{"id":229008,"date":"2026-01-12T00:49:37","date_gmt":"2026-01-12T00:49:37","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/229008\/"},"modified":"2026-01-12T00:49:37","modified_gmt":"2026-01-12T00:49:37","slug":"i-added-a-10x-optical-zoom-to-my-iphone-with-this-attachable-lens-but-it-has-a-more-amazing-trick-up-its-sleeve","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/229008\/","title":{"rendered":"I added a 10x optical zoom to my iPhone with this attachable lens \u2014 but it has a more amazing trick up its sleeve"},"content":{"rendered":"

When the camera performance is exceptional out of the box, there\u2019s not a huge incentive for me to invest in any of the best iPhone lenses<\/a> out there. Perhaps it\u2019s due to past experiences that make me reluctant to use them more, but I\u2019ve had a change of heart after testing out one for the past month.<\/p>\n

The Shiftcam 240mm Super Zoom Tele<\/a> lens not only adds more optical zoom to the iPhone\u2019s main camera, but it also does the same with its telephoto camera. I\u2019ve paired it with my iPhone 16 Pro Max<\/a> using Shiftcam\u2019s specialty case to easily fasten the lens to either camera \u2014 and the results I\u2019ve been able to capture are surprising.<\/p>\n

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However, this telephoto lens is better suited at something else entirely different. It actually works extremely well as a macro lens when it\u2019s paired with four 10x macro lenses that connect to each other. Even though it looks like my iPhone\u2019s sporting a bazooka, I can\u2019t tell you the macro shots I\u2019ve been able to get with it. In fact, they feel almost unworldly.<\/p>\n

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More zoom range for your phone<\/p>\n

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\"Shiftcam\n<\/p>\n

(Image credit: Tom’s Guide \/ John Velasco)<\/p>\n

In order to use the Shiftcam 240mm Super Zoom Tele, you still have to buy a specialty case for your phone \u2014 which costs between $40 and $50 depending on the model. It\u2019s way better than trying to use the Universal S.Mount because the cases line up perfectly with each camera lens.<\/p>\n

Image 1 of 4<\/p>\n

\"Shiftcam(Image credit: Tom’s Guide \/ John Velasco)\"Shiftcam(Image credit: Tom’s Guide \/ John Velasco)\"Shiftcam(Image credit: Tom’s Guide \/ John Velasco)\"Shiftcam(Image credit: Tom’s Guide \/ John Velasco)<\/p>\n

After strapping it onto the 12MP telephoto camera of my iPhone 16 Pro Max, it effectively gives it 10x optical zoom. I took it to the beach to snap a few shots of the New York skyline, and you can see how much closer it gets with the lens on \u2014 even though the difference in detail between them aren\u2019t as dramatic looking, which is simply due to atmospheric distortion.<\/p>\n

Image 1 of 8<\/p>\n

\"Shiftcam(Image credit: Tom’s Guide \/ John Velasco)\"Shiftcam(Image credit: Tom’s Guide \/ John Velasco)\"Shiftcam(Image credit: Tom’s Guide \/ John Velasco)\"Shiftcam(Image credit: Tom’s Guide \/ John Velasco)\"Shiftcam(Image credit: Tom’s Guide \/ John Velasco)\"Shiftcam(Image credit: Tom’s Guide \/ John Velasco)\"Shiftcam(Image credit: Tom’s Guide \/ John Velasco)\"Shiftcam(Image credit: Tom’s Guide \/ John Velasco)<\/p>\n

However, you can see from the other shots above how the Shiftcam 240mm Super Zoom Tele does capture better detail. I can actually read out the words on the street signs in the first set of shots, while the closeup of the seagull illustrates how the lens results in getting me closer with more definition.<\/p>\n

\"Shiftcam<\/p>\n

(Image credit: Tom’s Guide \/ John Velasco)<\/p>\n

I think it\u2019s ideal for nature as well, which you can see in the before and after clip above where I\u2019m able to spot a bird resting up on a tree. The telephoto camera is good, but the lens attachment lets me get even closer to see more detail \u2014 and with some good ol\u2019 digital zoom \u2014 makes it look like I\u2019m extremely close to it.<\/p>\n

Get instant access to breaking news, the hottest reviews, great deals and helpful tips.<\/p>\n

\"Shiftcam<\/p>\n

(Image credit: Tom’s Guide \/ John Velasco)<\/p>\n

I\u2019m able to also add more zoom to my iPhone\u2019s main camera, but since it has a wider field of view, the result is like looking through a keyhole. Of course, a quick digital zoom fixes this and still makes the footage usable.<\/p>\n

