3 weeks ago
When I started retired arsenic a writer, I didn't recognize really overmuch of my profession would revolve astir photography and videography, and since mounting retired arsenic a freelance contented creator, uncovering ways to get much retired of nan hardware I already person to manus has go much important than ever.
This is each to opportunity that erstwhile nan opportunity to trial retired a action of ShiftCam's wares arose, I jumped astatine nan chance; successful nan hopes that they would thief elevate nan value of output from my smartphone to nan constituent wherever I nary longer pined for 1 of nan best vlogging cameras.
ShiftCam is simply a marque calved from a tally of crowdfunding successes. Starting retired successful 2017, pinch an iPhone lawsuit boasting an interchangeable lens system, to astir precocious releasing a complete ecosystem of magnetically interchangeable creator-focused mobile accessories, arsenic portion of its SnapSeries.
Whether you're looking to elevate nan look of your latest TikTok creation regular aliases sprout feature-length films pinch a professional-looking optical finish, ShiftCam has intelligibly worked to build a merchandise portfolio that caters to existent users' needs.
I tested a scope of offerings from ShiftCam's backmost catalog, including nan ProGrip, paired pinch their iPhone 15 Pro case, positive 3 entries from nan top-tier LensUltra line: a 1.55x anamorphic, 75mm Long Range Macro and 60mm telephoto glass.
I've included acquisition links for nan champion prices of nan various Shiftcam accessories mentioned passim this hands-on.
ShiftCam ProGrip
ShiftCam has launched a mates of much svelte and lightweight options since nan ProGrip, but if you're aft much power erstwhile handling your phone, there's nary disputing nan reassurance nan ProGrip offers.
It adds an fantabulous ergonomic grip – styled aft that of a classical DSLR grip, accompanied by a removable padded strap which wraps astir nan backmost of your hand, collectively making semipermanent shooting overmuch much comfortable and secure.
It's unquestionably chunkier than nan brand's newer SnapGrip and SnapGrip Pro, which some link to to your telephone via MagSafe. The trade-off of opting alternatively for beingness broadside grips, however, is support for a overmuch wider scope of devices – not conscionable MagSafe-toting iPhones aliases Qi2-compatible devices (that's still only nan HMD Skyline astatine nan clip of writing) – while besides offering added instrumentality protection, should you wish to group nan ProGrip down pinch your telephone still attached.
In spite of nan coagulated shape of this grip, it still lets you rotate nan telephone done 90-degrees, meaning scenery aliases image shooting without having to set your manus position is connected nan table.
The grip itself besides packs successful a fewer typical features. It's threaded connected some nan apical and bottom, truthful you tin easy connect it to a tripod, while besides being capable to append standardized accessories for illustration roar mounts aliases LED ray panels connected top.
The grip's creation besides allows it to double arsenic a telephone stand, keeping nan telephone sounded astatine astir a 30-degree angle, which is perfect for desktop usage and adds a astonishing magnitude of worth to nan acquisition offered by nan ProGrip.
Along nan beforehand of nan grip, you'll besides announcement a tally of LEDs, utilized to convey Bluetooth and charging information, arsenic nan ProGrip tin besides complaint your telephone wirelessly complete an integrated Qi-standard charger; perfect for agelong sprout days aliases conscionable arsenic a backup powerfulness slope successful your bag.
In testing, I was capable to refill my iPhone 15 Pro from level to 80% utilizing nan telephone ProGrip's inbuilt wireless charging, but mileage will alteration depending connected your device. The only point I would opportunity is that power dissipation isn't great; nan full point gets lukewarm capable that I'd deliberation doubly earlier utilizing it to recharge connected a peculiarly basking day.
As for its Bluetooth functionality, pairing is arsenic painless arsenic you'd dream and serves a singular purpose: to alteration usage of nan ProGrip's integrated shutter button. The implementation – which is conscionable arsenic overmuch a limitation of iOS arsenic thing other – intends there's nary dual-detent functionality to speak of (no half-press to attraction aliases immoderate specified support for illustration you get pinch nan Camera Control fastener successful nan iPhone 16). The fastener is nevertheless good positioned connected nan grip and doesn't require excessively overmuch unit to occurrence off. It conscionable completes nan consciousness of having a modular camera grip in-hand, and is acold easier than tapping your phone's measurement cardinal aliases an on-screen shutter.
The main situation that nan ProGrip really poses is bulk. ShiftCam supplies nan ProGrip pinch a sturdy transportation case, but its proportions are importantly larger than your smartphone's outright; moreover if nan pairing still collectively autumn short of nan size and weight of today's best mirrorless cameras.
ShiftCam iPhone 15 Pro Camera Case
Having been responsible for contented for illustration our roundup of nan best iPhone 15 cases successful nan past, I tin spot a bully lawsuit erstwhile I spot one, and ShiftCam has by nary intends skimped pinch its existent offerings.
It's worthy noting that I started testing each this kit retired earlier I had my hands connected nan iPhone 16, however, nan institution has subsequently released a caller tally of cases for Apple's latest (at nan clip of writing) phones, which see support for nan caller Camera Control hardware, recycled cloth backs, and faster lens mounting pinch each nan existent LensUltra glass.
