Sig Innovations Daylight Viewfinder (for iPhone and iPod touch) Review

If you're like me, you probably use your smartphone camera more than a real digital camera. And while smartphone cameras have made big advances in quality, they still have a number of limitations. The lack of viewfinder, for one, can make shooting in bright light a guessing game, as even the brightest LCDs can be foiled by direct sunlight. To remedy this, Sig Innovations created the Daylight Viewfinder ($29.95 direct) for iPhones and iPod touches. The Daylight Viewfinder uses a suction cup eyepiece and a free app to help you shoot better shots in bright light that might otherwise obscure LCDs.

The Daylight Viewfinder is a collapsible, plastic column that attaches to iPhone and iPod touch screens using a suction cup. A ring around the suction cup tightens and secures the Viewfinder on the glass, while a rubber cup extends outward from the opposite end. It's basically a small telescope, with two plastic lenses on either end that magnify the image on your iPhone or iPod touch screen. The plastic construction feels a bit flimsy, though, and I noticed that some debris made its way inside the Viewfinder chamber and caused an annoying speck when peering through the eye hole. I couldn't find any way to take the Viewfinder apart and clean the speck. The suction cup held firmly to screens, but I wouldn't try to pick your iPhone up by the Viewfinder. The Viewfinder also comes with a small cloth carrying pouch.

To use the Viewfinder, you'll need to download the free accompanying app from the Apple App Store. Once you fire it up, you'll get a brief walkthrough on properly attaching the Viewfinder and using the on screen controls. Half of the app has a white guide ring for attaching the Viewfinder, with a small live view feed from the camera in the center. The Viewfinder magnifies the live view feed, while the other half of the screen shows a slightly larger feed and camera controls. You can change from photos to video, change flash settings, use a digital zoom, and activate the shutter. Pressing the Volume Up button on the iPhone will also activate the shutter.

I tested the Viewfinder with an iPhone 5 outdoors and under bright studio lighting, and while it does what it claims, I still have my doubts about its usefulness. Smartphone cameras are great for their convenience—just pull out your phone and snap a quick pic to capture the moment. Attaching the Viewfinder seems like overkill, unless you know you'll be in a scenario that renders the LCD useless, like at a beach or ski mountain. It's a bit unsightly too, but if you do find yourself squinting at your iPhone or iPod screen to get that perfect shot, the Daylight Viewfinder is a decent solution and reasonably priced at $30. 

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Sig Innovations Daylight Viewfinder (for iPhone and iPod touch)

2.5

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MSRP $29.95

Pros

• Easy setup.
• Lets you use your iPhone or iPod touch camera easily in bright light.

Cons

• Flimsy build.
• Unable to clean inner lens.

The Bottom Line

The Sig Innovations Daylight Viewfinder will help you take pictures in bright lighting conditions that would otherwise obscure your iPhone or iPod touch LCD screen.