Phone Lens Kits

Several lenses in one set

A phone lens kit puts several clip-on lenses in one set, usually with one clip they share and a pouch or box to carry them. It is the easiest way to find out which kinds of shot you enjoy, since most people end up using one or two lenses often and the rest now and then. A kit also makes a good present for someone just starting to take photos seriously on their phone.

The kits here

• Wide-angle and macro sets. A 0.45x wide-angle with a 12.5x macro screwed onto its back. Together they give the wide view; unscrewed, the macro takes close-ups of flowers, insects and coins at a centimetre or two.
• Telephoto kits. A long telescope lens with a mini tripod, a phone holder and a clip, for the moon, birds, sport and gigs. The tripod has the standard quarter-inch thread, so it holds a phone or a small light on its own as well.
• Big kits. Ten pieces in one: a fisheye, a wide-angle and macro, a 2x telescope, a polarising filter, and effect filters such as kaleidoscope, flow, radial and star. One is sold with a remote.

The fisheye three-in-one kits are under fisheye phone lenses, and the separate lenses under clip-on phone lenses.

What to look for in a kit

Check the clip first: each product page says how wide it opens or the thickest phone it takes, so measure your phone, and its case if you want to keep it on. Look for a cap for each lens, so the glass stays clean, and a pouch with a place for each piece. Choose the lenses you think you will use: a big kit with lenses you never fit is only more to carry.

A phone with several cameras on the back needs the clip-on lens over the one in use. Open the camera at 1x and cover each lens in turn with a fingertip: the one that darkens the screen is where the clip-on goes. If dark corners show, slide the clip until they clear. A thick case or a camera lens protector can hold the lens off the glass, so most clips work best with the case off.

Questions people ask about phone lens kits

Which lens in a kit gets used most?

That depends on the phone. On a phone without an ultra-wide camera, the wide-angle often does. On a phone that has one, the macro and telephoto add more, because they reach where the phone cannot.

Can I use a filter and a lens together?

Some kits are made so a filter goes over a lens. Each extra piece of glass costs light and can darken the corners, so try it first. Filters on their own are under phone lens filters.

How long does delivery take?

Delivery is included in every price and tracked to your door. Each product page says when it usually arrives.

More to look at

• Wide-angle phone lenses
• Macro phone lenses
• Telephoto phone lenses
• Phone lens filters
• Phone tripods
• Bundles and gift sets
• Guide: Clip-on phone lenses and filters explained
• Guide: Camera lens protectors: what they do and how to choose