Moment Lens asks the question: How committed are you to high-quality iPhone photography?

Its two, $99-a piece iPhone 6 add-on lenses require a special, bayonet-style mount that you have to basically glue onto your iPhone. Putting anything on your brand-new device that can’t be slipped off is, well, a major commitment.

Once you get over that hurdle, though, Moment Lens provides something that competitors like Olloclip, which just released its own iPhone 6 add-on lenses, do not: The ability to keep using the iPhone 6 cases you love (as long as they’re not too thick) and the new lenses at the same time. They also sell mounting plates for iPads and Google’s Nexus 5. Additional plates cost $9 and you can use the same lens with all of the plates.

The lenses, a 60 mm 2X telephoto and an 18 mm wide angle are completely self-contained. Each product ships in an elegant black box. The special plate is bundled with it in a think black envelope that includes an extra set of adhesive 3M tape.

To put it together, you clean the back of your iPhone 6 with a soft, dry cloth, peel the protective covering off the back of the small, thin, black mounting plate and then very carefully position the plate on the back of your iPhone.

I found this part a bit nerve-racking, because if I got the alignment wrong, the big lens would not line up with the iPhone 6’s smaller iSight lens. I managed, though to get it right on the first try. I then had to hold my fingers on it for 30 seconds to make sure it was secure.

Once on, the Moment Lens plate adds just a millimeter to the top section of the phone. Around the lens, though, the mounting system sticks out an additional millimeter and, because of its functional design, feels almost unfinished.

The good news is that as soon as you slip back on a case – I use an Apple silicon one – those two millimeters disappear. The mount is slightly visible through the camera, flash and microphone cutout in the case and will be usable with the lens, but it is no longer noticeable.

Mounting the Moment Lens, though, does take some practice. Each lens has a small gray dot printed on the back. You have to line that up so it’s pointing toward the left edge of the iPhone 6 (in the direction of the side featuring the power button). Then you place the lens mount into the hole on the faceplate and twist gently to the right. At first I couldn’t properly seat the lens and then I kept attaching it at an angle. Eventually, though, I got the hang of placing and twisting and soon was almost expert at mounting the Tele and the Wide.

Of the two lenses, the 60 mm Tele had a bigger impact on my photographic prowess, pulling images closer and maintaining excellent clarity.

The wide angle does pull in a significant amount more information, with about as much barrel distortion as you’d expect from an 18 mm wide angle lens.

Both Moment lenses came with soft carrying cases, which made it easy to carry them in my backpack. I would say the 60 mm is too large for my pants pocket. I always appreciated that I could easily fit any of Olloclip’s lenses in my pocket without too much discomfort. I’m not sure if Olloclip’s larger iPhone 6 mounts will work as well.

If you don’t like the way the plate looks or tire of taking closer and potentially better-looking iPhone 6 photos, you can remove the plate. It won’t just peel off; you have to heat it up. Moment Lens recommends using a blow dryer. I think I’d prefer they do what 3M does with other removable adhesives: Include a tiny tab on the plate’s tape. Then you just grab that and pull down to break the adhesive connection.

Overall, Moment Lens has produced a pair of high-quality optic enhancements for the new iPhone 6. Some users may balk at the plate and glue attachment method, but I’d say these could become pretty popular gifts for those millions of new iPhone 6 photographers out there who aren’t afraid to stick a Moment Lens on their precious Apple products.

 

Author: Lance Ulanoff
Source: Mashable