, at onabags.com.
Polaroid’s new iZone is a Wi-Fi connected camera that comes with an 8x optical zoom and 18-megapixel resolution; it pairs with iOS and Android phones and fits in the palm of your hand, $179.99, at polaroid.com.
Take selfies, group photos and videos from as far as 30 feet away with the sleek Muku Shuttr, a remote control that works with iPhones, iPads, and Android and Samsung Galaxy phones, $39.99, at mukulabs.com.