If you want to take your smartphone photography to the next level, it's worth finding the best phone lens.
Phone lenses are becoming a bit of a secret weapon for those who want to create stunning photographs without the need for a professional camera, like one of the best Canon cameras for wildlife photography.
These lenses allow you to do anything from magnifying your subject to creating new compositions with different types of lenses, such as the fish eye.
And you don't need to splash out on the most premium phone either, as many of the best mid-range phones have incredible cameras nowadays too.
So what do you look for in a phone lens? Most of them are similar, but quality can vary of course. Ideally, you'll want something durable that feels like it clips snuggly onto your smartphone to avoid any accidental damage.
Kits that come with a tripod are a big plus and save you having to separately spend money on the best phone tripods. It's always good if you get a travel case thrown in too.
We've picked out a few sets that we think fit the bill, to kick off your search in the best way possible.
Let's take a look at what's out there...
Best phone lens for photography
- Selvim 4-in-1 Lens Kit
- Phorsen 15-in-1 Lens Kit
- MIAO LAB HD 20-40X Zoom Lens
- Criacr 3-in-1 Lens
- Godefa Camera Lens with Tripod
Best all-round phone lens for photography - Selvim 4-in-1 Lens kit
Starting off the list is the Selvim 4-in-1, a lightweight clip-on lens that seems to have everything.
To start off with, this kit comes with 4 different lenses: Telephoto, Macro, wide angle, and fisheye, each of which is specialised for their own niche.
The 22X Telephoto lens is up there with the likes of standalone lenses, and 235-degree capture from the fisheye lens gives you an immense field of view. The macro lens is 25X, giving you great clarity for small objects. And finally, the wide lens is 0.62X, which should really expand your photos.
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This lens is a clip-on, which makes it really easy to apply, and also comes with a tripod and a spacious carry bag, which gives you great stability whilst travelling light.
Best extensive phone lens for photography- Phorsen 15-in-1 Lens Kit
The Phorsen 15-in-1, as the name might suggest, brings you a whole host of gadgets.
Of course, a lens kit of this complexity has a travel case, but surprisingly it isn't too bulky; Phorsen has clearly thought heavily about space concerns.
The kit has 9 lenses, which you can find out more about on the Phorsen 15-in-1 lens kit page. Whilst most of the lenses are pretty standard and have decent magnification, there are a couple of gimmick lenses which give kaleidoscopic effects and can be fun to experiment with.
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The kit comes with a tripod which can be attached to the phone rather than the lens, as is the case with some other tripods, meaning you can get your phone set up for the shot and tweak the lenses independently from the tripod until you get the magnification you need.
One of the major benefits of this kit is the shutter remote, which allows you to take a photo without touching your phone setup, allowing you to avoid interfering with the shot.
Best high-magnification phone lens for photography - MIAO LAB HD 20-40X Zoom Lens
Miao Lab has come into the market with a lens that's specialised for long-range shots that need high magnification.
The Miao Lab HD Zoom Lens has its tripod attached to the lens itself, so your phone doesn't interfere as much with load bearing, allowing you to adjust your angle with just the tripod settings.
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Unlike the other options on the list, the Miao Lab HD Zoom allows you to manually adjust its singular lens between magnifications of 20-40X, giving you great clarity and variability at range.
It comes with a little EVA carry bag, so you can avoid scratching damage. A final bonus is that you can use this lens as a manually focusing telescope, so you'll be able to find some great shots without even having to attach the lens to your phone.
Best lightweight phone lens for photography - Criacr 3-in-1 Lens
Criacr provides a really simple clip-on setup that comes with 3 lenses: 0.6 wide-angle, 15x Macro Lens and 180-degree fisheye lens. These lenses are not particularly powerful, but they're more than reasonable for such an easy setup.
The Criacr 3-in-1 also comes with a modular carry case which is so small it can fit in your hand, but thankfully it has a little strap that you can use to attach it to a safe place.
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Another selling point of the Criacr 3-in-1 is how cheap it is, seemingly without skipping on the build quality.
If you're looking for a convenient lens kit that can be slung in a backpack or clipped to the side of it, the Criacr 3-in-1 seems to be a great choice.
Best mid-range phone lens for photography - Godefa Camera Lens with Tripod
Our last option is the Godefa Camera Lens with Tripod, which closes out the list with a solid mid-range option that has everything you need.
The Godefa kit comes with a phone-mounted tripod and lenses which you can clip on easily. The 6 lenses give you a lot of room to play around with and max out with a magnification of 18X via the telephoto lens, resulting in a lens kit which has both power and variability.
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The lens kit is not particularly expensive and is around $27 depending on where you're purchasing from.
The Godefa Camera Lens with Tripod also comes with a little remote that lets you take pictures from afar, much like the Phorsen kit we described earlier.
If you need a kit that can do most things reasonably well, then this Godefa kit could be a great option.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do smartphone lenses improve picture quality?
Not quite, smartphone lenses can't increase the amount of information that your phone's camera takes in, but they can alter which information they receive.
For example, if you're taking a long-range photo, it can allow you to zoom in so that your phone can retain the same quality as if it were up close, as opposed to the software zoom, which would lower the resolution.
Is a phone camera as good as a DSLR?
Unfortunately not, though phone cameras are getting better and better and the addition of lenses grants them an increased capacity for photography, the truth is that DSLR is in a different league. If you're trying to get professional with your work, then a good DSLR can't be beaten.
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