[Note: ExpertPhotography is supported by readers. Product links on ExpertPhotography are referral links. If you use one of these and buy something, we make a little bit of money. Need more info? See how it all works here.]
What Is a Macro Lens for iPhone?
A macro lens is a special type of optics that let you create close-up shots of objects. Regular lenses convert real-life objects into a small image that could fit into the sensor of your camera. But a macro lens keeps the actual size of the item being photographed the same as the sensor. As a result, the subject in your image looks bigger. Technically, the ratio of true macro lenses needs to be 1:1. Meaning that there shouldn’t be magnification or reduction when you convert the object you photograph into an image. While some lenses on this list are true macro lenses, others are technically not. But they retain the “macro lens” label because they still take super close-up shots.
Easy-Macro Lens Band
This is one of the cheapest and simplest macro lens attachments on the list. It’s a rubber band with a small bead of a lens that you align with your smartphone or iPhone lens. Frankly, it doesn’t look fancy at all and can be challenging to install. But the photos it takes are surprisingly sharp considering how simple this lens attachment is. It’s also secure enough that you don’t have to worry about it falling off while taking photos. The lens boasts a 4x magnification at a shooting distance of one inch. Because of its design, this lens band is compatible with almost any phone from iPhones to Androids. And it works even with a phone case.
Black Eye Macro G4
The Macro G4 has a classic clip-on design that never fails its users for its simplicity. But don’t let its plain design fool you. This macro lens for iPhone is just as effective as the more expensive options on the list. The G4 has a 15x magnifying power. It’s not as powerful as its counterparts, but it’s undoubtedly one of the sharpest. It features cinema-grade glass that’s coated to minimize flares and ghosting, and give high image quality. Of course, we also have to mention that the G4’s simple clip design makes it compatible with all sorts of phones. It even works with dual-camera phones! All you have to do is align the attachment with the phone lens and you’re good to go.
Olloclip Essential Macro Premium Glass Kit
If you’re a big fan of macro photography, then this is the lens kit for you. As it says in the product title, this is the essential macro lens kit which includes 7x, 14x and 21x magnification. That’s quite a good range for all types of macro and close-up shots. The entire kit is connected, so you don’t have to worry about changing lenses all the time. All you have to do is unscrew the lenses you don’t need and keep the lens you want to use on your phone. Olloclip is a brand known for quality lenses, so you can guarantee that the photos this kit lens takes are going to be sharp. It also comes with a remote, which is perfect if you want a hands-free operation. We all know how hard it can be to take macro shots without a tripod.
Moment Macro Lens
Moment is one of the best brands out there when it comes to smartphone lenses. And their macro lens attachment is undoubtedly one of their best-sellers. So what makes the Moment macro lens good? Well, it comes with superior optics that are coated to prevent undesirable glares. And the body that encases the lens is made of aerospace-grade metal that can endure heavy-duty use. It also comes with a diffuser hood that creates even lighting around your subject. This pro lens is a bit expensive. You’ll also need to buy a compatible phone case by Moment to install it on your phone. It sure is a bit of an investment. But if you want top-quality macro images, this is definitely what you want.
Xenvo Pro Lens Kit
The Xenvo kit includes two types of standard lenses you commonly see in most other brands. It comes with a wide-angle lens and a macro lens. To use the macro lens, all you have to do is unscrew the wide-angle lens that’s on top of it. Xenvo also comes with a standard clip-on attachment that makes it compatible with most phones. Because of its basic design, it works on both single and dual camera phones from either Apple or Android. So if Xenvo is pretty standard, what makes it special from other macro lenses? The answer is that it’s cheaper than both Olloclip and Moment. It is also is one of the best-reviewed budget lenses online. Don’t discount it for how simple it is. It could be exactly what you need.
Angfly 4K HD 2-in1 Lens Kit
Like the Olloclip and the Xenvo, Angfly also comes with both a wide-angle and a macro lens. What makes it different from its competitors is that it’s specifically built to be compatible with dual-lens phone cameras. The Angfly works well with both iPhones and Androids. The best thing about it is its glass lens. This ensures that you can record in 4k or high definition without losing any quality. Its magnifying power is not as good as its counterparts, but at least you can guarantee sharp photos. The downside of using Angfly is that it doesn’t work with phone cases. But it has a well-designed bracket that lets you secure the lens to your device in a snap. The bracket also goes around the phone lenses so you don’t damage them when you install the macro attachment.
