Essential Accessories for iPhoneographers – A Top 5 List
Phones have become our go-to cameras and editing platforms for everything from snapshots of the kids to full commercial production, and there’s no shortage of gadgets and gimmicks on the market. Here are five essential mobile photography accessories to make your shooting more fun and successful.
#5 | Rickshaw Phone Case
Rickshaw’s Phone Case secures to your messenger bag or backpack strap and gives you quick and easy access to your phone camera. All of their products are hand made in San Francisco and come with a “no reasonable request denied” warranty.
HIGHLIGHTS
- Compatible with iPhone 5/5s/5c
- Hand made in San Francisco
$25 | rickshawbags.com
#4 | Moment Lenses
If you’re looking for the highest quality accessory lenses for your iPhone, Moment lenses are your answer. Available in Wide and Telephoto, Moment Lenses are constructed of five elements of hand polished cinema quality glass, producing clear, distortion free images from your mobile device.
HIGHLIGHTS
- Best optical quality available in accessory lenses
- Compatible with iPhone 4/4s, 5/5c/5s, 6/6 Plus, iPad Air/Mini, Galaxy S4 and S5, Galaxy Note 3, Nexus 5
- Compatible with some cases, including the basic Apple silicone case
$99.99 | momentlens.co
#3 | Mophie Powerstation PRO
Whether you rely on your phone as your main camera or not, running out of power sucks. Shooting a lot of photos and videos drains your phone battery very quickly. Invest in an external power unit (and remember to bring it with you!), and you’ll never again have to worry about running out of juice or leashing yourself to a wall outlet while your phone recharges. I rely on a Mophie Powerstation PRO external battery whenever I know I’m going to be shooting for long periods of time, like at concerts, trade shows, snowboarding.
PRO TIP: Don’t forget your charging cable in the car!
HIGHLIGHTS
- 6000mAh battery capacity
- Rugged protection for power users
#2 | Olloclip 4-in-1 Lens
With four distinct lenses, The Olloclip 4-in-1 Lens is one of the most fun mobile photography accessories available! I’m already like the soccer kid who’s more interested in dandelions and butterflies during the game, and the macro lenses cause me to stop and crawl around on the ground looking for tiny scenes to capture during my mountain bike rides. A longtime favorite of skateboard photographers, the fisheye lens produces unique images, and comes in very handy for me at concerts. This is another accessory that I don’t leave home without.
Olloclip also makes a Quick-Flip Case for iPhone 5/5s, which adds some protection to your phone, and allows you to quickly slide your 4-in-1 lens on and off. While not yet available, we understand that a Quick-Flip case is being designed for iPhone 6. Stay tuned!
HIGHLIGHTS
- Versions avaiable for iPhone 6/6 Plus/5/5s, Samsung Galaxy S5/S4
- 10x Macro, 15x Macro, Wide Angle, Fisheye Lenses
$79.99 | olloclip.com
#1 | Joby GripTight Gorillapod Stand
If you’re even remotely interested in capturing video, slow-shutter images, or time-lapse, a tripod is a must, and the Gorillapod is one of the most versatile options available. I frequently use the Gorillapod on the trail and at concerts. It’s small and lightweight, goes with me everywhere, and gets my vote for #1 essential accessory for anyone who shoots photos with their phone.
HIGHLIGHTS
- Clamp it around damn near anything! Or stand it on the table as you would a standard tripod
- Compatible with iPhone 4/4s/5/5s/5c/6, Samsung Galaxy S4 (GripTight XL fits iPhone 6 Plus)