kalani_kane
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 p.2 #5 · Phone add-on lenses anyone? | |
Sandmarc 72mm for iPhone 17/17pro max arrived early last night and I had a quick test if this is helpful.
* build quality feel solid, comes with a nice pouch that is easily pocketable, and soft zipper case that is jacket-pocketable. Portability is great.
* iPhone 17pro max case fits well, is able to MagSafe charge, but downside is there are no tripod mount points (like my SmallRig), and this may be important for video or low light stability
* Very small rear lens cap is guaranteed to be dropped or lost, so I'm already looking in to a back-up replacement
* relies solely on iPhone AF (no manual focus ring) per an earlier question on this thread
* makes iPhone + 72mm lens front heavy, of course, but not overly so compared to longer lenses, so I think it's acceptable.
The initial frustration point is that I was aware the built-in camera app does not allow you to chose lenses, so a 3rd party app is necessary. I have Blackmagic Camera for video, so needed a photo-specific one. Tried the Sandmarc-recommended "ProCamera" app which supposedly allows choosing the telephoto lens, but it is *very* spotty and even when choosing telephoto option seems to default to main lens when min-focus distance isn't achieved (so there is a partially blocked view), then jumps to telephoto lens, then quickly jumps back even if AF is locked. I liked that this app allows for local, not cloud, storage via an internal Lightroom option, however, I found it unusable for now. It also requires a yearly subscription for $29.99/yr with a 1-week free trial.
Another Sandmarc recommended app is "ProCam" which seems stripped down and oversimplified, does not allow local storage, but choosing the 4x or 8x telephoto options is persistent. I used this for now with all auto settings. Required a 1-time purchase for $9.99, no subscription nonsense but no free trial.
Immediate usability takeaways are the obvious limitations of minimal stabilization, especially in poor light, is a bit tricky and minimum focus distance requires fiddling with lens on/lens off decisions, but internal iPhone AF is very snappy and when it hits it seems acceptable. The "ProCam" app itself I don't believe has subject tracking or anything beyond single point AF, but I need to explore this further but not a surprise.
For now, cautiously pleased with IQ, especially compared to zooming in with built-in iPhone camera, but it's early early thoughts. Zooming in on the built-in 8x camera vs. Sandmarc 4x optical, for example, has much greater and pleasing subject separation with Sandmarc, imho, that I had not initially expected. I'm equally interested in video, so having optical magnification with fairly acceptable sharpness is already a win, as long as iPhone can be mounted or braced. For once-in-a-lifetime shots that would have been missed without an add-on tele lens, I think it fits my use case and I could see traveling exclusively with this iPhone/tele lens setup with these initial tests. ymmv.
Below are 4 shots showing relative field of view and relative IQ with default "ProCam" app rendering. It's snowing now, (yay mid-April in Anchorage, Alaska!) so lighting is poor, and I'm braced against a bar chair for stability. First shot is iPhone 17 Pro Max built-in telephoto 4x optical magnification, followed by 8x zoom option. Next is Sandmarc 72mm field of view at 4x optical mag selection, then 8x zoom.
iPhone17pm_4x-builtin by Kalani Kāne
iPhone17pm_8x-builtin by Kalani Kāne
iPhone17pm_4x-sandmarc by Kalani Kāne
iPhone17pm_8x-sandmarc by Kalani Kāne
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