They always say the best camera is the one you have at hand. And we tend to have our phones closer and more readily available than some other camera (unless you're a pro). So how do we make the most of what we have? There have always been a plethora of accessories to help out and get the best, but really the best way I've known to get a better picture is find some better way to HOLD the phone. Often watching videos or seeing blurry pictures, comes as a result that the phone is just 'tiny' and doesn't weigh much, so it's susceptible to minor movements. Despite any image stabilization - the best is having some sort of gimble or frame to hold on to.
Enter the ShiftCam SnapGrip Lite Kit.
This thing makes it really look and feel like an SLR. Something you can 'grip' onto.
The accessory is $150.99CAD right now, and essentially is a 3 in 1 saviour for your phone's photos.
- It uses MagSafe to stick to your phone and give you a camera grip to hold and make it still
- It uses Qi and a 3200mAh battery to help keep your phone charged
- It comes with another MagSafe enabled LED light to keep your subject well lit.
And, if you don't have MagSafe, it comes with mag sticker/adapter for you (which doesn't impede any Qi charging - I checked).
Let's start by unboxing it.
Okay, so literally it does what it says on the tin. Luckily, I have some devices with a MagSafe adapter build in already, so I didn't need to use their sticker, but I did test it with just some scotch tape to hold it in place on another phone.
You connect the SnapGrip to your phone and tap the shutter button to turn it on - and its Bluetooth is looking for something to connect to. You pair it with your phone and blam. The button acts as a shutter trigger (essentially a volume button).
Do note that for videos, hit it once to start, again to end (not holding it down while you shoot).
That's neat and all, the problem for me is that once I was done, and I didn't want it to do that anymore, it still stays connected, so you'd have to click your BT and click SnapGrip and choose 'disconnect'.
After a couple minutes of no connection the base will turn off. I wish there was a way to turn it off without having to do that.
Then there's also a small button next to the shutter, this turns on the Qi battery charging.
The little light will turn green showing you its on, and then you're given a battery level indicator for how much juice it has left.
You can click it again to turn off.
It charges via a USB-C port at the bottom. It comes with a USB-A->USB-C cord for your convenience.
Then in the 'lite kite', or ('limited edition' on the site) you'll see that it comes with a separate LED attachment.
This LED ring has a mirror in front (for you to help frame up) and uses MagSafe to connect either directly to your phone (if you're using the device without the base) or to the front of the SnapGrip, so you can have both.
Even better, the attachment allows the LED to swing out and illuminate for your selfies.
It charges via a little port in the inside of it. I think it's a bit of a miss to not let it charge up by Qi as well, I bet it was a decision that just couldn't be incorporated, but still. 2 accessories, both needing charging can be a pain if you have to do both at once.
The LED has a button to turn it on (long press to turn on or off) and then tap it to cycle through the levels of brightness.
I tried using it for some photos, and either I was already in too well lit an environment for me to notice a difference, or the placement of the light was a little awkward (and close up caused some unwanted shadows), but it looks pretty kick ass all set out - like you're a pro vlogger!
Best of all, this comes in a pretty stylish little zip case for you to hold everything in.
One thing to keep in mind is the size of your phone - that distance from the MagSafe to the device can mean if it's flush with the edge or 'spilling over' just a little when in landscape mode.
The other added advantage this can have for you is to act like a little 'rest' for your phone. Prop it up either landscape or portrait mode as a mini stand while you either can watch something on it or act like a mini tripod.
Now, only if there were a special mic option too.
Overall, if you're a photo enthusiast with your phone, I think you're going to love this novel accessory.
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