The best iPhone lenses in 2024

Best iPhone lenses

The best iPhone lenses are a sure fire way to take your iPhone photography up a level.

Sure, the new iPhone 15 Pro has a 48MP sensor, which sounds great on paper, right? Well, ask any professional photographer out there and they’ll tell you lenses are usually way more important than sensor megapixels. You could have as many megapixels as you like, but without a decent lens to focus light onto it, your images won’t look better.

So, while today’s iPhones have more advanced cameras and better lenses than ever, they’re still hampered to some extent by the fact that they only have tiny lenses attached. By using one of the best iPhone lens kits, you can add a dedicated fisheye lens for ultra-wide shots; an anamorphic lens for beautiful, cinematic video; a macro lens for stunning close ups; or a long range telephoto lens to capture far away detail perfectly.

Better yet, many of these lenses can be used with multiple iPhones and some eve with Android devices (although you’ll need an adapter). So, if you’ve just got one of the best phones, no matter what brand it is, there’s likely to be an external lens to suit.

All you need to do now is read on to see our list of the best iPhone lens kits.

The best iPhone lenses you can buy today

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Best iPhone lenses: Moment Lens

(Image credit: Future)

1. Moment Lens

The best iPhone lenses overall

Specifications

Lenses: Wide, Telephoto, Fish-eye, macro
Weight: 1.6 ounces (Wide), 1.7 ounces (Telephoto)
Compatibility: iPhone 6 and higher, Samsung Galaxy S8 and higher, Note 8, Google Pixel XL, 2/XL

Reasons to buy

+
Excellent quality
+
Works with later iPhones, Samsung Galaxy and Note smartphones and Google Pixel
+
Can be used with both rear cameras

Reasons to avoid

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Expensive

While expensive — each of its lenses costs between $80 to $130 — we think that Moment makes the best iPhone lens kits overall. Based on our tests with competing premium iPhone lens kits, the images from Moment's lenses are some of the best we've seen from any smartphone camera lens attachment. 

Moment makes a lens for just about every occasion: telephoto, wide angle, macro, anamorphic, and fisheye. And, the company makes cases for a wide range of smartphones, including the latest iPhone 14 range. Cases come in a variety of colors and finishes, and also include slim models and ones with extra batteries.

In addition, Moment also sells a range of filters, including neutral density and circular polarizers; while they don't work in conjunction with its lens kits, you can use the filters with your smartphone's camera.

Read our full Moment iPhone lens review.

best iPhone lenses: Moment Anamorphic

Moment Anamorphic (Image credit: Moment)

2. Moment Anamorphic

Best iPhone lens for video

Specifications

Lenses: 1.33 anamorphic
Weight: 2.6 ounces
Compatibility: iPhone 7 and up, Android with universal adapter

Reasons to buy

+
Allen bolt secures lens in place
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Works with multiple iPhones and Android phones

Reasons to avoid

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More expensive than competitors

After testing several models, the Moment anamorphic lens came out on top as the best iPhone lens for filmmakers. It can be oriented so you can hold your phone in either landscape or portrait mode, and, because it's locked in place, can't easily be jarred out of place. And, it helps you take some excellent video.

However, the Moment Anamorphic lens is a little more expensive than the competitors: It sells for $149 but also requires that you purchase a case, which adds between $30 and $40 to the cost. That said, you can often find anamorphic lenses cheaper when on saledirect from Moment — we've seen them go as low as $99 in the past. 

Sandmarc's Anamorphic lens ($129.99) is a good alternative, if you can find it for sale.

A photo of a Sandmarc iPhone lens attached to an iPhone 15 Pro using the Sandmarc iPhone case, all against a yellow background

(Image credit: Peter Wolinski / Future)
Great lenses that undercut Moment in price

Specifications

Lenses: Wide, Telephoto 2x, Telephoto 6x, Fish-eye, 25mm Macro, 100mm Macro, Microscope
Weight: 4.4 ounces (Telephoto 2x), 0.8 ounces (Macro)
Compatibility: iPhone 7 and higher

Reasons to buy

+
Delivers sharp images
+
Premium build
+
Not too pricey
+
Wide variety of lens options

Reasons to avoid

-
Best results with additional case
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Only for iPhone

If you can't stretch to the price of a Moment lens but still want great image and build quality, look no further than Sandmarc's iPhone lenses. In our testing, these lenses resulted in much better image quality than the iPhone's built-in lenses, especially the 2x telephoto lens. Sandmarc also offers a wide variety of lenses, from wide angle macro through to 6x telephoto and even a microscope lens. 

All Sandmarc lenses come with a clip to attach them to your phone, but we found this slipped about easily, moving the lens from the ideal spot, plus it always takes up space on your phone screen. For best results, you'll want to purchase the additional case. And while Sandmarc offers lenses for iPhones all the way back to the iPhone 7, it doesn't offer lenses for any other phones, so if you switch devices you won't be able to use your lens collection.

best iPhone lenses: Ztylus M6 Revolver

Ztylus M6 Revolver (Image credit: Ztylus)

4. Ztylus M6 Revolver

An innovative and inexpensive iPhone lens kit

Specifications

Lenses: 2X Telephoto Lens, Macro/Super Macro Lens, Fisheye/Wide Angle Lens
Weight: 3.27 ounces
Compatibility: iPhone 7/8, iPhone 7/8 Plus, iPhone X/XS

Reasons to buy

+
Secure magnetic connection
+
Clever mounting system
+
Inexpensive
+
Multiple case designs

Reasons to avoid

-
Only works with iPhones

If you own an older iPhone model then the Ztylus M6 Revolver is worth a look, because it includes a case for the iPhone X down to iPhone 7. In the middle of the case is a disc that the M6’s lenses attach to magnetically. The actual lenses, six in all, are contained in a circular puck, about 1.5 inches in diameter. Depending on the size of your hands, it may get in the way of getting a secure grip on the phone, since it takes up a good portion of the back of the case. 

