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Lenses for smartphones

PostPosted: Mon Jul 18, 2022 2:26 pm
by billf
My niece like most of her generation is very adept using a smart phone. She is going to Tanzania and has asked me if there are any good quality lenses that can be attached to her smart phone?
I've explained the basics of telephoto lenses and the need for high quality glass and a physical distance between sensor and front element.
My instinct is these lenses will be limited and she would be better off taking good photos of things she can get close too without being devoured, bitten or poisoned.
Anyone tried these lenses?
Cheers Bill

Re: Lenses for smartphones

PostPosted: Thu Jul 21, 2022 5:02 pm
by PhilC
Hi
You can get add on lenses for smartphones/tablets that just clip on to the sensor, and come in sets - eg tele+ wide+ fisheye+ polariser, but the telephoto is only likely to be a 2x at the most. Rather than using a smartphone another cheap option would be to buy a secondhand micro four thirds camera such as panasonic gf2 or olympus epm2 (c£50) with a cheap tele lens such as 40-150 (FF= 80-300); total cost around £100. And though small, it feels like a camera! and still pocketable.

Re: Lenses for smartphones

PostPosted: Thu Jul 21, 2022 7:06 pm
by billf
Thank you Phil,
That's a good idea of buying a modest DSLR and a decent lens, I think the clip on lenses would be a disappointment.
I'll pass that on.
Cheers Bill