Pro Max Camera Lens Kit
If you don’t like lugging around lens attachments, then take a look at Pro Max’s lens kit. This interesting phone case comes with five lenses that you can conveniently slide over your built-in phone camera. It features a CPL filter, fisheye, telephoto, and two macro lenses. Pro Max’s macro lenses have a magnification power of 10x and 20x giving you the freedom to shoot in various conditions. Like most well-made lens attachments, the optics are made of glass and can be used for shooting 4k. The Pro Max is compatible with dual-camera iPhones and even comes with a 3-lens version for the iPhone 11. Now that’s quite a feat since this is the only brand that has tackled three-camera smartphones so far.
Supereyes Macro Lens
This is arguably the most unique (and cheapest) macro lens you can buy online. Marketed as a dermascope that lets you take closeup photos of your skin, it has 200x magnifying power. That means it can capture images on a micro-level. The Supereyes macro lens is a long plastic tube with an adhesive at the base. You stick it to your phone lens instead of attaching it with a clip or a bracket. The clear shaft allows light to illuminate your subject even when you’re close. Since the Supereyes uses an adhesive, you can only attach it so many times before it loses its stickiness. You would also need to zoom in digitally to avoid the vignetting the plastic shaft causes. But despite its few caveats, it takes awesome images of even the most basic objects.
Conclusion
The best macro lens for iPhone depends on you and your phone’s requirements. Remember that even though the products on the list do the same job, they all work a little differently. And don’t think so much about the prices. You can get a cheap lens and still take great macro photos with your iPhone. Figure out what you need to accomplish and choose your iPhone lens carefully. Most of all, make sure that it’s compatible with your device.
title: “The Best Macro Lenses For Iphone Photography In 2023” ShowToc: true date: “2023-01-06” author: “Angel Mcdowell”
[Note: ExpertPhotography is supported by readers. Product links on ExpertPhotography are referral links. If you use one of these and buy something, we make a little bit of money. Need more info? See how it all works here.]
What Is a Macro Lens for iPhone?
A macro lens is a special type of optics that let you create close-up shots of objects. Regular lenses convert real-life objects into a small image that could fit into the sensor of your camera. But a macro lens keeps the actual size of the item being photographed the same as the sensor. As a result, the subject in your image looks bigger. Technically, the ratio of true macro lenses needs to be 1:1. Meaning that there shouldn’t be magnification or reduction when you convert the object you photograph into an image. While some lenses on this list are true macro lenses, others are technically not. But they retain the “macro lens” label because they still take super close-up shots.
Easy-Macro Lens Band
This is one of the cheapest and simplest macro lens attachments on the list. It’s a rubber band with a small bead of a lens that you align with your smartphone or iPhone lens. Frankly, it doesn’t look fancy at all and can be challenging to install. But the photos it takes are surprisingly sharp considering how simple this lens attachment is. It’s also secure enough that you don’t have to worry about it falling off while taking photos. The lens boasts a 4x magnification at a shooting distance of one inch. Because of its design, this lens band is compatible with almost any phone from iPhones to Androids. And it works even with a phone case.
Black Eye Macro G4
The Macro G4 has a classic clip-on design that never fails its users for its simplicity. But don’t let its plain design fool you. This macro lens for iPhone is just as effective as the more expensive options on the list. The G4 has a 15x magnifying power. It’s not as powerful as its counterparts, but it’s undoubtedly one of the sharpest. It features cinema-grade glass that’s coated to minimize flares and ghosting, and give high image quality. Of course, we also have to mention that the G4’s simple clip design makes it compatible with all sorts of phones. It even works with dual-camera phones! All you have to do is align the attachment with the phone lens and you’re good to go.
