A MagSafe grip for better photos and videos

Fashionable flagship digicam telephones just like the Pixel 7 Professional, Galaxy S23 Extremely, and iPhone 14 Professional are edging nearer and nearer to the pictures expertise of a correct standalone digicam. Placing apart the physics of small lenses and sensors, there’s no denying that having a wonderful digicam in your pocket is superior, however what in the event you wished the “really feel” of an actual digicam too? Nicely, let’s take MagSafe equipment, pictures, and a Pixel 7 Professional — three of my favourite subjects to speak about — and blend them collectively. What we get is the ShiftCam SnapGrip, a MagSafe grip that attaches magnetically to your telephone and offers it DSLR-like ergonomics.

My Pixel 7 Professional typically sits in a Second (M) Pressure case, which opens up a complete world of MagSafe equipment to me, just like the SnapGrip. Even when I didn’t have this case, ShiftCam supplies a metallic adapter for any telephone. You simply stick it in your telephone or case and also you’re good to go. My iPhone doesn’t want an adapter to make use of the grip, however a MagSafe iPhone case helps strengthen the magnetic bond whereas defending the telephone.

Any time I need to use the grip, I simply get it near the again of my Pixel or iPhone and the MagSafe magnets will snap it in place. Easy and straightforward. Higher but, it doesn’t block any port or button on the telephones, not like different grips that clasp to the perimeters and find yourself turning off the display screen or messing with the amount.

The grip itself appears to be like prefer it obtained reduce off of a DSLR or mirrorless digicam. It has a big protrusion that your hand suits snugly round with a pure place to your index finger to relaxation on, letting a minimum of two or three different fingers wrap across the again. It’s very ergonomic to carry for lengthy intervals of time — far more than clutching a skinny smartphone slab will ever be.

I’ve tremendous regular pictures palms (years of taking clear 2MP pics of drugs leaflets to review at dwelling helped me develop that), however nonetheless, I like the liberty of not having to fret about balancing my telephone whereas tapping the on-screen shutter button. As an alternative, I can simply bodily press the shutter button beneath my index on the SnapGrip and snap, photograph! You’ll be able to’t argue with that form of tactile suggestions.

My most important gripe? Every time I used the digicam grip, I wanted it had zoom buttons. Given how wonderful the Pixel 7 Professional‘s telescopic lens is, I depend on its zoom to higher body most of my pictures. Switching to the touchscreen to regulate that after which going again to the grip feels unintuitive and disruptive. Tactile zoom in/out buttons would make this loads higher for the Android zoom champions of the world — much less so for the iPhone.

In my checks, I cherished how stable the complete setup felt, despite the fact that the grip and telephone are two separate entities held collectively by MagSafe magnets. I wouldn’t belief the grip with my Pixel 7 Professional over a bridge, a physique of transferring water, or any harmful void, however I did use it in on a regular basis pictures. Streets, tourism, parks, expos, enjoyable occasions; it may be nice for all of them. When you have pets or children and also you’re operating after them, this is able to be ultimate; you simply have to pair it as soon as over Bluetooth and it’ll mechanically join every time you flip it on.

However the grip does extra than simply offer you a greater grasp of your telephone. It may be a great vertical or horizontal stand. It additionally homes a 3,200mAh energy financial institution that may cost the telephone wirelessly whereas it’s connected. LED lights point out the remaining battery.

Charging is restricted to 5W, however that was sufficient to maintain my Pixel operating whereas I walked round and snapped pics. Once more, 10W or extra could be higher right here, however the concept is to keep away from draining the battery too quick as an alternative of utterly charging your telephone.

When you go for the Creator Equipment, you’ll get three extra equipment with the ShiftCam SnapGrip. All of them can be utilized alone or collectively in any form of combo for optimum versatility. Once more, the wonder and ease of magnets.

My favourite is a spherical MagSafe LED gentle and mirror that opens up, permitting you to level it again at whoever you’re taking a photograph of, flip it up in direction of you for a selfie, or snap it onto any metallic floor or tripod to supply a further supply of sunshine. It simply has a USB-C port for charging and a button to change the LED’s brightness between 5 totally different ranges.

The mirror is a minor however genius addition to assist folks body and test themselves earlier than you are taking a pic of them. One other bonus: You get a case to hold each the grip and lightweight with you.

There’s additionally a small plastic desk tripod, which does the job on comparatively flat surfaces however that I wouldn’t use in unstable environments, plus a MagSafe tripod holder that permits you to snap your telephone, gentle, or each. I discovered this good for night time and astrophotography as a result of regardless of how regular my palms are, they’re not as secure as a telephone tripod for lengthy publicity photographs.

The flexibleness of all these parts is what makes this setup attention-grabbing, particularly as a result of all you need to do is snap them collectively. No plugs, clasps, screws, or something time-consuming. This places them among the many finest smartphone pictures equipment for me.

I’ve used the SnapGrip alone with my telephone at instances and with the sunshine at different instances; I’ve used the tripod holder to prop up my telephone with and with out the sunshine; and I’ve used the sunshine on the tripod to brighten a scene I used to be taking pictures with my telephone on the grip. Add the flip-ability of the sunshine for selfies and common pictures, then the stand and wi-fi charging, and you’ve got a flexible setup that helps with a number of on-the-go artistic pictures and videography from streets to folks, nature, and astro.

My two largest issues with the ShiftCam SnapGrip are worth and spontaneity. You both must plan forward and carry this MagSafe grip with you when you realize you’ll be doing a number of pictures, or you need to preserve it with you always. Once we begin including this many equipment to our telephones, we might as properly carry a mirrorless digicam as an alternative, proper?

Pricing additionally feels prohibitively costly for what that is at its core: a wi-fi energy financial institution in a grip form with a round magnetic factor and a Bluetooth shutter button. $70 for that and $120 for the Creator Equipment with the sunshine, tripod, and pouch seems like a stretch. The Apple tax may be very actual, however hey, you’re getting a number of merchandise in a single, which might help justify the funding.