Hardware Review: The Olloclip 3-in-1 lens for the iPhone 4
Monday, September 12, 2011 at 4:03PM | Editor "The Olloclip is a fantastic 3-in-1 clip on lens for the iPhone 4" - Editor
Above: The St Pancras Renaissance Hotel, taken with the Olloclip Ultra Wide-angle lens.The Olloclip is a 3-in-1 clip on lens for the iPhone 4, that started life out as a Kickstatrter project back in May of this year. It quickly caught the attention of tech and photography blogs (including the iPhoneography blog), and didn't take long to reach and exceed its funding target, and in July, the Olloclip went on general sale.
I've been playing with the Olloclip now for several weeks, and I have to say, "this 3-in-1 clip on lens is a fantastic bit of kit for your naked (caseless) iPhone 4."
The Lens
The Olloclip consists of a plastic slide-on mount with 2 aluminium lenses mounted on either side. The Olloclip is very pocketable, weighs next to nothing (20 grams), and comfortably fits inside a shirt, trouser or jacket pocket. On one side there is a 180 degree fisheye lens, whilst on the other is an ultra wide-angle and macro lens.
Fitting the lens to your iPhone is quick and easy, you simply slide the lens on and off, flipping it over to select either the fisheye or ultra wide-angle lens.
Focal Length
Whilst the Olloclip's fisheye lens gives you a 180 degree view, the ultra wide-angle gives you the equivalent view of a 14mm consumer DSLR lens, as compared to the native iPhone 4 lens, which is approximately equivalent to 22mm (please note, this was not scientifically tested, I just compared my iPhone and Olloclip with my Canon 400D and Sigma 10-20mm lens).
Above: This photo was taken inside St. Pancras station with the Olloclip Ultra Wide-angle lens.
Distortion
As with any ultra wide-angle lens, you will get barrel distortion, and the Olloclip is no exception, but for me the distortion, edge blur and vignetting was acceptable, and can even be used to its advantage with the right subject.
Above: This photo was taken inside the Tate Modern using the Olloclip Fisheye lens.
Above: Another photo taken with the Olloclip Ultra Wide-angle lens, inside the Tate Modern.
Getting Closer
Whilst the Olloclip offers a fisheye and ultra wide-angle view, it also packs an impressive close-up lens. The macro lens, which is revealed by unscrewing the ultra wide-angle lens, allows you to get within 12-15mm of your subject, making it perfect taking close-ups of flowers, insect, coins, or just about anything you can think of, although you will need to use a tripod (like a Joby GorrillaMobile) and mount (like the Glif) to keep your iPhone stable whilst using the macro facility.
Above: A close-up of the Olloclip using the Olloclip macro lens.
What you get for your money?
The Olloclip is not cheap, at $69.95 USD, but then it does consist of a precision ground glass multi-element lens, and aircraft grade aluminium, with the mount being made from a soft plastic material that ensures a snug and secure fit.
So what do you get for your money? Well for $69.95, you get a fisheye, an ultra wide and macro lens, in a choice of red or black, 2 lens caps (one for the fisheye and one for the ultra wide-angle lens), and a microfiber lens cleaning cloth/carry pouch.
So what do I think of the Olloclip 3-in-1 Lens?
Well as I've already mentioned above, whilst not cheap, I think the Olloclip is a fantastic bit of kit, that almost every iPhoneographer would have fun with, and enjoy using, for those bizarrely distorted and sometime surreal shots, ultra-wide interior and exterior views, to stunning close-ups that can reveal what the naked eye can not always see, and as such, the Olloclip gets the iPhoneography blog's "Recommended Award".
Note: If you are an existing iPhone 4 owner, who is planning on upgrading to the new iPhone 5, then I would recommend holding off buying the Olloclip, until the form factor of the iPhone 5 is confirmed.
The Olloclip is available to order now from olloclip.com, priced at $69.95 USD plus shipping (worldwide).
Olloclip in Hardware Review
Reader Comments (14)
Glyn, hope you find this comment relevant to the post!
It's a really neat, simple idea that just works really well with the iPhone.
It's a well designed and well made lens, although I do have a problem with the fit of the lens being a little loose on my phone...it slides out of position from its own weight when im rotating then phone or shooting upside down. As much as I love the new photographic options it brings to the iPhone, this looseness is endlessly frustrating. I havent seen reports of this being a chronic issue, so maybe it's just my phone and/or lens. Still annoying.
As an avid DSLR macro photography shooter, the macro is my most used lens; it's capable of surprising and spectacular closeups. But what I wish for more than anything is a longer focus distance with the macro lens. The depth of field is very shallow, and for an in-focus image you end up with the lens about a half-inch from your subject - which many times leaves you battling the shadow of your phone on your very close subject. Which in turn leads to twisting, turning, and rotating your phone to keep the shadow out of the picture. Which then, for me, leads to the Ōlloclip sliding out of position on my phone because of it's loose fit. it's a bothersome dance but so far one I'm willing to engage in to get images that I can't get from my iPhone any other way.
Those issues aside, as i mentioned and your review reveals, the Ōlloclip really expands the iPhones photographic capabilities, and for serious iphoneographers it deserves consideration.
(PS...while typing this on my iPad, the auto-correct has been properly correcting Ōlloclip with the correct capitalization AND the accent mark...how is this possible?!?)
It's better to get a tripod similar to this one: http://www.amazon.com/Camera-Tripod-Special-HandHelditems-Universal/dp/B004X3XFES/ref=pd_bxgy_cps_img_c (not an affiliate link).
Follow me on instagram @skyeride to see all of my olloclip pics!