Got a Moment?

A cold but sunny start to the day with clear blue skies, although it did start to cloud over later. Not much chance of me seeing any of it though, as my workday was very long and hectic. There was barely a moment to stop, but I did pause to play around with my new macro lens while sipping a coffee at my desk – so many interesting images to be made, finding unfamiliar viewpoints of everyday objects. I’ve been really pleased so far with the Moment lens I’m using with my iPhone – it’s small and light, but beautifully made, and it’s great to have this additional flexibility for the camera that’s with me all the time. I did a bit of research into the brand and their range of lenses when I was looking into the options – here’s what I found for anyone interested…

Moment, a Seattle-based company, has been at the forefront of producing high-quality smartphone lenses and accessories since its founding in 2013. The company’s mission is to empower creators and contribute to the growing creator economy by providing advanced tools for mobile photography and videography. What began as a successful Kickstarter campaign for a pair of smartphone lenses has grown into a sophisticated product line that caters to both amateur and professional creators. Over the years, Moment has adapted to the rapidly evolving smartphone camera technology, with its latest development being the 2023 launch of the T-Series lenses. These lenses are designed to work with modern smartphones, which now feature larger camera sensors and wider fields of view.

Moment offers a wide range of lenses, each tailored to specific photography and videography needs. The 18mm Wide Lens, for example, is a versatile option ideal for landscape photography or capturing expansive scenes, as it offers a wide field of view with minimal distortion. For portrait photography and optical zoom, the 58mm Telephoto Lens provides a focal length equivalent to a 2x zoom, producing sharp, well-defined images with beautiful background compression. The Macro Lens, offering 10x magnification, is designed for extreme close-ups, revealing intricate details invisible to the naked eye. For more creative work, Moment offers the Fisheye Lens, which has an ultra-wide 14mm equivalent focal length, creating dynamic, distorted effects. Finally, the Anamorphic Lens is specifically tailored for video recording, delivering a 1.33x magnification and allowing for cinematic widescreen video capture in a 1.40:1 cinemascope format, which is highly sought after by videographers.

The build quality of Moment lenses is a key selling point. Each lens is constructed using high-quality materials, including premium glass elements that are typically reserved for professional camera lenses. This results in excellent optical performance, with sharp, clear images and minimal chromatic aberration or edge distortion. The lenses use aerospace-grade metal for their housing, ensuring durability and long-lasting performance. Moment’s lenses are priced in the premium range, generally between £100 and £150 per lens, reflecting the high-quality materials and craftsmanship involved in their construction. While this may be seen as a significant investment for casual users, professionals and serious mobile creators often find the quality to be worth the cost.

Moment’s mounting systems are another aspect of its innovation. Initially, the company developed the M-Series Mount, which became an industry standard. However, with the introduction of the T-Series lenses, Moment has moved to a new mounting system featuring a 20% larger bayonet interface. This new system is designed to accommodate the larger camera sensors and wider fields of view found in modern smartphones. The T-Series lenses are also physically larger than their M-Series counterparts, allowing for more glass elements and a larger aperture, which contribute to better image quality, particularly in low-light conditions. The improved optics in the T-Series include low dispersion fluorite optical glass, which enhances edge-to-edge sharpness and minimises issues such as distortion and vignetting that were sometimes present in the earlier M-Series lenses. These advancements are particularly noticeable in the T-Series anamorphic lenses, which show better performance at the edges of the frame and avoid the lens borders that could occasionally appear with the M-Series.

While Moment lenses are highly regarded for their image quality and robust design, there are pros and cons to consider, both in relation to Moment specifically and the use of smartphone lenses in general. On the positive side, Moment lenses offer a substantial upgrade to the capabilities of a smartphone camera. The quality of the glass, the attention to detail in optical engineering, and the precision of the mounting systems make these lenses a top choice for mobile creators who need professional-grade results. For those interested in photography or videography without the burden of carrying a DSLR or mirrorless camera, Moment’s lenses offer a convenient and high-quality alternative. They also allow creators to push the limits of smartphone cameras, enabling the capture of cinematic video or professional-looking portraits using nothing more than a phone.

However, there are downsides to consider. First, the cost of Moment lenses and accessories can be prohibitive for some users. With individual lenses costing up to £150, building a complete set of lenses and accessories can rival the price of a dedicated camera. Additionally, while Moment lenses are relatively easy to attach and use, they do require a degree of technical knowledge to get the most out of them. Understanding how to use filters, control lighting, and manually adjust camera settings on the smartphone are necessary to fully benefit from these lenses. Furthermore, the size and bulk of these external lenses and their mounting systems can make smartphones less portable, which may detract from one of the core appeals of mobile photography—its ease and convenience.

The broader question of whether to invest in smartphone lenses also comes into play. Smartphone cameras have made remarkable advances in recent years, with built-in multi-lens systems that already offer wide-angle, telephoto, and macro capabilities. Many users may find that the native capabilities of flagship smartphones, such as those from Apple and Samsung, are sufficient for their needs. For those who primarily take casual photos or videos, the extra investment in external lenses may not yield a noticeable improvement. On the other hand, for content creators, social media influencers, or filmmakers who rely heavily on mobile devices, Moment lenses can significantly enhance image quality and expand creative possibilities.