Not Sony specific, but this where I hang my hat so.....
Have an upcoming Alaskan Cruise and probably only going to take my iPhone 17PM. Family oriented trip and been several times before, so don't want to lug big gear around.
Pretty happy with my iPhone pix on previous trips to Japan and Europe, but thinking of a good quality set of lenses for a bit more creativity (telephoto and macro).
There are several not-so-cheap add on lenses for the phones (Moment, Sandmarc, etc).
Wondering if these are just too gimmicky or will produce some worthy results.
I do cruising as well and I am super happy with my iPhone 17 Pro Max---not just stills but videos as well. I'm keeping an open mind and see if add-on lenses are worth it but right now I am more than ecstatic using the standalone phone.
As someone who really enjoys using my 17 Pro for travel photos when I don;t bring a camera (mainly backpacking), I tried to get into the add on lens thing. But it just becomes more stuff you need to carry with you, and at that point I'd rather just bring my Ricoh GR or even the A7CR with 28-60. I think the whole point of choosing to go with a phone over a camera is ease of use, and once you start adding lenses and proprietary cases, you take away the ease of use aspect pretty quick.
Besides, the new tele lens in the 17 pro is actually pretty good for what it is, so I don't feel compelled to add a dedicated lens for anything else.
I live in Anchorage, Alaska and shoot often with my iPhone 17 pro max, especially just day-to-day travels in town without dedicated camera equipment. For fortuitous wildlife encounters like moose or bald eagles, the telephoto range is quickly maxed out and cropping is not ideal, so I've considered carrying an add-on tele lens and have heard positive reviews on the Sandmarc Tetraprism designed for 17PM. I'm interested in additional user reviews here if anyone has experience as well, thanks
Tarekith wrote:
As someone who really enjoys using my 17 Pro for travel photos when I don;t bring a camera (mainly backpacking), I tried to get into the add on lens thing. But it just becomes more stuff you need to carry with you, and at that point I'd rather just bring my Ricoh GR or even the A7CR with 28-60. I think the whole point of choosing to go with a phone over a camera is ease of use, and once you start adding lenses and proprietary cases, you take away the ease of use aspect pretty quick.
Besides, the new tele lens in the 17 pro is actually pretty good for what it is, so I don't feel compelled to add a dedicated lens for anything else....Show more →
Great insight, thanks. I was thinking along those same lines ~ but if someone has a very positive experience, I may give it a go. They offer a 30 day free return, so I guess I could order and experiment before the trip.
I used to have a few of those moment lenses 10ish years ago before I got a camera. It's good fun and it got me into the hobby but it's not the same. It does feel awkward and a bit gimmicky, but it's not awful.
Granted that was before smartphone pictures became completely overcooked by post-processing and AI tune-ups.
Why not a Sony QX1 or QX10? Not neccessarily better images, but would do what you are wanting. The 1 also gives you options for some of the better aps-c or FE lenses.
TheEmrys wrote:
Why not a Sony QX1 or QX10? Not neccessarily better images, but would do what you are wanting. The 1 also gives you options for some of the better aps-c or FE lenses.
Seems like old tech that won't surpass the actual phone's sensor / camera... but appreciate the input!
Just learned about and pre-ordered the Sandmarc tetraprism 72mm (3x optical) zoom, anticipated delivery early April. It will mostly live in the car for serendipitous local wildlife encounters and lightweight or spontaneous hikes, maybe cycling with friends.
kalani_kane wrote:
Just learned about and pre-ordered the Sandmarc tetraprism 72mm (3x optical) zoom, anticipated delivery early April. It will mostly live in the car for serendipitous local wildlife encounters and lightweight or spontaneous hikes, maybe cycling with friends.
Hope it works out for you. I was sad to learn that these are all manual focus. Would be really tough on moving subjects.
gheller wrote:
Hope it works out for you. I was sad to learn that these are all manual focus. Would be really tough on moving subjects.
