ShiftCam | GIZMODO.cz

Remember the $1,599 probe lens Laowa made for DSLRs? Well, Shiftcam built one for 1/5th the price… and it mounts onto your iPhone for the most surreal macro videos ever.

A probe lens for smartphones was definitely not on my 2024 bingo card, but it seems like Shiftcam had other plans. When Laowa launched the first probe lens in 2019, it instantly became the talk of the photography community. The lens had a distinct design, shaped less like a cylinder and more like a projectile. Its design was the perfect example of form following function, because the probe lens could shoot macro unlike any other lens on the market. The only problem, it cost an eye-watering $1,599.

At CES, Shiftcam’s broadly achieved two incredible feats. Not only has it debuted its own probe lens for an ultra-affordable $299, it’s also redesigned it to work with iPhones, bringing the incredible experience to pretty much any smartphone photography enthusiast.

Designer: Shiftcam

Shiftcam’s Probe Lens has that same unmistakable design, with its long, tubular form factor. This pretty much lets you sneak your way into places where most smartphone camera lenses wouldn’t, allowing you to get what’s called a ‘bug’s perspective’ on things. Aside from being able to prod your way into tree trunks, aquariums, and other tight nooks, the distinct benefit of a Probe Lens is the fact that it doesn’t have an extreme DoF. This keeps things in your frame relatively clear, unlike most macro lens that aggressively blur foregrounds and backgrounds out to focus on a singular subject.

The Probe Lens boasts a wide-angle 25mm focal length, quite similar to Laowa’s 24mm lens. The results are incredibly similar too, but it’s a constant endeavor to remind yourself that while Laowa’s $1500 lens fits on expensive high-end cameras, Shiftcam achieves the exact same thing with a $299 price tag and the ability to mount onto any iPhone.

The lens builds on your smartphone’s camera specs, basically leveraging the iPhone’s wild 4K@60fps shooting ability. It relies on Shiftcam’s existing mounting cover cases, which means the lens can attach onto older versions of the iPhone too.

Shiftcam’s announced two versions of the Probe Lens at CES 2024. The regular variant sports a $299 price tag, while the $399 Pro variant boasts extra features like a built-in LED ring, variable DoF adjustment, and a waterproof front tube that lets you point the tip of your lens into water.

The post Shiftcam Probe Lens hands-on at CES 2024: the WILDEST iPhone camera accessory ever, just $299 first appeared on Yanko Design.

This may be the most well-designed smartphone grip we’ve seen in quite a while…

They say (and I’ve repeated this multiple times) that the best camera isn’t the one with the biggest sensor or the highest megapixel value, it’s the one that’s closest to you. Photography is so much about capturing the right moment that it really is about accessibility more than it is about technology… because what good is a camera if it isn’t around when you need it the most?

Smartphone cameras have gotten pretty good over the past few years. I just bought a new one myself and get this… 30x zoom on a device that slides into my pocket. Incredible, isn’t it? The only thing that’s missing from the smartphone photography experience is, however, the actual experience. Smartphones are dictated by their need to be thin, not by their need to be comfortable, which is why DSLRs have a very tangible edge over them. You could shoot for hours with a DSLR without your hand cramping, but try taking a selfie with your smartphone and you sprain like 5 muscles in your thumb alone just trying to reach the shutter button. I’ve seen my share of camera grips for smartphones that give it an ergonomic upgrade, but the ProGrip just stands out for a bunch of reasons.

The ShiftCam ProGrip comes with a universal gripping mechanism that allows you to clip any smartphone onto it and turn it into a pro-shooter. It features a Bluetooth shutter button that’s perfectly positioned so that you can click images with your index finger, and a grip that’s so inviting, you’re more likely to focus on photography rather than accidentally dropping your phone (it’s a real concern, believe me). The grip comes with a swivel joint that allows you to flip the phone over into portrait mode while you’re holding it in landscape, giving you varying degrees of freedom and the ability to shoot in a way that’s comfortable to you. Now that we’ve covered the basic stuff, let’s get to why the ShiftCam ProGrip stands out from brands like Pictar or Moment when it comes to providing the best DSLR-like experience.

Within the ProGrip’s voluminous gripping area is space for 2 x 18650 Li-ion rechargeable batteries. These batteries hook directly to a Qi charging coil within the ProGrip that wirelessly charges your phone while you’re in the middle of a shoot. Built with fast-charging, the ProGrip extends your smartphone’s camera experience by actually prolonging it, so you could go on shoots for the entire day without worrying about battery depletion… or you could grab long time-lapses without worrying about having a power-bank handy, because the ProGrip is, in fact, a power bank! The grip even comes with a flat surface that allows you to rest the ProGrip on its side, turning it into a tripod of sorts. Perhaps the first (and only) smartphone camera grip to wirelessly charge and dock your device, the ProGrip’s nifty design detail allows you to rest your phone on a surface, using it as not just a tripod to film content, but even your own multimedia device that lets you do everything from attending to hands-free video calls, or watching recipes as you cook along in the kitchen… and in case you really want to go professional and use a tripod, the ProGrip has a 1/4″ tripod mount built in, along with a cold shoe mount for various accessories like lighting setups or external microphones. Up until now, the smartphone camera was the most convenient option available… with the ProGrip, it’s also the most advanced camera experience available!

Designer: ShiftCam Design Team

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ShiftCam ProGrip: Multifunctional Battery Grip for Mobile Phones

The ProGrip is a smart grip solution for all creatives: adding value to the professional and giving voice to the amateur. It has an ergonomically designed smart grip, power bank and wireless charging dock all rolled into one.

The designers recognized that one of the major differences experienced when it comes to shooting on their phones is that it just doesn’t provide the security and balance of a traditional DSLR camera, especially while shooting for long periods of time across different locations. That is why during product development, the ShiftCam team focused on creating something that focuses on comfort and functionality to further optimize the mobile photography and videography experience.

They wanted to create a product that can close the gap by combining the accessibility and convenience of mobile phones, along with the familiarity and control of a traditional camera. Thus, the creation of the ProGrip, an innovative reassuring ergonomic battery grip for your mobiles.