Way better as a macro lens<\/p>\n

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\"Shiftcam\n<\/p>\n

(Image credit: Tom’s Guide \/ John Velasco)<\/p>\n

As much as I love adding more range to my iPhone\u2019s telephoto camera, this lens is remarkable for macro photography \u2014 so much so that many of the shots I\u2019ve captured look unworldly. By fastening four 10x macro converters to the barrel of the Shiftcam 240mm Super Zoom Tele, it lets me get ultra close snapshots with impressive magnification.<\/p>\n

Image 1 of 17<\/p>\n

\"Shiftcam(Image credit: Tom’s Guide \/ John Velasco)\"Shiftcam(Image credit: Tom’s Guide \/ John Velasco)\"Shiftcam(Image credit: Tom’s Guide \/ John Velasco)\"Shiftcam(Image credit: Tom’s Guide \/ John Velasco)\"Shiftcam(Image credit: Tom’s Guide \/ John Velasco)\"Shiftcam(Image credit: Tom’s Guide \/ John Velasco)\"Shiftcam(Image credit: Tom’s Guide \/ John Velasco)\"Shiftcam(Image credit: Tom’s Guide \/ John Velasco)\"Shiftcam(Image credit: Tom’s Guide \/ John Velasco)\"Shiftcam(Image credit: Tom’s Guide \/ John Velasco)\"Shiftcam(Image credit: Tom’s Guide \/ John Velasco)\"Shiftcam(Image credit: Tom’s Guide \/ John Velasco)\"Shiftcam(Image credit: Tom’s Guide \/ John Velasco)\"Shiftcam(Image credit: Tom’s Guide \/ John Velasco)\"Shiftcam(Image credit: Tom’s Guide \/ John Velasco)\"Shiftcam(Image credit: Tom’s Guide \/ John Velasco)\"Shiftcam(Image credit: Tom’s Guide \/ John Velasco)<\/p>\n

Honestly, it feels like I\u2019ve teleported into the quantum realm because these photos are unlike anything I\u2019ve captured. Even though the iPhone\u2019s already equipped with its own macro mode, the problem with using it is that I\u2019m forced to point the camera super close to whatever I\u2019m shooting \u2014 whereas with this setup with the Shiftcam lenses, there\u2019s about a 4 inches of separation.<\/p>\n

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That\u2019s helpful because this focal distance leaves extra room so that I don\u2019t disturb whatever I\u2019m shooting, plus it allows for ample light with my subject. Lighting is key because it allows me to shoot at a faster shutter speed, which helps to reduce blurring. I\u2019m honestly excited to see what else I\u2019ll be able to capture when spring arrives with this macro lens.<\/p>\n

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\"Shiftcam\n<\/p>\n

(Image credit: Tom’s Guide \/ John Velasco)<\/p>\n

I\u2019ve already explained that you need a specialty case in order to use the Shiftcam 240mm Super Zoom Tele lens properly, but you\u2019ll also need to download a third party camera app. That\u2019s because the native Camera app doesn\u2019t let you manually select which camera you want to use. In fact, when I attach the lens to the main camera, it automatically switches to the ultrawide for macro mode because it senses something is really close to it.<\/p>\n

Image 1 of 2<\/p>\n

\"Shiftcam(Image credit: Tom’s Guide \/ John Velasco)\"Shiftcam(Image credit: Tom’s Guide \/ John Velasco)<\/p>\n

Conversely, the same thing happens when I try to fasten it to the telephoto camera. I shelled out another $10 to download the ProCam app<\/a>, seeing that it lets me manually select which camera lens to shoot. Secondly, I recommend also getting some kind of phone holder and tripod because it\u2019ll help with all the shaking that\u2019s introduced.<\/p>\n

I\u2019ve been able to capture some stuff handheld, like the dramatic shots of the moon above, but you\u2019ll get the best results keeping the phone still as possible. Nevertheless, the Shiftcam 240mm Super Zoom Tele lens adds a new layer of creativity I didn\u2019t expect to find with my iPhone. And yes, these lenses work with other phones \u2014 just as long you use a compatible case<\/a> or the universal lens mount<\/a>.<\/p>\n

The telephoto lens by itself costs $250, which goes up to $314 if you upgrade to the macro kit<\/a>. Shiftcam also offers a 240mm Full Kit<\/a> for $ $404 that tacks on VND and CPL filters, along with a carrying case for everything. You might think this is overboard, but this is still pretty reasonable because buying similar lenses for my mirrorless camera would end up costing me thousands.<\/p>\n

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\"Google\n<\/p>\n

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Today’s best ShiftCam Photography Kit deals<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"When the camera performance is exceptional out of the box, there\u2019s not a huge incentive for me to…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":229009,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[16],"tags":[342,111,139,69,145],"class_list":{"0":"post-229008","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-mobile","8":"tag-mobile","9":"tag-new-zealand","10":"tag-newzealand","11":"tag-nz","12":"tag-technology"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/229008","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=229008"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/229008\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/229009"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=229008"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=229008"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=229008"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}