The Best Devices To Boost Your Smartphone’s Optical Zoom
Most smartphones use a digital zoom, which results in a much lower quality image when the zoom is used. An optical zoom is different in that it allows your smartphone to act like a traditional, professional-grade camera with a rather powerful telephoto lens kit. When using an optical zoom you can zoom-in to get crisp details of even the farthest of objects.
In this article we have compiled a list of the best add-on optical zoom devices to help you get your mobile photography skills to the next level.
The best telephoto lenses and lens kits
Bamoer Phone Camera Lens
The Bamoer Phone Camera Lens features a 22x optical telephoto lens perfect for capturing subjects at a considerable distance. This is the most powerful telephoto lens on the list.
It has a premium-quality design that utilizes industrial grade aluminum to ensure that it’ll last for quite a long time. Furthermore, it also features a premium optic lens coating that reduces glare, reflection, and ghosting, which significantly prevents picture distortion.
What’s more, this phone camera lens is compatible with almost all smartphones, and it has detachable clamps with a screw-fixing optical zoom device that can adjust and fix the lens clip based on the thickness of your phone.
It comes in a professionally-designed package which includes a professional lens cover to prevent friction. It’s also backed with a 60-day money back guarantee, as well as an 18-month warranty and a lifetime customer support.
AOMAIS Phone Camera Lens
The latest version in a series of AOMAIS optical zoom devices, the AOMAIS Phone Camera Lens is part of a 9-in-1 lens kit that includes an 18x zoom telephoto lens, 2x telephoto lens, 198° fisheye lens, 0.63 wide angle lens, 15x macro lens, CPL filter lens, storage case, tripod, and a lens clip, all for a fairly reasonable price.
The 18x zoom telephoto lens is ideal for long-distance mobile photography, and the 2x telephoto lens has a decent zooming capacity that allows you to take photos at twice the distance as your phone camera can handle.
Furthermore, this optical zoom device is compatible with most single and dual camera smartphones, and as mentioned above, you can experiment with the other lens types included in the kit.
This product is backed by a 12-month warranty and a lifetime customer service.
MACTREM 9-in-1 Phone Camera Lens Kit
It’s an HD DSLR Camera & Telescope, with a 20x telephoto lens, 205° fisheye lens, 0.5x wide angle lens, and 25x macro lens, all screwed together to make a rather powerful and efficient optical zoom device.
The MACTREM 9-in-1 Phone Camera Lens Kit transforms your phone into a portable telescope and an HD single-lens reflex camera.
It has a 10x10 multi-layer coating lens that ensures high-definition mobile photography. It has an aluminum alloy housing which allows you to easily rotate the objective ring and adjust and fix the focus.
The 25x super macro lens can magnify subjects to a great extent, allowing you to take fantastic close-up photos.
This phone camera lens kit is compatible with almost all smartphones and is backed by a 24-month free replacement policy and a lifetime, 24/7 customer support.
Bostionye 14-in-1 Phone Camera Lens Kit
The Bostionye 14-in-1 Phone Camera Lens Kit has the most pieces in their lens kit on this list.
The kit includes eight lenses which are headed by the 22x telephoto lens that allows you to capture subjects at great distances.
If you’re looking for an optical zoom device to help you capture that elusive subject you’ve always wanted to take a photo of, this phone camera lens kit just might be your best bet.
Aside from the telephoto lens, there’s also a 0.63x wide angle lens, 15x macro lens, 198° fisheye lens, 2x telephoto backup lens, kaleidoscope lens, 4-line star filter lens, and CPL filter.
You’ll get all that, and more, for $38.
Like most of the phone camera lens kits featured here, this one’s designed with industrial grade aluminum paired with premium optic lenses which allows you to capture stunning shots with relative ease.
This one has a lot in the box but it feels a little childish, especially with the kaleidoscope lens.
OYRGCIK 5 in 1 Phone Lens Kit
The OYRGCIK 5-in-1 Phone Lens Kit is another telescope-type phone camera lens that’s packed with several amazing features.
It’s kind of the budget pick on our list, but you can definitely upgrade it to a higher package to get a better telephoto lens and other useful inclusions.
This one, in particular, has a 12x telephoto lens that’s reasonably effective when it comes to capturing long-range shots.
It’s a portable phone camera lens that you can bring with you during your outdoor activities, and it’ll surely get the job done when it comes to capturing moments that you don’t want to miss.
