The iPhone Lens Dial is Photojojo’s latest photographic add-on for the iPhone 4/4S from Apple. Constructed out of aircraft-grade aluminum, the sturdy case wraps around the iPhone very tightly, giving it a one-unit feel. After sliding the iPhone into the two pieces of the unit, you seal it by twisting the aluminum screw built into the iPhone Lens Dial structure. The iPhone Lens Dial has a really good weight, coming in at 10 oz. This gives the assembled phone/lens dial a “real camera” weight and helps to alleviate shaky hands.
The iPhone Lens Dial comes with three lenses: Macro, Fish-Eye, and Wide angle. Switching between the three lenses is very simple, as they are built onto a rotating dial (hence the name). Just rotate the dial for the next available lens. The dial stays put with a spring and screw assembly, which does a good job of keeping the dial in place. However, once we did run into the problem where the screw was being loosened as we turned the lens dial through its various lenses. Before we knew it, the assemble fell off the front of the unit and onto the desk. A testament to its construction, the iPhone Lens Dial was not damaged. So, just make sure that all your screws are tightened in order for reliable usage.
The various lenses all have their own pros and cons, with the 1.5x Macro lens being excellent at moving the point-of-view closer to the subject and the 0.7x Wide-angle lens being excellent for bringing in more of the scene to your videos and images. For a super-surreal effect, you can switch to the 0.33x Fish-eye lens. Additionally, the iPhone Lens Dial come with two tripod mounts – one on the horizontal and one on the vertical sides of the unit. This allows for greater customization in how your set your iPhone Lens Dial up. If you take a look at some of the images below this review, you will see the various lenses in action.
Overall, we highly recommend the Photojojo iPhone Lens Dial for the added value it will bring to your iPhone 4/4S photography or amateur filmmaking. It has become a must-bring item in my journalist’s “jump bag” and I can’t stop talking about its sturdy construction.
The iPhone Lens Dial retails for $249 over at Photojojo’s official website.
