ShiftCam LensUltra Explorer Super Zoom Tele 240mm review: big reach, big compromises

Clip-on lenses for smartphones have always sat in an interesting middle ground between a genuinely useful tool and an gimicky extra. ShiftCam has been one of the key names trying to push that space forward, building a reputation for better-engineered mobile optics than the cheap, generic screw-on lenses that used to dominate the market.

The LensUltra Explorer Super Zoom Tele 240mm is a new entry in that lineup. On paper, it offers a serious telephoto focal length in a form factor small enough to live in a bag pocket. I tested it primarily with a case for the Xiaomi 15 Ultra, though cases are also available for iPhones and Samsung Galaxy models, and there’s a universal clip mount if you want to share the lens between devices.

This kind of lens naturally appeals to the same crowd browsing for the best camera phones and best iPhone lenses who already push their phone cameras beyond casual snaps. The question is whether, in 2026, when computational zoom and high-megapixel sensors are better than ever, a 240mm add-on still earns its place.

Specifications

Price

At $225 / £185, the LensUltra 240mm sits in the premium end of the mobile lens market, and it’s priced more like an autofocusing camera lens rather than a phone accessory. That's before you factor in the $50 / £37.50 cost of the dedicated case.

It's still not unreasonable for something that genuinely expands your creative options. But in a world where your phone already does so much heavy lifting with AI and computational photography, the value equation depends heavily on how often you’ll realistically take out this tele lens.

Design & Handling

Let’s start with the lens itself, because this is where ShiftCam’s experience shows. The 240mm unit looks sleek and sophisticated, with a finish that feels like a premium accessory rather than a toy. It’s reasonably compact for what it is – its shorter but wider than some other tele adapters I’ve used – and it feels reassuringly solid in the hand.

The included hard shell carry case is genuinely excellent. It’s properly fitted, protects the lens well, and even has a carabiner clip, so you can hang it off a bag or belt.

The mounting system is a twist-in design. There’s no mechanical lock, but the fit is tight enough that I never felt like the lens might slide out accidentally, and it gave me confidence to move around without babying it.

The lens is also compatible with a universal clip mount, which is great if you don’t want multiple cases.

The case I tested, for the Xiaomi 15 Ultra, was more of a mixed bag. Functionally it does the job, and the built-in MagSafe/Qi2 magnets are a big plus, opening the door to magnetic accessories, cages and mounts. But the finish feels a little cheap compared to the lens itself – I would have preferred a softer, more silicone-style material.

More concerning, the lens mount section can slide a few millimeters left or right, which means the lens isn’t always perfectly aligned with the phone’s camera. That tolerance feels small, but with optics like this, small misalignments matter.

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Performance

In the center of the frame, the 240mm lens can deliver usable results, especially in good light, although sharpness is still stronger with the native lens. But it's around the edges where things fall apart.

I saw a lot of vignetting, with dark corners creeping in from the edges of the lens; peripheries are also much softer than using the native phone lens. Some images had a slightly "shot through a window" feel, with a faint glassy distortion that made shots look less crisp than I’d hoped, and contrast washed out.

The biggest issue is that the best competition for the LensUltra is just from your phone itself. The 200-megapixel sensor in my Xiaomi 15 Ultra and improved pixel binning mean that the digital zoom, especially at moderate telephoto ranges like 240mm, produced cleaner, more consistent results.

These conclusions are based on the Xiaomi telephoto camera, so I can't say its defintely the same as Apple or Samsung, but the latest Apple iPhone 17 Pro and Pro Max have 200mm lossless zoom, which performed very well when we reviewed the phone.

There’s also the practicality factor. Day to day, I didn’t want to carry this attached to my phone, and I didn’t love the idea of clipping it to myself. That meant it lived in a bag – and when I spotted a shot, the hassle of getting it out, mounting it, and lining everything up often killed the moment. In the time it took, I could have zoomed digitally and already moved on.

Where it makes more sense is in specific scenarios, if you are off to a sports game, wildlife park, or safari, where you expect to be shooting at long range for extended periods and can leave it mounted. In those contexts, the extra reach could be genuinely useful.

Verdict

I really wanted to like the ShiftCam LensUltra 240mm as I have had a good experience with the Oppo Hasselblad teleconverter, and Vivo's Zeiss version – but too many optical compromises held me back.

The lens looks great, and the mounting system is more robust than a lot of phone lens solutions I’ve used. In the right situation, it absolutely extends what your phone can do.

But smartphone cameras have evolved at a ridiculous pace. Computational zoom and huge sensors mean the gap this lens is trying to fill is smaller than ever. In many everyday situations, I got results that were as good – or better – just using the phone’s own zoom.