Photography is huge on the iPhone 5. It’s one of the worlds most popular devices to shoot photos with seeing as many have replaced their old point-and-shoot cameras with it. Yes the iPhone 5 is great in most situations but what it can not do well is macro photography. It is not very good at shooting objects close up and you have to be at least a couple inches or so away in order for the lens to focus correctly. That said, if you want to experiment with macro photography, you’re going to need an add-on accessory like the new Carson LensMag 10x/15x Magnifiers. These are little add-on accessories that boost the magnification powers of your stock iPhone 5 camera and allow you to shoot really close up on any object making even the smallest of objects appear enormous.
Design and Usage
The Carson LensMags come in a pair of 2 magnifiers, a 10x and a 15x unit. They are plastic accessories that come in their own carrying case that is padded with formed foam on the inside for added protection while storing. Each LensMag is made of durable textured plastic with the Carson logo and magnification level molded in. On the rear of the LensMag you’ll see that there is a little magnet attached. This is what will be used to attach the LensMag to your iPhone 5. You’ll also notice that the LensMag seems like it is of very good quality and even has a hole cut out for the LED flash unit.
In order to use the Carson LensMag, you will need to remove any cases from your iPhone 5 if you have one on. The LensMag will not fit unless you do so. This is similar to other add-on lenses as most do not fit over cases either. The LensMag is held on by the little magnet on the back and holds on pretty well. It’s not super strong however so it is possible to accidentally bump it off if not careful.
With the LensMag on, you can start taking photos of objects at about an inch away from its surface. With the 15x lens, you can get a tiny bit closer.Both magnifiers will also enlarge the surface of the object a bit like a magnifying glass so you’ll be able to see details you otherwise would never have noticed before. Overall, these worked really well with excellent fitment and photo quality.
The only issue however is that since these are magnification lenses, you must hold your hand very steady as any tiny movement you make will also be magnified. You must hold your hand and the iPhone 5 quite still to grab a clean, blur-free image. It’s not hard to do but will take a little bit of practice before you start getting it right.
Final Thoughts
You don’t know how long I’ve been trying to find an accessory like the Carson LensMag that wasn’t overly flimsy or bulky. Yes there is the Olloclip, but I’ve always found them to be quite expensive and never needed one enough to pull the trigger on one. Whereas the Carson LensMag (ML-515) is only set you back about $15 for the pair. That is a very good price for something of this quality and build. In fact, you may even find it cheaper if you do some shopping around.
Overall, I am very happy with the LensMag. They are easy to carry around and despite the fact that I need to remove whatever case I am using at the time to use them, they are very handy and easy to setup. I really like the fact that these will open up a whole new world to you when it comes to photography and you’ll start looking at things in a completely new way.
If you want to learn even more about the Carson LensMag, you can also check out their official video here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?
