One of my favorite little gadgets is the Olloclip 3-in-One Photo Lens for my iPhone 4. The tiny device slips right onto the corner of any iPhone 4 or 4s, and offers a fisheye, macro or wide-angle lens that transforms my iPhone's workaday optics into a versatile, pro-image-capturing wonder. However, I had two major problems with it: 1) It can't fit over an iPhone case and 2) the original clip does not fit snugly on a the slimmer iPhone 5 I'd been testing.
Olloclip has now solved all these problems in splendid fashion. First of all, there’s the new Olloclip lens for iPhone 5 ($69.99). It works exactly like my original Olloclip 3-in-One. Secondly, Olloclip now makes the Olloclip Quick-Flip Case for iPhone 5 (and 4 and 4s).
These cases are unlike any other you've ever seen for an iPhone. They feature a flip-open corner that lets you slide the Olloclip lens onto the naked iPhone body while still protecting the rest of the phone. That flip portion, by the way, serves a dual purpose. Not only does it smoothly get out of the way, but it swings into position to rest on the volume-up button and becomes an extended iPhone camera shutter release.
Thin, But Effective
The thin, semi-translucent case, which comes in white or black, is not the most attractive one I’ve ever seen and its plastic body feels a bit cheap, but in using it for the past week, I’ve found that it’s strong enough and does not turn your iPhone 5 (or 4) into a pocket-busting monster. Plus, the flip corner, which is made of the same material as the rest of the case, is surprisingly strong and easy to use.
Perhaps the best part of the new case: For $49.99, it also ships with a Pro-Photo adapter. It fits snugly over the bottom half of the case and adds a pair of standard tripod mounts and even a slot for an external flash (which I did not use). Now you can attach your iPhone to any tripod. I attached mine to a tiny, portable desktop tripod, put the fisheye lens on my iPhone and made this Vine:
While the original 3-in-one lens is a case study in compact design (and comes in a variety of colors), the case is unlikely to win any aesthetic awards. Even so, in combination with the 3-in-one lens and Pro Photo Adaptor, it is the perfect iPhone accessory for the budding photographer (or frustrated pro who loves to carry an iPhone).
You get a better set of pro-like lenses for your high-res iPhone camera phone, a tripod mount and a case that gets the job done. All that, by the way, is available for pre-order now in a $99.99 bundle. That’s a pretty good deal and worthy of a Mashable Choice award.