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Over the years, I’ve used several different add-on lens systems for my iPhone. These have helped to enhance the capability of the iPhone’s camera and the photos that I take. These add on lenses have offered me a little something extra but I have never, for some reason, been totally satisfied with the results.
So, when I decided to invest in some new lenses my search led me to Moment and I was interested to see what their range of lenses had to offer. In this review I’m going to walk you through my thoughts and first hand experiences of using these lenses.
What are Moment Lenses?
Moment is a US based company who have been producing a range of high quality, award-winning lenses specifically made for the smartphone photography enthusiast. Using the Moment lenses will enable the photographer to capture so much more than is possible when using the standard, built-in smartphone lens.
The Moment lens product range includes; the 18mm wide angle, a 58mm telephoto, a x10 macro, the superfish lens (15mm equivalent) and their cutting edge anamorphic lens which is perfect for recording professional looking, cinematic video footage. They are perfect for taking portraits, landscapes, for getting creative with distortions or for shooting video.
Why Choose Moment?
Basically, I had heard a lot of good things about the quality and build of the Moment lens and I also needed a lens system that met certain criteria. From the numerous reviews and reports I had read about their cutting edge design and performance, Moment sounded like the sort of iPhone accessory worth taking a closer look at.
But what was I looking for from a smartphone lens?
Firstly, I needed a lens system that offered a way to easily attach the lens to my phone without having to remove the entire phone case beforehand. Secondly, I needed a lens system that produced sharp results without creating any unwanted distortions or blurry vignettes on the outer edges. Thirdly, it would be nice, not have to buy a completely new set of lenses when I next upgraded my phone handset.
From my research Moment seemed to tick all these boxes, and I was eager to see if they were up to the challenge. As you’ll discover in this review, I’m happy to say Moment hasn’t disappointed.
The Moment Photo Case
Let’s start by taking a look at the Moment Photo Case. The case provides a thin, durable, rubberized surround that fits snugly around the iPhone. The back of the case has a choice of two styles: a black canvas or wood texture. The bottom of the case has a wrist strap attachment for added security and protection against unwanted drops and breakages.
The best thing about the case (apart from the snug fit and quality look and feel) is the fact that Moment lenses easily twist and lock into the lens mount housing which is located around the phone lens. This was an essential feature for me, as it removed the need to remove my phone case in order to use the lens, something that can be a major annoyance when out in the field in the past.
At this point it’s also worth mentioning that all of the Moment lensese are compatible with a wide range of iPhone and Android devices including the Samsung Galaxy, Google Pixel, and OnePlus devices. Now, what about the lenses?
The Moment Range of Smartphone Lenses
In terms of build quality, Moment lenses are solid and robust. The lenses are made using high quality, ground glass which makes them a bit chunky is size and gives them some added weight. I think this helps to affirm a sense of robustness to the products. This attention to detail is evident to see in the resulting photos taken with them.
All lenses fit snugly into the mounting plate in the phone case by way of a simple twist action. This means the lenses can be quickly and easily fitted with minimal fuss and messing about.
In terms of cost, Moment lenses aren’t cheap. The reason being is that they are certainly at the top end of the smartphone lens market. Kitting yourself out with a case and selection of lenses can get very expensive. Moment do offer a few multi-lens package deals but, when it comes to smartphone lenses, you certainly get what you pay.
So let’s take a look at the individual lenses.
The Moment Wide-Angle Lens
The Moment wide-angle lens was the first lens I decided to buy and remains my favorite. It offers a wide 18mm focal length without the obvious levels of distortion experienced by other wide-angle lenses that I’ve used in the past. The resulting photos taken with the Moment wide lens were sharp even towards the outer extremes of the image, an area where cheaper competitors fall down.
Without the Wide-Angle
With the Wide-Angle
I found that the wide lens gave landscape photos an epic feel, and when used to shoot video it offered a superb cinematic look to the footage.
One notable issue I had with the wide lens was lens flare. I found that the wide-angle lens was particularly susceptible to this, and the degree of lens flare depended on my angle to the sun. This was most probably due to the lack of a lens hood which is something a bigger DSLR camera could have built in when using a wide-angle lens.
The Moment Telephoto Lens
The telephoto lens has a 58mm focal length and is ideal for shooting portraits and landscapes. Again, it captures superb detail without any obvious distortion and gives some bokeh effects without the need for any additional post-production manipulation.
When used on a single lens camera, the Moment tele lens provides 2x magnification, something that I suppose is rendered obsolete on smartphones that have the newer dual lens feature.
However, when combining the 2x zoom from the built-in dual lens with the 2x zoom from the Moment lens, this gave a whopping 4x magnification, which for a iPhone camera is amazing.
