Five Best iPhone Camera Mods

We all may covet our iPhones however truth be told, the on board camera leaves much to be desired. While its great to capture a fun moment involving a loved one, it is not really a tool to satiate those creative juices. Hence the phenomena of camera modding. 

Many enterprising folks have come up with alternate ways to utilize the camera capabilities of the iPhone. Some of the mods are easy,some complicated and some just plain ridiculous! However here we are listing some of the more famous iPhone camera mods that highlight how iPhone users are always on a quest to improve the love of their life (the iPhone, not their better half).

Why someone would carry an iPhone with a heavy duty DSLR lens attached to it rather than just carry a DSLR, is beyond me? However camera modder Bhautik Joshi doesn’t suffer from the same problem as me and hence the Phone-O-Scope. The Phone-O-Scope lets iPhone users attach any regular DSLR/SLR lens to the iPhone to take  ”fuzzy, Holga-like images.” The idea behind this mode is to create an optical coupler and Joshi has used materials like a CD player, PVC pipe couplers and some good old duct tape. Not the most refined mod out there, but those who don’t care for sharp images and want to use their iPhone for creative photography will love the Phone-O-Scope. You can check out the steps here.

Love Macro photography? Hate that the iPhone cannot be used as a magnifying tool? Then check out the iPhone Magnifying Camera Mod that lets you magnify different subjects with complete ease. This DIY is quite effective and is a good alternate to magnification apps that are available on the Apple Store. To build this mod, you would require materials like a Jar Lid, old lenses, a White LED and a 3v battery holder among other things. Once the device is built, iPhone users can connect it to their phone by grabbing the JST connector and pushing it directly onto the camera lens. Read the entire set of instructions here.

For iPhone user Daniel Forsythe, reading QRcode and Datamatrix barcodes from his iPhone is a must. The fact that the iPhones are focused at near infinity for versatility didn’t stop him as he modded his iPhone to focus from a bit closer. Since the iPhone mobile phone camera module has been glued on the iPhone, Forsythe, just scrapped the glue off and turned the lens counterclockwise to bring the focus closer. Trust us, it is not as simple as its sounds and requires a lot of technical finesse.

You will need:

iPhone (or really for that matter, a number of other similar camera phones)

An understanding that this may void your warranty, AppleCare, and may not work at all or damage your phone if done improperly

Jeweler’s philips screwdriver

Needlenose pliers

iPhone/Pod case cracking tool: Official type Black stick Old Credit Card Flatblade screwdriver (not recommended as can damage case)

Get the rest of the instructions here.

Who doesn’t want a make-shift macro lens for their iPhone? While it may not be the most elegant mod out there but it gets the job done and doesn’t require any major tech know-how. All you need is a lens from a scrapped camera and double sided tape. Then just wrap the lens from the camera‚Äôs eye-piece in it and fasten it to the iPhone with a clip and voila you get your macro lens!

If the make-shift macro lens doesn’t appeal to the perfectionist inside you and you want something more refined, then check out the homemade macro lens made from a cd-rom or dvd-player. You need to take out the lens from a defunct cd or dvd player and stick it to the iPhone via a transparent tape. Images taken from this lens would be more artistic and have an extremley abstract vibe to it.

If the thought of sticking screwdrivers and alien objects to your beautiful iPhone makes you uncomfortable, then we understand. Instead you can invest in an accessory like the Apple iPhone 3G / 3G Mobile Phone Telescope that offers magnification up to 6x.

If you have $200 burning your pocket then try case with optional lenses from Factron. You have an option to buy fisheye, wide angle lenses to help your iPhone photography.

Modding is not everyone’s cup of tea  as majority of us are hesitant (rightly so) to fiddlle with our devices. If something goes wrong not only do you destroy your gadget but also nullify your warranty hence its not something we recommend to everyone. But if you still want more from the generic iPhone camera then do check out our pick of the best iPhone Photography Apps. Another accessory worth looking is the Clairfi case which has a  built-in close-up lens for iPhone 3G.