Turn your iPhone into a real camera with one of these lens kits

Whether you're a professional photographer or just starting out as an amateur, having a lens kit for your iPhone can really change the game. In fact, some lenses can make your photos look like they were taken with a DSLR, but they're just taken with your phone. While we think the Olloclip Filmer's Kit is the best overall kit, there are some other strong contenders out there.

Best Overall: Olloclip Filmer's Kit

If you want to have the ultimate set of essentials for any iPhone photographer, then you need the Olloclip Filmer's Kit. While it's quite pricey, it has pretty much everything you need to shoot stunning photos and video with just your iPhone.

With the Filmer's Kit, you get five lenses for your iPhone: Fisheye Essential, Super-Wide Essential, Macro Essential, Telephoto 2x Pro, and Ultra-Wide Essential. With all of these lenses, you get 180° spherical effect, wider fields of view, 2x optical zoom, and macro magnification.

On top of those five lenses, you get the Pivot, which is Olloclip's mobile video grip. While it doesn't have stabilization, it's still a great way to get good mobile video easily, at least better than with just your hands. There is also a clip that will fit your caseless iPhone, or the Slim Case from Olloclip if you need protection.

Everything in the Filmer's Kit comes packed in a custom compression-molded case for both travel and storage. While this kit is not cheap, it comes with everything you need for awesome iPhone photography. It is also compatible with screen protectors.

Pros:

• Has all the essentials
• Includes Pivot mobile phone grip
• Clip to attach lenses to caseless iPhone
• Screen protector compatible
• Works with the Olloclip Slim Case

Cons:

• Pricey
• Lens clip incompatible with most phone cases
• Pivot grip does not have stabilization

Best Overall

Olloclip Filmer's Kit

• $240 at Olloclip

Your essential iPhone photography toolkit

Olloclip Filmer's Kit has everything you need to shoot fantastic photos and videos with your iPhone. The Pivot grip provides some extra reach when you need to film, and the five lenses it comes with should be more than enough for DSLR-quality photos. Everything stores neatly in the case for storage or travel.

Best Value: Apexel 10-in-1 Cell Phone Camera Lens Kit

If you're on a budget, or just want to pick up a few lenses cheap, then the Apexel 10-in-1 Lens Kit has everything you need, and the price is right.

With this lens kit, you'll get a total of nine different lenses and filters: 0.63X wide lens, 15X macro, 2X telephoto lens,198° fisheye lens, kaleidoscope lens, CPL filter, flow filter, radial filter, and star filter. You can mix-and-match these lenses and filters together for some awesome effects and unique shots to share on social media.

Since this kit uses a universal clamp to get the lenses on your iPhone, it isn't limited to just iPhones. So if you decide to use another smartphone down the road, you will still be able to use this kit with that device. Just be warned that the lenses may not work best with dual lenses, like on the Plus models of iPhones.

Everything comes in a nice little carrying case that will store and protect the lenses when not in use and makes transporting them around easy.

Pros:

• Good variety of lenses and filters
• Universal clamp
• Lots of possibilities for shots
• Protective storage case

Cons:

• Not the highest quality of lenses

Best Value

Apexel 10-in-1 Lens Kit

• $16 at Amazon

Room for experimentation

This lens kit provides you with a lot of options for experimentation without spending a lot. It's also universal so you can use it with a variety of devices, and everything stows away easily in the included carrying case.

Best for Pros: Sandmarc Pro Edition Kit

If you want the best-of-the-best, you can't beat the Sandmarc Pro Edition Kit.

This kit comes with their Telephoto, Wide, Macro, and Fisheye lenses for the iPhone XS Max. These lenses are made from premium, multi-coated optics to deliver the best results, so you get nothing but sharp and stunning images.

Each Pro Edition Kit comes with a protective phone case and clip mount, along with lens caps and pouches to safely store them when not in use.

The price may be a bit high, but these lenses deliver DSLR-like results.