Images taken using the M6 Revolver’s telephoto lens were good, and because it was magnetically attached to the case, made it much less susceptible to bumping or misalignment than traditional clip-on lenses. 

In addition to the telephoto lens, the M6 has a second telephoto, a wide angle, macro, super macro, and fisheye lens. And, because all are contained in the puck, they’re much easier to carry around than clip-on lenses, and stay protected when not in use. 

The M6 Revolver is available with one of up to 15 different cases, from a simple wood grain or carbon fiber to colorful patterns and Asian-inspired designs with dragons to quirky designs with cats and fish. Quality is certainly not the same as more expensive lenses from Moment or Sandmarc, but should be good enough for most people.

How to choose the best iPhone lens for you

For the most part, smartphones lens accessories do an admirable job of allowing you to shoot photos that mimic some of the qualities you'll find in high-end cameras that accept interchangeable lenses. But it's important to remember, the expensive lenses you'd use with an SLR or mirrorless camera are pricey for a reason. In other words, you'll want to dial back your expectations when buying even one of the best iPhone lens kits.

Here are four things to remember about most smartphone lens accessories, and where they come up short in comparison to high-end cameras.

At best, image quality remains the same: Since these lenses, in almost all cases, are attached by placing them over the rear-facing lens on your phone, the quality, at best, remains the same. In other words, the sensor and lenses combo isn't improved. In some cases, with say a telephoto lens, the sharpness in the center may display modest improvement; however, it's in the corners of the photo where sharpness really needs to be tested. With these lenses, the sharpness almost always falls dramatically in the corners. Even the best iPhone lens kits will also usually introduce a host of other problems, such as distortion, chromatic aberration (producing conspicuous purple outlines around subjects), and light falloff (where the center is much brighter than the images at the edges of a photo). Most high-quality interchangeable lenses made for DSLRs and mirrorless cameras are designed to significantly limit distortion, aberrations, and other optical defects. 

Telephoto lenses produce worse images and video than wide angle: No matter which telephoto lens you attach to your phone, it will produce blurrier photos and more jittery video footage than any wide angle or fisheye. That's because telephoto lenses are highly susceptible to handshake and vibration, and many smartphones, particularly older models, lack effective image stabilization. Our advice would be to get a tripod if you plan on shooting with a telephoto lens.

Lower quality flash photos: Some smartphone lenses block a smartphone's flash, which further limits your ability to capture decent photos in low light. This is rarely an issue with an interchangeable-lens camera.

Awkward designs and other limitations:  Since these lenses need to fit snugly over your smartphone's lens, you'll need to remove the camera's case, or be forced to use a case that's only compatible with the lens. Additionally, once you attach the lens, it prominently sticks out from the phone, ruining its sleek design. Good luck slipping that into your back pocket! Lastly, these lenses lack the sophisticated apertures and other hardware you'll find on interchangeable lenses, which allow you to produce truly professional-looking images. Even the best iPhone lens kits can't compete with 'proper' camera lenses on this front.

How we test iPhone lenses

When we test iPhone lenses, the first thing that we naturally look at is how well they perform. Cheaper lenses — those made from plastic, for example — will cause the photos you take to have blemishes, such as chromatic aberrations (purple fringes around objects) and blurriness. This is most evident with fisheye and wide-angle lenses, where objects towards the edges will be much blurrier than those towards the center. 

We also evaluate iPhone lenses in terms of ease of use: how easy are they to attach and remove from your smartphone? If it takes longer than a second, you could miss that shot you wanted to get. We also look at the price, as not everyone has $100 to spend just on a single lens; often, you can find models that cost less, but deliver nearly the same quality. Lenses also get bonus points if they work with more than just iPhones; why can't Android owners have some fun, too? With all of those criteria considered, we're able to compile our list of the best iPhone lens kits.

If you're looking to beef up your other smartphone photography kit, you'll want to check out our guide on the best ring lights, for perfectly exposed selfies and vlogginc content every time. You'll also want to make sure you invest in one of the best iPhone tripods, to make sure you're shooting from a steady platform. Why take photos and leave them unedited? Our guides to the best photo editing apps and best photo editing software will help you decide on the right editing software for you. And bear in mind that whether you're using one of the best camera phones or best cheap cameras, you'll need lots of storage space for your photos. Don't worry, we've got you covered there too with our guide to the best photo storage sites.

Thinking of upgrading from your smartphone camera? Make sure you read our pick of the best cameras to help you decide which is right for you. If you already know which side you're taking in the DSLR vs. mirrorless debate, check out our guide to either the best mirrorless cameras or best DSLR cameras.

Mike Prospero
U.S. Editor-in-Chief, Tom's Guide

Michael A. Prospero is the U.S. Editor-in-Chief for Tom’s Guide. He oversees all evergreen content and oversees the Homes, Smart Home, and Fitness/Wearables categories for the site. In his spare time, he also tests out the latest drones, electric scooters, and smart home gadgets, such as video doorbells. Before his tenure at Tom's Guide, he was the Reviews Editor for Laptop Magazine, a reporter at Fast Company, the Times of Trenton, and, many eons back, an intern at George magazine. He received his undergraduate degree from Boston College, where he worked on the campus newspaper The Heights, and then attended the Columbia University school of Journalism. When he’s not testing out the latest running watch, electric scooter, or skiing or training for a marathon, he’s probably using the latest sous vide machine, smoker, or pizza oven, to the delight — or chagrin — of his family.

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