Olloclip Essential Macro Premium Glass Kit
If you’re a big fan of macro photography, then this is the lens kit for you. As it says in the product title, this is the essential macro lens kit which includes 7x, 14x and 21x magnification. That’s quite a good range for all types of macro and close-up shots. The entire kit is connected, so you don’t have to worry about changing lenses all the time. All you have to do is unscrew the lenses you don’t need and keep the lens you want to use on your phone. Olloclip is a brand known for quality lenses, so you can guarantee that the photos this kit lens takes are going to be sharp. It also comes with a remote, which is perfect if you want a hands-free operation. We all know how hard it can be to take macro shots without a tripod.
Moment Macro Lens
Moment is one of the best brands out there when it comes to smartphone lenses. And their macro lens attachment is undoubtedly one of their best-sellers. So what makes the Moment macro lens good? Well, it comes with superior optics that are coated to prevent undesirable glares. And the body that encases the lens is made of aerospace-grade metal that can endure heavy-duty use. It also comes with a diffuser hood that creates even lighting around your subject. This pro lens is a bit expensive. You’ll also need to buy a compatible phone case by Moment to install it on your phone. It sure is a bit of an investment. But if you want top-quality macro images, this is definitely what you want.
Xenvo Pro Lens Kit
The Xenvo kit includes two types of standard lenses you commonly see in most other brands. It comes with a wide-angle lens and a macro lens. To use the macro lens, all you have to do is unscrew the wide-angle lens that’s on top of it. Xenvo also comes with a standard clip-on attachment that makes it compatible with most phones. Because of its basic design, it works on both single and dual camera phones from either Apple or Android. So if Xenvo is pretty standard, what makes it special from other macro lenses? The answer is that it’s cheaper than both Olloclip and Moment. It is also is one of the best-reviewed budget lenses online. Don’t discount it for how simple it is. It could be exactly what you need.
Angfly 4K HD 2-in1 Lens Kit
Like the Olloclip and the Xenvo, Angfly also comes with both a wide-angle and a macro lens. What makes it different from its competitors is that it’s specifically built to be compatible with dual-lens phone cameras. The Angfly works well with both iPhones and Androids. The best thing about it is its glass lens. This ensures that you can record in 4k or high definition without losing any quality. Its magnifying power is not as good as its counterparts, but at least you can guarantee sharp photos. The downside of using Angfly is that it doesn’t work with phone cases. But it has a well-designed bracket that lets you secure the lens to your device in a snap. The bracket also goes around the phone lenses so you don’t damage them when you install the macro attachment.
Pro Max Camera Lens Kit
If you don’t like lugging around lens attachments, then take a look at Pro Max’s lens kit. This interesting phone case comes with five lenses that you can conveniently slide over your built-in phone camera. It features a CPL filter, fisheye, telephoto, and two macro lenses. Pro Max’s macro lenses have a magnification power of 10x and 20x giving you the freedom to shoot in various conditions. Like most well-made lens attachments, the optics are made of glass and can be used for shooting 4k. The Pro Max is compatible with dual-camera iPhones and even comes with a 3-lens version for the iPhone 11. Now that’s quite a feat since this is the only brand that has tackled three-camera smartphones so far.
Supereyes Macro Lens
This is arguably the most unique (and cheapest) macro lens you can buy online. Marketed as a dermascope that lets you take closeup photos of your skin, it has 200x magnifying power. That means it can capture images on a micro-level. The Supereyes macro lens is a long plastic tube with an adhesive at the base. You stick it to your phone lens instead of attaching it with a clip or a bracket. The clear shaft allows light to illuminate your subject even when you’re close. Since the Supereyes uses an adhesive, you can only attach it so many times before it loses its stickiness. You would also need to zoom in digitally to avoid the vignetting the plastic shaft causes. But despite its few caveats, it takes awesome images of even the most basic objects.
Conclusion
The best macro lens for iPhone depends on you and your phone’s requirements. Remember that even though the products on the list do the same job, they all work a little differently. And don’t think so much about the prices. You can get a cheap lens and still take great macro photos with your iPhone. Figure out what you need to accomplish and choose your iPhone lens carefully. Most of all, make sure that it’s compatible with your device.
