With the enhancement of cameras on smartphones, add-on lenses have been commonly used. The main issue with these smartphone camera lenses is the optical quality that usually is not the best since many lenses are inexpensive. On the other end, there are smartphone lenses that produce incredible image quality but comes with difficult attachment mechanisms.
Moment has changed the game with smartphone lenses. It has four lenses that a part of the New series, the Tele Lens, the Superfish lens, the Macro lens, and the Wide lens. The 18mm Wide lens gives you a broader view of your phone’s main lens while keeping its sharp quality without any added distortion.
Design and Compatibility
The lens itself is built like many smartphone lenses. It is small and compact to suit your phone. With each lens, you will need to buy a mounting case and since it requires a case, it does not fit all phones. But if you happen to have a popular smartphone, you are guaranteed of having a case that fits.
The standard case starts selling at $29.99 which is available for most iPhones, a few Google Pixels, and some Samsung Galaxies and Galaxy Notes. These cases come in a black finish or in a wood grain walnut brown. You will find the cases to be a bit thicker than normal cases. It has a bulky feel but this thickness is mainly due to the support the bayonet lens mount system needs.
If you have the iPhone 7/8 or 7 Plus/8 Plus, you can also opt for a battery case which goes for $99.99. Â This case only comes in black and is a bit thicker due to the battery, obviously. With the battery case, Moment added a shutter button so it feels like you are using a point-and-shoot. It also has an external Lightning connect instead of a micro USB.
Moment Features
Moment has an iOS app that allows you to control the camera settings for any add-on lens and add EXIF data. This allows you to know which lens you used for certain images. Although, adding the EXIF information takes some time as you have to set the app to match each lens you attached. Unfortunately, this app is not available for Android.
Image Quality
With the New series, these four lenses replace Moment’s first series which are the Original moniker. The great thing about the New series is each lens is sold separately so you won’t have to purchase any lens you don’t like.
The New 18mm Wide allows the field of view to expand from the phone’s main lens. Instead of giving you a 28mm view, the lens transforms it into an 18mm view.
The best part of the lens is the lack of distortion. Images do not come out as sharp with the lens as they would without the lens, but in comparison to many smartphone lenses, it maintains a high quality. The New Wide lens also works with panorama mode to give you a wider view of your subject.
Moment even made a wider lens – the Superfish. This one might be a better alternative if you want to capture as much as possible. Although, the Superfish does have a barrel of distortion since it has a typical fish-eye look. The images also are not as sharp and detailed as the Wide lens.
How Do They Compare?
| Moment Wide Lens | Moment Anamorphic Lens |
| Has no distortion | Has visible distortion |
| Captures subject in a cooler tone | Gives a warm tint |
Conclusion
Buying the complete Moment New series lenses will cost a hefty amount of money, almost as much as an entry-level SLR. As mentioned, you can buy each lens separately which will save you money and can also grab the lenses you know you will be using.
It is evident that many smartphones have caused damage to the entry-level point-and-shoot camera market. You have a device that not only takes calls, has the internet, but also can take incredible pictures. Many companies have enhanced phones cameras to shoot impressively and some capture in RAW.
These add-on lenses only enhance the quality of your photos taken. Throughout the years, smartphone lenses have been a hit or miss but mainly misses. There was the Imvio kit that was cheap but had poor image quality. Then there was the Photojojo’s Iris which was better but the mounting mechanism was inconvenient.
Moment definitely stepped the game up in these types of lenses and solved the majority of the problems phone lenses had before. The image quality is good and the mounting is simple and secure. As for the New Wide lens, it is one of the better wide-angle lenses on the market. It captures a sharp and detailed view without distortion.