The package comes with a 0.67 super wide angle lens to help expand your camera’s field of view, a 15x macro lens, a 180° fisheye lens, and a telescope.
It’s a portable phone camera lens kit that can fit almost anyone’s budget.
Gosky Titan 10X50 High Power Prism Monocular and Quick Smartphone Holder
This optical zoom device, has one of the most powerful zooming capacities on this list.
It has a 10x50 magnification capacity that brings subjects from far away distances twelve times closer. That translates to a bright and clear image boosted by a generous, light-gathering 50mm objective wide lens.
It’s one of your best choices for hiking, birdwatching, wildlife watching, hunting, climbing, and scenery. It comes with a Gosky 2018 quick alignment smartphone holder and is compatible with most smartphones.
Trust us when we say that this one is built-to-last.
It features tight-fitting protection that makes it usable even in harsh weather conditions, and the striped rubber armor keeps it from slipping out of your hand.
Overall, the Gosky Titan 10X50 High Power Prism Monocular and Quick Smartphone Holder is a powerful optical zoom device for those who want raw optical zooming power.
Niskite Monocular Telescope
This monocular telescope can go toe to toe with the Gosky Titan, even surpassing it slightly for magnification at 12X50.
The Niskite Monocular Telescope features a high-definition BaK-4 prism and all-optical face multi-layer broadband green film for a brighter and more precise view of subjects from a massive distance.
It has a 12x magnification and 50mm objective lens to give you a wider field of view. Furthermore, this optical zoom device allows you to view subjects even at night, thanks to the BaK-4 prisms, which has a relatively high light-transmittance that reaches up to 99.5%.
What’s more, this monocular telescope is waterproof and fog proof, so you don’t have to worry about taking rain and underwater shots (as long as your phone is water-resistant as well).
The Niskite Monocular Telescope is compatible with most smartphones and is backed by a lifetime satisfaction guarantee and a 24/7 customer service.
Some other choices for anyone not requiring a telephoto lens
Xenvo Pro Lens Kit
The Xenvo Pro Lens Kit contains two different lenses, a wide angle and a macro lens.
The first lens is a Truview 0.45x wide angle lens, this lens allows you to capture 45% more picture. Having a larger view of an area is ideal for real estate shots (ever wonder why the room looks so big) but is also great for travel photos, selfies and more.
The second lens is the Clarus 15x Macro Lens which allows you to focus on super close-up objects with greater precision to produce a much more detailed, crisper image.
This lens kit features three brightness settings, ideal for those who aren’t fond of several retakes just because of inadequate lighting.
The kit also includes the following: TruGrip Lens Clip, GlowClip Mini Rechargeable LED Light plus Charging Cable, Quick-Release Lanyard, DuraCase, EasyClip, Cleaning Cloth, and the whole package comes with a lifetime warranty.
At only $39.99 that’s undoubtedly great value for your money!
Moment Wide Lens
This one’s an award-winning attachment lens.
This wide lens from Moment measures 18 millimeters and works almost exclusively with iPhones 6 to XS Max, Google Pixel 1 to 2 XL, and Samsung Galaxy S8 to S9 Plus.
The only awkward thing about this, although it’s not entirely a dealbreaker, is that you need to purchase a photo case or battery photo case to attach the lens to your phone from the same brand.
It has a multi-element glass design that provides edge-to-edge clarity, and it allows you to capture twice more picture at a twice farther distance.
It may not have the most powerful zooming capability, but it has sufficient features to help amateur and semi-professional mobile photographers take more explicit photos.
The package is backed by a 12-month warranty and 100% satisfaction guarantee with free shipping and returns.
How to choose which one is right for you
There is no one size fits all approach. Some people require a powerful telephoto lens for long distance photography while others may require a wide angle lens, or even a macro lens for close up shots. Here are some of the factors to consider when making your decision.
Zoom capacity – if you need to take shots from a distance
Material – especially if you are using the equipment in harsh environments
Aesthetics – for the self conscious photographer
Extras – for example some of the kits come with many pieces so a carry case comes in handy
Conclusion
For the amateur photographer looking to try out some different lenses it’s best to go with one of the lens kits such as the MACTREM 9-in-1 kit. For those looking for the most powerful telephoto lens then we recommend the Bamoer.
We hope that this article provided you with all the necessary information you need to boost your smartphones focal power. We’d love to hear from you, so make sure to leave a comment in the comments section!
