Ever since the iPhone 13 Pro was released there have been issues with what I'll call "legacy" smartphone lenses... those from Moment, Beastgrip, ShiftCam, etc. Some worked okay, but most didn't (especially on the 3x Tele).
If you have an iPhone 12 series or before they still work great. But the 13 series introduced larger camera sensors (internally) and larger camera bumps (externally), and these things created issues with third-party lenses. I first noticed it with Moondog Labs and Moment on the tele. The edges were soft and in some cases completely out of focus and there are often weird lens aberrations, too.
Some lenses got updated early on like from Beastgrip and those still work fine today. But most ended up being unusable with the later generation of iPhones. And that included the 14 series phones and now the 15 series as well (and beyond).
You might be asking yourself, why even use third-party external lenses? The iPhone has lots of built-in options and now the 15 Pro Max has "seven" lenses (several are virtual, but there are seven different focal lengths available).
The primary reason I use external lenses and recommend others do is because the main camera is the BEST camera and lens. It has the largest sensor and the fastest aperture and so shoots the best images, including in low light. And when shooting stills you use the full 48MP sensor - otherwise it's a 12MP when using other cameras (this makes a HUGE difference). So by adding an external lens to it you can get the best results when shooting wide or tight.
Of course there's a time and a place to use the built-in lenses and not third-party ones. For me it's usually everyday video & photos of family, travel or social media, etc. Those are just candid type shoots and I don't want to bother with lenses. But, if you're doing anything more involved like a short film or YouTube video or whatever the job is - using external lenses can add production value in a variety of ways.
Not only will you get the highest quality results using the best camera, but more interesting too when adding lenses - meaning again, wide angle or fisheye or telephoto, etc. - but also you can get more shallow depth-of-field, especially using a telephoto.
The other thing lenses offer are what I call "specialty" looks. These being anamorphic and macro. Anamorphic specifically is a look you can't get with the phone alone. And while the phone will shoot macro, the latest gen phones aren't as good at close focus and so using a third-party macro lens will often get better results (and way better bokeh). In particular if you use a long range macro.
So all this is to say that while you can get great images using the built-in iPhone cameras, you can take your footage & photos to the next level by adding external third-party lenses - as long as you get the right ones that work.
And that's a question I get all the time... which lenses should I buy?
That's now become a fairly subjective choice...
Earlier this year I would've said Beastgrip or ShiftCam as they were the only brands that had officially updated their lens lines (for the 14 Pro/Max). And both of them are great options. But now other brands have followed suit and that includes Moment, Freewell and ReeFlex.
I recently did videos on both the new Freewell Sherpa lenses and the new ReeFlex G-Series lenses and they both look very good (video embeds below).
As of this writing the ReeFlex are available to pre-order via Kickstarter (UPDATE: The campaign is over, so you can now order here), and the Freewell are available now.
Oh, and to my knowledge Moondog Labs has not updated their lenses yet, but they may not need to (their 37mm mount anamorphic has worked all along, but the Moment M mount have had issues). And I have not tested Sandmarc, but it's my understanding that their latest glass works fine with newer phones.
UPDATE: I've added a first look video at two of the Moment T-Series lenses:
UPDATE: I've also added a first look at the ShiftCam lenses on the iPhone 15 Pro/Max:
UPDATE: I've added a look at the Freewell Sherpa on the 15 Pro Max:
As a side note, I am planning a big comparison video between the different brands once I have them all in-house, but not sure on the timing of that just yet (UPDATE: That video is now ready, see embed below).
But back to the question... which lenses should you get?
It really comes down to what you're shooting, how much you want to spend and what ecosystem you want to invest in. Here's my take on each brand:
Beastgrip - their lenses are top-notch and I really like them a lot. They do however require you to use a cage - either their Beastcage or Beastgrip Pro (or other cage with a 37mm mount). So to me these are probably the best options if you're doing more serious filmmaking and/or YouTube. You can add your own ND filters to them too. Not great for lightweight travel though. Lenses are on the expensive side, but their image quality is excellent. Shop here.