Original 10x ones were manual and really tricky to focus according to reviews, but reviews of the tetraprisms for 17 pro/17 pro max rely on iPhone AF. It looks like near-subject focus can be tricky, but my use case is squarely for distant wildlife which seems adequate and fast. Will see if it's worth it. There's so many distant wildlife encounters, like Dall Sheep from a car, that would be cool to just see clearly and any decent, focused resolution photo would capture the memory instead of just dots in the distance or zoomed in digital mess.
kalani_kane wrote:
Original 10x ones were manual and really tricky to focus according to reviews, but reviews of the tetraprisms for 17 pro/17 pro max rely on iPhone AF. It looks like near-subject focus can be tricky, but my use case is squarely for distant wildlife which seems adequate and fast. Will see if it's worth it. There's so many distant wildlife encounters, like Dall Sheep from a car, that would be cool to just see clearly and any decent, focused resolution photo would capture the memory instead of just dots in the distance or zoomed in digital mess.
Good to know ~ may be a nice add-on for the Alaskan Cruise coming up.
kalani_kane wrote:
Just learned about and pre-ordered the Sandmarc tetraprism 72mm (3x optical) zoom, anticipated delivery early April. It will mostly live in the car for serendipitous local wildlife encounters and lightweight or spontaneous hikes, maybe cycling with friends.
I was pretty shocked at the $300 price tag for this lens. Even if decent results, seems wildly overpriced for what it is.
kalani_kane wrote:
Just learned about and pre-ordered the Sandmarc tetraprism 72mm (3x optical) zoom, anticipated delivery early April. It will mostly live in the car for serendipitous local wildlife encounters and lightweight or spontaneous hikes, maybe cycling with friends.
When is your lens due for delivery? I am quite interested in real-world results
gheller wrote:
I was pretty shocked at the $300 price tag for this lens. Even if decent results, seems wildly overpriced for what it is.
When is your lens due for delivery? I am quite interested in real-world results
Seems pretty niche, but I have a specific use case for it here in Alaska and if it gets stolen out of the car it's a cheaper loss than my actual wildlife kit. ymmv, but it seems like a fun addition to me.
Delivery states early April.
Another option I learned was announced and available via pre-order is the Lumix ZS300/TS300 for pocketable zoom, but lack of viewfinder seems to be a deal breaker or there's limited interest, though iPhone has the same deficiency. I contemplated picking up an external LCD viewfinder cup for a simple solution if I go this route and it proves bothersome, but I'm on the fence. I may cancel Sandmarc and pick up the Lumix, or just try out both.
kalani_kane wrote:
Seems pretty niche, but I have a specific use case for it here in Alaska and if it gets stolen out of the car it's a cheaper loss than my actual wildlife kit. ymmv, but it seems like a fun addition to me.
Delivery states early April.
Another option I learned was announced and available via pre-order is the Lumix ZS300/TS300 for pocketable zoom, but lack of viewfinder seems to be a deal breaker or there's limited interest, though iPhone has the same deficiency. I contemplated picking up an external LCD viewfinder cup for a simple solution if I go this route and it proves bothersome, but I'm on the fence. I may cancel Sandmarc and pick up the Lumix, or just try out both.
Good update. I will probably order the SandMarc, as they have a great return policy if not happy. Would be nice to have the reach on our Alaskan Cruise
kalani_kane wrote:
Seems pretty niche, but I have a specific use case for it here in Alaska and if it gets stolen out of the car it's a cheaper loss than my actual wildlife kit. ymmv, but it seems like a fun addition to me.
Delivery states early April.
Another option I learned was announced and available via pre-order is the Lumix ZS300/TS300 for pocketable zoom, but lack of viewfinder seems to be a deal breaker or there's limited interest, though iPhone has the same deficiency. I contemplated picking up an external LCD viewfinder cup for a simple solution if I go this route and it proves bothersome, but I'm on the fence. I may cancel Sandmarc and pick up the Lumix, or just try out both.
gheller wrote:
Any update? I see some postings on their FB page that there can be long shipping times.
No change in shipping date or updated timeframe on website. I decided against the Lumix ZS300/TS300 after thread replies and seeing more reviews, so I'll just wait for the Sandmarc and hope it's worth the effort.
kalani_kane wrote:
No change in shipping date or updated timeframe on website. I decided against the Lumix ZS300/TS300 after thread replies and seeing more reviews, so I'll just wait for the Sandmarc and hope it's worth the effort.
ok, thanks for the update. if you don't mind updating the thread when it ships / arrives, really anxious to hear your thoughts on if it is a worthy purchase
