Reviews |Olloclip Filmer’s Kit Review

Olloclip Filmer’s Kit Review

Olloclip Filmer's Kit
Review

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Olloclip Filmer’s Kit Snap Verdict

The Olloclip Filmer’s Kit enables you to elevate the potential filmmaking on your iPhone by equipping it with a variety of specialist lenses.

These lenses attach to the clip system that in turn fits snugly over the existing iPhone lens. One in place you have four all-new field-of-view options and these range from fish-eye through to telephoto

If you shoot video on your iPhone, then the Olloclip Filmer’s Kit is a worthwhile accessory.

For Olloclip Filmer’s Kit

  • Greatly exands iPhone video potential
  • Easy to attach
  • Great choice of lenses

Against Olloclip Filmer’s Kit

  • Clipping lenses in and out can be fiddly
  • Expensive
 

Whether we like it or not smartphones are now the most popular choice for image and video capture.

The quality of both stills and video has accelerated to such a degree that it’s now not uncommon to see iPhone footage being used professionally.

Unfortunately, the small lens of the iPhone is limited, it has a fixed focal length, and the only way to zoom or apply any field-of-view changes is digitally, which will instantly degrade the image quality.

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The Olloclip Filmer’s Kit enables you to instantly improve the quality of your video capture by offering a clip-on lens system that will give you four alternative lens options.

Lens focal lengths aren’t the only issue when filming with a naked iPhone. The ergonomics of a phone are designed to be held to the ear, not used for filming.

Although it’s not too difficult to handle a phone to pan and shoot general footage, your comfort can be greatly increased by using a phone grip.

All of these features are at the heart of the Olloclip Filmer’s Kit , an attractive all in one set that will instantly convert your iPhone into a full fledged video making set-up.

Features

Arriving in a semi-hard case the Olloclip Filmer’s Kit is from the outset a premium product. Unzipping not only reveals the kit contents, but the partnership with quality case maker incase.

Olloclip Filmer's Kit

The case features sections for each part of the Olloclip from the four lenses, to the grip and clips.

In the mesh, there are a few extras including an additional clip and the instructions. There’s essentially a clip for the iPhone 7 / 8 and one for the iPhone 7 / 8 Plus.

The lenses are the main feature of the kit, and you get a Telephoto, Ultra-Wide, Super-Wide and Fish-Eye / Macro 15x.

Each lens is an individual module with lens cap and spring-loaded clip that enables it to be loaded into the Olloclip System.

The Clip, its self, is a beautifully designed and once in the clip sits over your iPhone lens.

A nice feature of the Clip design is that it comes clipped into another clear piece of plastic. This has a large loop at one end so that it can be attached to key-ring; it also folds out so it can be used as a stand.

The Lens Clip system is double sided so that a lens can be mounted in each direction. When you want to swap between the Telephoto and Super-Wide, for instance, all you need to do is flip the clip.

Olloclip Filmer's Kit

As already mentioned in the case is the grip. This is a well-engineered plastic device with a pivot that enables you to adjust the angle of the phone.

The Phone itself is held in place by a spring-loaded clamp with hard rubberised grip.

Finally, there’s also a GoPro adapter in the case, so if you want to remove the phone clamp from the grip, you can quickly swap it for the GoPro adapter and mount your action camera.

This adapter only enables you to add an action camera with GoPro mount to the grip and does not enable you to add the Olloclip lenses to the action camera.

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Build quality and handling

From the outset, there is a real feeling of quality when it comes to the Olloclip, and this is set off by the case.

Featuring embossed Olloclip and incase logos on the front the zip is coloured red which contrasts well with the black of the case, and not in a tacky 80’s way.

Once open the kit is nicely laid out with that red accent colour reflected in the detailing on the grip.

Olloclip Filmer's Kit

Each item of the kit is held in place by the foam inserts, but with a little finger wiggling, it’s easy enough to remove each item.

Starting with the lenses; the built and quality seems excellent. The lens caps fit securely and take a reassuringly firm tug to remove.

The lens glass is clear, and screw mounted into the clip. There doesn’t seem to be a reason that you would need to remove the lenses from the module mount, aside from maybe cleaning or replacement, but again everything is precise.

The module mounting system is spring loaded, and here the spring offers a good amount of resistance ensuring that once in place in the Clip the lens will stay put.

The clip is a two section affair, with the key ring section and then the actual clip.

The Black plastic clip part separates from the clear keyring section with a reassuring click, and likewise a lesser click when attached to the iPhone.

Olloclip supply two of these clips in the kit one for the iPhone 7 / 8 and one for the Plus.

Olloclip Filmer's Kit

When it comes to swapping out lenses, this can be a little fiddly as the module needs to be released and then the new module slotted and clipped in.

The release mechanism is all designed to be quick release, and sitting down at a table the action of swapping the lenses is easy enough. I did find however that trying to swap lenses out in the field was a little more tricky but by no means impossible, or for that matter difficult, just fiddly.

In use, the lenses couldn’t be easier to use. Select video through the camera app, and off you go.

You’ll instantly see the different field-of-view of your footage and the potential that these lenses offer.

Now add the grip, with the rubberised clamp that holds the phone nice and securely and it instantly gives you far more handheld freedom than if you were to hold the naked phone.

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Performance

Olloclip has made a name for themselves by providing good solid quality lenses for iPhone and other smartphone systems.

Here with the Olloclip Filmer’s Kit that quality is again apparent. Taking a look at each lens and comparing against video shot directly on the iPhone:

Telephoto:

The telephoto is excellent increasing the focal length of the lens substantially. Looking at the video clarity and the detail across the centre of the frame is excellent.

Check towards the edges, and you can see softening and some signs of purple chromatic aberration but overall great quality.

Superwide:

This lens offers the narrowest field of view of the three wide angled lenses and again show good centre frame sharpness.

Looking towards the edge of the frame and you can see softening and a slight loss of contrast, but not enough to cause worry.

Ultra-wide:

By far the best lens of the set and with good sharpness across the frame that drops subtly at the edges.

Distortion and chromatic aberration are handled well.

Fish-Eye / Macro:

The Fish-eye lens gets that stylistic look to your footage, but you do have to make sure that it is properly fitted and positioned on the camera.

As you’ll see in the footage, it’s all too easy to shift the lens slightly and for the effect of that movement to be reflected in the captured video.

Distortion is fish-eye as you’d expect with decent centre sharpness that falls off towards the edges.

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Verdict

The Olloclip Filmer’s Kit offers you an incredible creative tool to expand the possibilities of your iPhone.

The new clip design, four featured lenses and the mobile grip are all well made, and there’s a real premium sense of quality across the kit.

Olloclip Filmer's Kit

In use the clip attaches easily enough and holds it’s position well, only when using the fish-eye option do you need to be especially careful about any adverse movement that would move that lens.

Swapping out lenses can be fiddly. I found however that when using the Olloclip for a short time you start to favour a couple of the lenses and you tend to stick these. For me, that was the Ultra-wide and Telephoto.

Lens quality is good and although the edges of the frame all suffer from softening and slight Chromatic aberration the effect isn’t at all bad or distracting.

I rate the Olloclip Filmer’s Kit , it opens up a whole series of possibilities and fun and should find wide appeal amongst those wanting to create short movies, vlogs or other small video projects but don’t want to get bogged down with buying expensive video kit.

For more details check out olloclip.com/shop/shop/filmers-kit/

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