Photojojo, for those that may not already know, is a website dedicated to finding the best new stuff for all of your photography needs. The company has dozens of cute, awesome, and creative accessories designed specifically for iOS and other mobile devices.
The Smartphone Spy Lens is one such accessory that mounts to any mobile device with a camera so you can snap pictures of people standing right next to you, without them even knowing…
Design
The Spy Lens itself is very small, about an inch-and-a-half long and an inch deep with a curved edge at the top. The case is made of black matte durable hard plastic and the lens is made from high-quality glass with a mirrored interior.
There is a magnetically charged metal ring around the mounting hole at the bottom. The Spy Lens comes with additional metal rings inside the packaging. Don’t throw them away. They are used to make your lens magnetically attach to your iPhone.
Each extra metal ring is coated on one side with an adhesive. You will need to stick the ring onto your iPhone, around the camera’s lens, and let the adhesive set for 24 hours before using it.
Setup and Use
Set up comes in the form of sticking the metal ring to your iPhone. The Spy Lens comes with three metal rings. Two of them have a small groove cut out of them. I’m not sure what the grooves are for since the package only came with instructions on adhering the ring to your device.
In order to ensure that the ring stays on, you’ll have to wait 24 hours until the adhesive is fully set. So, if you were hoping to catch some sneaky shots right out of the box, you’ll just have to wait.
When the ring is set and you are ready to go, simply attach the lens to your iPhone by setting ring to ring. They are magnetized and will stick to each other like identical twins at a family dinner.
Then, start snapping pics.
The lens works at a 90-degree angle in any direction. Hold your iPhone straight up, as if you are texting your friend, and position the Spy Lens so that the opening is facing to your right and you will see everything that is next to you, even though you are facing forward. Twist the lens so that the opening is facing the left to see what is on the other side.
If you face the lens downward, you will pretty much be staring at your feet, but with a bit of angling, you can manage to grab a quick shot of your cat without him noticing.
You can also face the lens upward, and then set the camera down on the ground to get a low shot of things right in front of you, another great way to capture your kitty at play without him trying to strike a pose for you. Angling the lens upward is also great for taking landscape photos.
Thanks to the Spy Lens, you can slyly take a picture from around a corner without being noticed. You can also get great shots of weirdoes walking down the street right next to you, without them realizing what you are doing. Want a picture of your secret crush? You can make that happen and she won’t even think you are stalking her because she won’t know you were looking at her.
The lens also works with video. Since it is just a lens with mirrors and glass, anything that can be viewed through the camera’s lens can be captured with any app or function, even panorama shots.
The Good
This little trinket is a lot of fun and easy to use. I love that you don’t have to use a special case, or screw something on. All you have to do is grab the lens from wherever you are hiding it and stick it on.
The adhesive ring comes off very easily. I made sure it would not ruin my iPhone. You just have to slide something between the ring and your device (like your fingernail) and pull. It will come off fairly easily. A very small amount of residue may get left behind, but that can be cleaned off with a damp cloth.
The Bad
You won’t be taking awesome pictures with this device. You won’t lose any quality, but you will usually see edges in the shot. Most of the angles include some of your iPhone. Even if you take a picture on your right side, the lens gets in the way and you’ll see a gray bar along the edges. It could be that I didn’t line up the metal ring properly, but I am pretty sure that I did it correctly.
 Value
 ValueThe Smartphone Spy Lens is available for $20. The price is very reasonable for a device that allows you to take pictures at a 90-degree angle from wherever you are. However, because the lens has its limitations, I’d say it is more of a novelty accessory than anything else.
Conclusion
This little gadget would be a great gift for anyone with a smartphone, or even a tablet with a camera. It is a fun accessory that lets you get interesting shots from unique angles. If you want take sneaky pictures of people without them knowing, this is the way to do it. Just don’t be creepy about it. The Smartphone Spy Lens is compatible with any mobile device that has a camera, including iPhone, iPad, and iPod touch. You can purchase one from Photojojo today.
Do you ever try to snap pictures of people without them knowing, pretending you are texting or playing a game?