Without the Telephoto Lens
With the 2x Telephoto Lens
With the x4 Telephoto Lens
I found that the Moment telephoto lens didn’t really work well with the iPhone’s native camera app. Instead, I needed to use third party apps such as ProCamera, Camera+ or Moment’s very own camera app.
If you like to shoot portrait photos, then the tele lens is ideally suited for your needs as it helps to bring the subject closer to the camera without using the digital zoom (which is never a good idea anyway). It also helps to avoid creating the unwanted distortions that you get when positioning yourself in close quarters to an object.
Find Out More About the Telephoto Lens on AmazonThe Moment Macro Lens
The next Moment lens in my collection is the x10 macro lens. Macro photography is a genre that offers so much creative potential. Shooting macro enables the photographer to get very close to subjects and capture some amazing details. Details that often pass the majority of people by and offers an endless supply of photo opportunities available to us, under our noses and our feet.
The Moment macro lens has a 10mm focal length and includes a removable built-in light diffuser. It is a superb lens for capturing and magnifying the tiny close up details in surrounding objects, in nature, flowers or insects.
Because the macro lens has such a narrow focus area, it can be very tricky to capture a subject in pin sharp focus, especially if your subject is moving or the picture is being taken without the aid of a tripod or a steady hand. Despite this, the lens provides some wonderful bokeh effects in the areas in front of, and behind the focal area.
If I’m short of photographic inspiration or the weather conditions aren’t great then I will often find myself gravitating to using the macro lens.
Find Out More About the Macro Lens on AmazonThe Superfish Lens
The Moment Superfish lens provides an ultra-wide, 170-degree field of view, making it possible to capture a huge field of view in just one single photo, without the need for using any panorama techniques.
By their nature, fisheye lenses create a great deal of image distortion due to their ultra-wide-angle capabilities. The resulting photos have an obvious curved distortion on the horizontal and vertical lines, particularly towards the edge of the photo. However, this distortion should be embraced as it can add to the creative potential that these types of lenses offer.
The Moment Anamorphic Lens
If you shoot a lot of video with your mobile phone and want to take it to the next level, then you most definitely have to check out Moment’s anamorphic lens. Rather than being round, the lens in rectangular in shape and has a 1.33x magnification and gives a 1.40:1 cinemascope format. For those who don’t know what that means, it basically gives a ultra wide-angle, cinematic frame.
I found that the lens gave some beautiful, eye catching light flares similar to those seen in a cleverly shot Hollywood blockbusters such as the John Wick films. When combining the effects of the anamorphic lens, with my Zhiyun 3-axis gimbal stabilizer, I was able to produce some silky smooth footage with a stunning cinematic feel.
To illustrate the anamorphic lens in action I’d like to share a short film by Nicolas Gaillard about a mountain walk. Keep an eye out for light flares.
Find Out More About the Anamorphic Lens on AmazonWhat is the Best Moment Lens?
In short, I have been very impressed with my Moment lens purchases. I would definitely recommend them and even go as far to say they are probably one of the best add-on smartphone lens products on the market. They are an essential part of my camera bag.
The lenses are well made and use high-quality glass, materials and construction. They are solid and robust in their build quality, which reflects in the results that the lenses produce. Photos taken using a Moment lens demonstrate a superb clarity and offer little in the way of noticeable distortion and blurry vignettes, problems that I have seen with other competing products on the market.
Choosing which lens is the right lens for you will depend on the type of photography that you shoot.
If you’re a landscape photographer or someone who likes to capture wide vistas, then the 18mm wide lens is going to be the lens for you. I found the extra field of view captured by the wide-angle lens gave landscape vistas a superb, epic feel. My only gripe was its susceptibility to lens flare.
For someone who likes to shot more people portraits, then the Moment 58mm telephoto lens will be your best lens choice. I found the 4x capability offered by the telephoto lens to be quite breathtaking, and something I’d not seen before in an iPhone. However, I would question how much you would use the telephoto if you have a dual or triple lens phone. If I’m taking a portrait, I personally find it much easier to switch between the built-in x1 and x2 lenses of my iPhone than messing about with attaching an add-on lens.
I have found the macro lens to be a wonderful choice if you are looking to capture tiny detail images.
Finally, for the videographer, then the anamorphic lens is a must have item. Combining it with a 3-axis gimbal stabilizer will help to take truly impressive videos.
So, if you are looking to invest in some add-on lenses for your smartphone, then I can highly recommend that you check out Moment.
Visit ShopMoment.com for more information or visit Amazon for the latest deals.
Mobiography is a reader-supported website. If you buy through some of the links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission. Learn more