Pros:

• Comes with four high-quality lenses
• Results in DSLR-quality photos
• Provides compatible protective phone case
• Includes lens caps and storage pouches

Cons:

• Very expensive

Best for Pros

Sandmarc Pro Edition Kit

• $300 at Sandmarc

Best of the best

The Sandmarc Pro Edition Kit is not cheap, but it's some of the highest quality lenses on the market. You get telephoto, wide, macro, and fisheye lenses that deliver DSLR-like results. It also comes with the compatible protective phone case and storage pouches.

Best for Convenience: Zytlus Designer Revolver M Series Camera Kit

If you want convenience, nothing quite beats the Zytlus Designer Revolver M Series Camera Kit.

With this kit, you get a stylish case that has a magnetic connection attachment area on the back of the case. Just insert the revolver lens here, and you have just added three sets of dual lenses to your iPhone. Just flip them out of the disc and align them up with your cameras, then shoot away!

The revolver includes the following combinations: Wide Angle/Telephoto, Macro/Super Macro, and Fisheye/Telephoto. It's super easy to get to the lens you want, and all it takes is a flip. The case itself features several different designs that are sure to catch someone's eye, and the metal plate for the lenses match the design perfectly.

Pros:

• Unique style
• Very convenient mechanism
• Gives you six different lens options
• Case gives you protection
• Ready to go in seconds

Cons:

• You're stuck with the case

Best for Convenience

Zytlus Designer Revolver M Series Camera Kit

• $50 at Amazon

Style and convenience

Zytlus Designer Revolver M Series Camera Kit gives you a stylish and protective case with a unique magnetic disc that easily attaches to the back. You can flip out some lenses and align it with the camera and start shooting for some nice and distinctive photos. This is one of the most convenient options.

Best Ease of Use: CAMKIX Bluetooth Camera Shutter Remote Control Lens Kit

If you often like to take selfies or record video for a vlog, then you'll realize that sometimes it's a lot harder than it should be with a phone. That's not the case with CAMKIX's Shutter Remote Control Lens Kit.

This kit includes five lenses: telephoto, circular polarized lens (CPL), fisheye, macro, and wide-angle lenses. They attach to your iPhone via the universal clamp, and there is also a wireless remote control that you can control with Bluetooth to snap a photo or record video. This Bluetooth remote has a wireless range of 30 feet (10 meters), so it will help you capture the best views with the included lens attachments.

When you aren't actively using it, the lens kit stores away in a convenient carrying case that also includes a carabiner for easy travel. There is also a lanyard and wrist strap.

Pros:

• Includes the essential lenses and universal clamp
• Has a wireless Bluetooth shutter remote control
• Affordable price
• Convenient storage and travel case
• Comes with lanyard and wrist strap

Cons:

• Quality may not be the best

Best Ease of Use

CAMKIX Bluetooth Camera Shutter Remote Control Lens Kit

• $19 at Amazon

Wireless convenience

This kit includes all of the basic lenses that you would need: telephoto, CPL, fisheye, macro, and wide-angle lenses. It uses a universal clamp, so it works with pretty much any device, and the storage case has a carabiner for easy travel. Plus, the Bluetooth wireless shutter remote is convenient for getting the perfect photo or video.

Bottom line

Olloclip is a brand that is well-known for iPhone photography, so that's why we still think that the Filmer's Kit is the best one, despite the somewhat high price tag. The kit includes all of the lenses you would possibly need, though you can swap them out with any of their other Connect X lenses if desired. The Pivot mobile grip makes it easy to get a better view in your photo or video, and the storage case fits everything perfectly in the custom mold.

For those concerned about compatibility, these lenses work with caseless devices, even if you just have a screen protector. And if you absolutely need a case on your phone, it works with the Olloclip Slim Case.

Credits — The team that worked on this guide

Christine Romero-Chan is an avid iPhone photographer and is always seeking out the perfect photo to capture with her iPhone. She knows what's good in terms of iPhone photography accessories.