Olloclip introduces new interchangeable lens system for iPhone 7
My backpack is full of little lenses, optical image enhancement attachments from Olloclip for my iPhone 6 that I have literally used around the world. Now, with the iPhone 7, they are useless.
I need some new attachments. Olloclip, apparently, has me covered.
The company that has been making macro, fish-eye, wide-angle and telephoto lens attachments for iPhones since the iPhone 5 is in the unenviable position of having to redesign its product every time Apple redesigns the iPhone.
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At a glance, the iPhone 7 looks exactly like the iPhone 6s, but for Olloclip, there is a key difference, the camera and lens is noticeably larger. And on the iPhone 7, it now has two cameras. All this means that my old Olloclips do not work with these new phones.
On Monday, the company announced that it's built a brand new lens-add-on system to accommodate both iPhone 7s. Not only are the lens optics new (multi-element and coated glass), the attachment system look and work differently, too.
Olloclip calls the new interchangeable lens system "Connect." For the first time, the lens housings and the frame that slides onto the phones come in two separate pieces. According to a release on the new products, the system allows each lens to attach and align with the iPhone camera lens, even if you've placed a protective screen-cover over the iPhone 7.
Olloclip founder Patrick O'Neill told Mashable in an email, "Connect™ has been a project long in the making and is the most advanced lens system that Olloclip has ever created."
As before, there are a lot of Olloclip lenses to choose from (and none of them are all that cheap).
At the low-end are the $79.99 triad of macro lenses in the "Macro Pro Lens" set. In it, you get 7x, 14x and 21x. I've used Olloclip's 21x, macro before and, like most microscopes, it will make you see the world in a whole new way. There's also the so-called "Core Lens Set," which includes fish-eye, super-wide (120-degree view) and a 15x macro for super close-ups (like a magnifying glass). It costs $99.99.
At the high-end is the $119.99, "Active Lens Set," which gives you both an ultra-wide angle (155-degree field of view) and a 2x optical zoom. Unfortunately, the zoom lens goes over the wide angle and not the iPhone 7 Plus' existing telephoto lens.
"Mobile photography is continually evolving with each rendition of iPhone, so we constantly have to be anticipating and advancing where the category goes next," O'Neill said. "It’s definitely an exciting time and crazy to think we were at the start of it only five years ago."
All of these lenses are on pre-order now and Olloclip expects to ship them early next month.
Lance Ulanoff was Chief Correspondent and Editor-at-Large of Mashable. Lance acted as a senior member of the editing team, with a focus on defining internal and curated opinion content. He also helped develop staff-wide alternative story-telling skills and implementation of social media tools during live events. Prior to joining Mashable in September 2011 Lance Ulanoff served as Editor in Chief of PCMag.com and Senior Vice President of Content for the Ziff Davis, Inc. While there, he guided the brand to a 100% digital existence and oversaw content strategy for all of Ziff Davis’ Web sites. His long-running column on PCMag.com earned him a Bronze award from the ASBPE. Winmag.com, HomePC.com and PCMag.com were all been honored under Lance’s guidance.He makes frequent appearances on national, international, and local news programs including Fox News, the Today Show, Good Morning America, Kelly and Michael, CNBC, CNN and the BBC.He has also offered commentary on National Public Radio and been interviewed by newspapers and radio stations around the country. Lance has been an invited guest speaker at numerous technology conferences including SXSW, Think Mobile, CEA Line Shows, Digital Life, RoboBusiness, RoboNexus, Business Foresight and Digital Media Wire’s Games and Mobile Forum.