ShiftCam - nice lenses and overall very lightweight, so they are good for travel and quick setups. You do have to use their proprietary case. (UPDATE: I have now tested these on the 15 Pro Max and the results are actually mixed, but they work great on the 14 Pro Max). These would be my choice for social media or travel style work as again, they're easy to carry and use and produce good quality images. Their ND filters are proprietary. Lenses are moderately priced. Shop here.
Freewell Sherpa - excellent image quality and if you already own a Sherpa case these are your best option. (UPDATE: Good news as I have now tested these on the 14/15 Pro Max and overall they work well on both - EXCEPT for the telephoto on the 15). You do have to use their case as the lens mount is proprietary along with the ND filters (they have a lot to choose from though). The lenses are on the heavy side similar to Beastgrip, but here you mount them to a case versus a cage. That's really my only complaint, so they're not great for quick & easy travel setups (which the Sherpa Kit is with the magnetic ND and grip). But having the ability to add lenses to the system is very nice. Lenses are moderately priced. Shop here.
Moment - (UPDATE: I have now tested the 18mm and 58mm and got mixed results on the 15 Pro Max - watch the video above - BUT Moment has contacted me and it turns out they sent me a bad lens, so I retested and the new one is better. See video below.). Moment has always been my favorite case and lens brand as it relates to lightweight, easy to use mobile filmmaking gear. Not saying they were always the best, but they were my favorite. That changed starting with my iPhone 13 Pro Max as the results I got weren't great as I stated above, but I still used their cases. But I'm finding the T-Series are getting mixed results with the iPhone 15 Pro/Max, except for the wide which is fine. Lenses are moderately priced. Shop T-Series lenses here.
Moondog Labs - my first smartphone lens was from Moondog Labs. They are the OG anamorphic guys for sure and I still think their lenses are probably the best and especially their lens flare. It's the most subtle and organic blue I've seen. I've not heard about them updating their lens line though and I'm not sure if they need to as many of theirs have worked fine with larger sensors. Of course they only offer anamorphic, so it's more of a speciality shop anyway, but their lens mounts are more or less universal and a great option for that anamorphic look. Lenses are moderately priced. NOTE: Their website and Twitter/X account hasn't been updated in a while. Not sure what's up, but hopefully they're doing okay. Try shopping here.
Sandmarc - (UPDATE: I have been testing them on the 15 Pro Max - and so far, so good). I think since Moment was my favorite I just never really got into the Sandmarc ecosystem, but they are very similar in many respects and according to what I see their lenses are performing well and I think they're a great choice for later gen iPhones. I'd say they are good multi-purpose lenses for travel, social media and filmmaking & photography. And they use a 17mm lens mount, which is nice. Lenses are moderately priced. Shop here.
ReeFlex - this is a brand probably better known for their photography apps like ReeHeld, but they make lenses too. And their previous versions were good, but now suffer from the same issues as other brands when paired with the latest phones. But now they have a brand new lens line called G-Series, and I've been testing them and the results are very good (see comparison video below). They are on the bigger side so probably not the best for quick travel setups, but they use a universal 17mm mount and have magnetic ND filters. At first I thought I wouldn't like that part, but I have to say after testing them the magnetic filters are really nice to use. I think these are a great in-between option for travel and filmmaking or photography. Lenses are moderately priced. Shop here.
Still confused? Yeah, there's a lot to consider here. :) UPDATE: Watch this new comparison video below and see if it helps make your decision...
Ultimately as I said earlier, it's a subjective call really more than anything as now all these lenses work well with the latest phones (minus some of the Telephoto issues with the 15 Pro Max noted in the videos). If you've already bought into one ecosystem then I'd stick with that. And if you're brand new then go with the system that best fits your needs as a filmmaker and/or photographer.
So to me that means if you're making films or using your iPhone as a B camera to higher-end setups, then go with Beastgrip. If you're doing travel videos& photography go with the lightweight Sandmarc or Shiftcam lenses. If you're doing a mix of stuff, well, then ReeFlex or Freewell (minus their telephoto) would be good.
Of course any could work depending on what your'e doing and so ultimately it comes down to which brand you prefer.
Happy mobile filmmaking!
-BC
Note: Some product links used are affiliate links from Amazon and others.