Back to nan iPhone 15 cases, their rounded forms don't adhd arsenic overmuch bulk arsenic you mightiness expect, while still emotion awesome successful nan manus and suitably protective. They're MagSafe-compatible too, meaning interoperability pinch ShiftCam's SnapSeries wares. They're fabric-lined to support nan solid backmost of your iPhone scratch-free and vegan leather-backed, for immoderate invited further grip and style.
Aluminum serves some nan buttons – which connection a assured 'clicky' consciousness – and nan lens mounting plate, which sits crossed nan phone's cameras. Only nan main and telephoto sensors get mounting options though; apt because you tin prime up ultra-wide lenses arsenic portion of ShiftCam's LensUltra line, and past use from nan phone's superior main sensor while still capturing a wider section of view.
ShiftCam LensUltra range
The trio of lenses I had nan chance to trial are conscionable portion of a postulation of 7 that dress up ShiftCam's existent LensUltra range. They tin each besides beryllium paired pinch various tailor-made CPL and VND filters, to augment nan shooting acquisition further.
The 1.55x Anamorphic was nan astir breathtaking to try, simply for nan sheer novelty of being capable to seizure ultra-widescreen footage utilizing nan afloat video facet ratio harvest of nan iPhone's sensor, whilst besides gaining that iconic lens flare wrong my footage.
ShiftCam has managed to fresh a quadrate peg successful a information hole, almost liiterally, by allowing nan lens assemblage to rotate 360-degrees freely atop a abstracted plate, which itself screws into nan case's mounting point. This allows you to align nan lens truthful that it's parallel pinch nan horizon, and it's stiff capable that it won't twist retired of spot if your telephone is being swung around.
One point to statement pinch nan anamorphic lens is that arsenic it operates connected a fixed axis, truthful your telephone needs to beryllium super-stable, different your footage suffers from unusual warping, arsenic I noticed erstwhile shooting handheld. Either equine your telephone to a tripod aliases a gimbal for nan champion results.
See conscionable really overmuch much of nan segment is captured erstwhile utilizing nan 1.55x Anamorphic, compared to nan iPhone's autochthonal 16:9 video seizure below:
What's more, there's nan editing workflow to consider. If this is your first clip utilizing an anamorphic lens, beryllium fresh to study really to 'de-squeeze' video footage from 16:9 retired to nan lens' autochthonal 2.76:1 (the aforesaid ultra-wide facet ratio arsenic Ultra Panavision 70 connected 70mm, for nan movie nerds retired there). It's a bumpy learning curve but 1 that rewards you pinch dramatic, chopped looking footage astatine nan different end.
Although nan iPhone already has a autochthonal macro mode, it can't compete pinch nan clarity and taxable separation that nan 75mm long-range macro was capable to muster. Not only does it let you to usage nan iPhone's superior main sensor, successful spot of its ultra-wide, but you tin seizure subjects from overmuch further away.
As good arsenic having much megapixels to play pinch by opting for ShiftCam's lens successful spot of nan iPhone's autochthonal ultra-wide-based macro solution, nan 75mm long-range macro doesn't suffer from immoderate of nan in-built offering's distortion aliases chromatic aberration successful its results either.
Above, nan first changeable show's nan iPhone's autochthonal macro mode astatine its closest shooting region to nan subject. The 2nd changeable shows what ShiftCam's 75mm lens is tin of astatine its closest shooting region (bearing successful mind you person astatine slightest doubly arsenic galore megapixels to push successful on, compared to nan autochthonal 12MP macro mode). Lastly, you're looking astatine nan aforesaid shooting region arsenic was captured pinch nan 75mm LensUltra glass, but pinch said lens removed, shooting, erstwhile again, pinch nan iPhone's autochthonal macro mode.
Another sizable portion of glass, ShiftCam's 60mm telephoto is arguably nan astir versatile lens I tested; proving awesome for still and video seizure crossed a assortment of scenes, including contented creation.
Not only does nan 35mm focal magnitude (working pinch nan iPhone's autochthonal 24mm main sensor to adhd up to 59mm) assistance you a 2x magnification connected nan main sensor, but it besides serves nan phone's inbuilt 2x optical sensor harvest zoom (equating to 4x zoom connected that main sensor). What's more, pinch ShiftCam's lawsuit you tin besides augment that telephoto sensor too, which natively tops retired astatine 5x magnification connected nan iPhone 15 Pro Max and some Pro iPhone 16 models.
Aside from nan evident added bulk, location really aren't immoderate different trade-offs to see pinch nan LensUltra range, and successful return you get wonderfully clear imagery, creator lens flare, exceptional clarity from that coated fluorite solid and beautiful durable build quality, acknowledgment to nan lens' milled aluminum construction.
I was presented pinch an unmistakable learning curve erstwhile getting to grips pinch ShiftCam's type wares here, but there's nary denying that they collectively helped maine elevate nan benignant of contented I was capable to propulsion from my humble iPhone. They allowed for greater value and versatility, without nan request for a myriad of different full-sized camera bodies and accompanying lenses, and I'm now near wonderment wherever ShiftCam plans to return things next.
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