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The Best iPhone Camera Lenses of 2019

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When people ask me what the best camera is, my answer is inevitably: “The one that’s in your pocket.” 

That used to mean whatever point-and-shoot camera you had in your bag was better than lugging around a “perfect” DSLR camera. But with the rise of high-quality camera phones, that phrase has become quite literal. Why carry around a point-and-shoot camera when your phone can capture the moment and share it instantly?

But in a bit of irony, people now want to carry around extra gear for those cameras of convenience so that they perform more like the bulky DSLR that you’re always leaving at home. While it’s impossible to improve on the base quality of an iPhone’s camera, you can invest in clip-on lenses to add additional optical zoom distance or improve its macro performance. 

So if you’re no longer satisfied with “good enough” and want to upgrade your iPhone photography, here are the best add-on lenses to get you started:

Moment - Tele 58mm

Everyone loves the Moment lens, and it’s easy to see why. Not only can it capture incredible optically zoomed images at more than 2x the iPhone’s standard zoom, its matte finish makes it look more like a DSLR accessory than an iPhone clip-on. The only drawback to the Moment lenses is the price. At $120, the lens also requires a Moment case for proper attachment. It’s a shame that they don’t sell a lens/case bundle for their more popular items. 

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Moment - Anamorphic Lens 

If you need a little bit of lens flare in your images and videos, then you need a good anamorphic lens, and this one, also from Moment, delivers. Made for shooting horizontal images, this lens, when paired with Moment’s own Pro Camera app, will keep images and videos from looking squeezed. As with the Tele 58mm, you’ll need an official Moment case to use the lens.

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Hitcase TrueLUX SuperWide Fisheye

Hitcase makes beautiful full-leather and ruggedized cases for the iPhone. It also has a handy stainless steel ring around the camera aperture that accommodates its line of magnetic lenses. The TrueLUX SuperWide Fisheye lets you capture 148-degrees with no darkening at the corners. At less than half the cost of the Moment lenses, Hitcase is a great option. And it’s completely waterproof—so you can take your fisheye underwater to capture some actual fish eyes.

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Hitcase TrueLUX Macro

And what if you don’t want to capture more with your iPhone, but less? This macro lens from Hitcase lets you snap images of super-close, super-tiny objects. With 3x magnification, it gives you an effective lens length of 12-22mm. (For those who don’t speak advanced camera, that just means you can get super-close to an object without distorting or blurring the image.) As with the Fisheye, the TrueLUX Macro is also waterproof and requires a Hitcase case for proper attachment. 

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Olloclip 3-in-1 Lens Kit

If you’d rather avoid having to buy a case just so that you can attach lenses to your iPhone, then Olloclip has your solution. This particular model—with a fisheye, SuperWide, and macro lens in the kit—fits on iPhone models 7 and 8 without the need for an extra case. Just fit the lens you want to the clip, slide it on (it works for both the front and rear cameras) and start taking photos. There’s even a shutter remote included in the kit so that you can take pictures without having to hold on to your iPhone. Olloclip makes compatible kits for newer iPhones as well.

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