If there are two things that my smartphone camera lacks, it’s bokeh and close-up capabilities – which is why Moment’s new macro lenses caught my eye. The Moment Macro 75mm II and Macro 10x II bring upgraded cinema-grade glass close-ups to smartphone photography.
The smartphone add-on lenses enable closer shots than a naked smartphone alone. As the name suggests, the new lenses are the second generation in Moment’s T-series, which is designed for newer (2023 and later) phones. The second-generation macro lenses, announced earlier this month, use 30 percent more glass in the design, which Moment says increases sharpness.
The 75mm allows creators to stay three to four inches / 76-101mm away from the subject, while the 10x offers an up-close-and-personal one-inch / 25mm shooting distance.
But adding the extra glass in front of a smartphone camera does more than just get closer. The closer you are to the subject, the smaller the depth of field is. Sample shots from the new macro lenses show far more bokeh or blurred backgrounds than shots on a naked iPhone.
The 75mm Macro II also supports twisting on a 67mm lens filter, while the 10X Macro II includes a diffusion hood to help soften the shadows that are commonly an issue with extreme close-ups.
While the close-up capabilities bring more bokeh to smartphone photography, mobile lenses still have more limitations than interchangeable lens cameras, including the smaller sensors and limited bokeh.
On a DSLR or mirrorless camera, a 75mm macro lens would also double as a portrait lens, but Moment warns this isn’t the case. The smartphone add-on lenses have a very limited focus range. The Moment Macro 75mm II can only focus on subjects that are between 2.75 inches and 3.9 inches away, or 70-100mm, so it won’t double as a telephoto.
One of the things I wish my iPhone could do is take better closeups – an add-on lens makes it possible to get far closer. The challenge is remembering to bring along the add-on lens with you, as the lenses add a little more bulk to the back of the phone.
The new Moment macro lenses retail for $150 / £130 / AU$258 / CA$213 each, with shipping beginning on December 2. The lenses require a Moment phone case to mount the lens. The launch of the new lenses also comes with a discount on the older series.
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Have an older phone? The Moment M-series macro is designed for phones older than 2023. Or, browse the best smartphone photography lenses.
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