The best universal lenses for Android phones

Most phones these days are capable of taking beautiful photos, and some even feature multiple lenses that let you change the perspective of your shots on the fly. But for those that don't, artificially distorting your photos in post to add a fisheye, wide-angle, or macro look can affect the quality and feel of the image. Luckily, external, universal lenses allow you to achieve these unique perspectives naturally, even if your phone only has one lens.

Best overall

Moment Lenses

Staff pick

While not entirely universal, Moment's high-end lenses can be used with any phone the company makes an accompanying case for, including popular Galaxy and Pixel devices. You can pick up a wide-angle, super fisheye, or telephoto lens for your phone, then simply attach the lens to the case's screw mount and start shooting!

$120 at Amazon

Clip-on lenses

Xenvo Pro Lens Kit

Xenvo takes a simpler approach than Moment, with a clip-on mechanism rather than requiring a specific case for each phone. The Pro Lens Kit includes wide-angle and macro lenses, along with a travel case and even a clip-on LED light that you can attach to the your phone to ensure you're able to film in almost any situation.

$40 at Amazon

Affordable kit

Shuttermoon Camera Lens Kit

Just like Xenvo, Shuttermoon offers a complete kit at an affordable price, offering a telephoto, wide-angle, fisheye, and macro lens, along with a carrying case. The lenses screw into a clamp that latches onto your phone for maximum compatibility, and the clamp is flexible enough to fit onto most phones, even with a case.

$20 at Amazon

Two in one

Aukey Ora Lens

Aukey's Ora clip-on attachment is a two-in-one solution, with a 120-degree wide-angle lens attachment that screws onto a 15x macro lens for quick switching back and forth. You get a lens cap in the box, along with a cleaning cloth and a carrying case with a detachable carabiner for easy portability.

$30 at Amazon

Best value

Camkix Universal 3-in-1

Photography solutions from companies like Moment can get expensive fast. If you're on a tight budget or just looking to improve your phone's camera for as little money as possible, the Camkix kit is worth considering. Like most of the options listed, it uses a clip system, and includes a fisheye, wide-angle, and macro lens.

$11 at Amazon

Why use a photography case?

Moment's lenses are by far the most expensive of this list, reaching over $100 per lens when most alternatives include full multi-lens kits for a fraction of the price. So why shell out the extra cash? For one, Moment uses high-quality glass to ensure the absolute best image quality possible, and while it still isn't quite as convenient as having an extra lens built into your phone, it's the next best thing.

Moreover, though, Moment uses its cases for mounting lenses, rather than a clip-on attachment. While this limits how many devices are actually compatible with the company's products, it ensures quick and accurate alignment every time you need to attach a lens, rather than moving a clamp around to avoid blocking your camera's view. If you're shooting something time sensitive, this quick attachment process could be the difference in getting or missing the shot.

Should I just use a clip-on?

If you're unable or unwilling to buy Moment's lenses and cases, absolutely! Clip-on lens attachments are often much more affordable, and perhaps just as important, they're more widely compatible. Since there's no special case required, you can simply clip one of these lens mounts to just about any phone — you can even use them on your front camera, if you're so inclined!

Most of these camera kits also include carrying cases for easy travel, meaning you can shoot with different perspectives from anywhere, even if your phone only has one built-in lens.



* This article was originally published here

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