iPhone® Photography & Video For Dummies®

Chapter 8. Getting Some Zoom on the iPhone

In This Chapter

• Understanding the difference between digital zoom and optical zoom

• Looking at attachable magnifying lenses

• Checking out a zooming telephoto lens system with manual focus

You're probably wondering if I've lost my mind writing about zooming on an iPhone! But think about the possibilities. You already have the iPhone with you just about anywhere you go. Having a lens that can get you closer to what you want to photograph without actually moving would be an easy way to improve your photo compositions. However, the majority of your photo-taking experience with the iPhone will probably be without an external lens.

Note

The iPhone camera has a fixed aperture setting of f/2.8. The telephoto lenses I discuss in this chapter are really telescopes; they do not contain a shutter and are simply magnifiers.

There's no obvious way to attach external lenses or magnifiers to the iPhone. In Chapter 7, the OWLE bubo is discussed, which does provide a way of attaching lenses. In this chapter, you see another device that provides this capability for a relatively small cost. Lenses that attach to a connector glued onto the iPhone case are not covered because I do not recommend them.

Three lenses and lens holders are available. They're in no particular order and you can judge the appropriateness of each one for your situation based on the information given. ...