Aukey Ora 2-in-1 Wide Angle & Macro Lens Kit for use with phone camera.

I bought this lens and then sort of forgot that I bought it. I changed out my phone and decided to sell it. The MSRP is $39.95 USA plkus tax and s/h, and I am asking $20.00 no tax.

Aukey Ora: Best Budget Smartphone Lens Kit The best smartphone lens kit. You'll get your money's worth with this kit, thanks to the lenses' sharp images and good build quality.

This basic, but well-built, smartphone lens kit from Aukey includes a wide-angle lens with a 140-degree view and a 10x macro lens for close-ups. Both are constructed from sturdy aluminum alloy and are coated to help prevent lens flare and other anomalies. At $20, it's a good value for those who want to keep things simple but have some flexibility with their smartphone shots.

Design

I am impressed with the front lens cap; its squeeze-release design is similar to what you find on caps for DSLR and mirror less camera lenses. Another notable feature is the rubberized contact points on the clamp. This helps prevent slippage when attached to the phone (we tested the lenses on an iPhone but it also works on the Samsung and other Android smartphones). The clamp spring is a little tight and requires a stronger squeeze, but that helps ensure a good grip.

Wide Angle Lens Performance

Impressively sharp throughout most of the field of view, the 140 degree/0.45x wide-angle lens (which equates to about 45 percent more coverage than the iPhone 8 unassisted) exhibited only minimal curvature. Even on a sunny day, there was no evidence of lens flare. There was minor softness and a little haloing along high-contrast edges, but to a much lesser extent than other lenses.

Macro Lens Performance

The Aukey Ora's 10x macro lens delivered equally pleasing results. Fine details were sharply focused while the shallow depth of field produced a soft blur to the remainder of the image. A relatively high profile (the distance between the phone's surface and the front of the lens) combined with the suggested 0.4-1 inch lens-to-subject distance made it easier than other macro lenses to capture focused images.

There's also enough room between the bo and the subject to light the scene if needed, although the in-camera flash might be a little too bright for some setups.

While some people might consider cell phone photography inferior to using a “real” camera, there are many who strongly believe that, as Chase Jarvis says, the best camera is the one that you have with you. These days, that camera is typically going to be a phone. With that in mind, what if you could add the flexibility of interchangeable lenses to your phone’s camera? That’s exactly what Aukey’s cell phone lenses do. In this post I’ll be reviewing a Wide angle and a 2x Telephoto lens. Also, since it seemed appropriate for a phone accessory review, all photos are taken with a cell phone.

Specifications (Both Lenses)

Aluminum and glass construction 5 Elements in 4 groups Weight: 5.1 oz Flexible clip that fits most phones Storage pouch and cleaning case Lens cap Works on almost any mobile device and tablet

First Impressions (Both Lenses)

When the Aukey lenses first arrived, I was quite impressed with the packaging. The boxes have a clean, sophisticated look to them that gives the impression of a quality product. The inside of the packaging lived up to the expectation set by the outside. The lens is nestled inside a foam cutout and is kept from rattling around inside the main box by a small box of accessories, which include a cleaning cloth, clip and storage bag.

The lens itself has a quality feel to it. It feels substantial, due to the metal and glass construction. The clip that attaches the lens to the camera also feels very sturdy and appears to be well made.

Of course, attractive packaging and good first impressions don’t necessarily make a quality product. To really see if these lenses are worth it I needed to get out and test them in the real world.

Real World Use – Wide Angle

Cell phone camera lenses are typically quite wide, but from time to time there are situations where you want to get an even wider shot than would normally be possible. This is where having the wide angle lens with you can be useful. You can see in the example below how much wider it really is.

The side of the lens that touches your phone has a rubber gasket that goes around the lens on the camera. This serves two purposes… it keeps the lens from slipping once it’s in place and it also prevents light from entering between the lens and phone. When you use it on top of a case, it seems to move the lens just far enough from the phone body to allow it to show up in the image. To make sure this doesn’t happen, you’ll want to remove the case from your phone before using the wide angle lens. If you don’t remove your case, the severity will vary from phone to phone since different models of phones have different focal lengths.

In most situations, I didn’t notice any issues with flair. The one exception was when I was shooting directly into the sun, in which case I got some flare, but that’s to be expected with any lens.

Real World Use – Telephoto

The telephoto offers a great improvement over a standard cell phone lens. I often find myself wanting to frame my subject more tightly. This lens allows me to do that (to a certain extent) while still maintaining my desired perspective.

4) Lens Attachment System

Using these lenses es down to how they attach to your phone. If it’s plicated system that’s difficult to use, you’ll never use them. Fortunately, the Aukey system works great. Each es with a clip that holds the lens. Simply slide it over your phone, position the lens over the camera’s lens and you’re ready to go. It’s fast, easy and secure.

I was able to walk around with the lens on my phone and it didn’t slip out of position. I was also able to quickly remove the lens if I wanted to take a photo without it and then easily put it back on my phone again.

Since it is so easy to attach and remove, it also takes a little practice getting positioned correctly. There were times when I thought I had the lens in the right place only to find (once I looked at my phone’s screen), that it needed some adjusting. Though not a big detractor, don’t expect to quickly put this lens on your phone to capture a fleeting moment.

I tried the lenses on different phones and photographed subjects at various distances. Having small lenses for my phone that I could toss in a jacket pocket or backpack seems like a great idea. The fact that they are easy to put on makes them seem even better.

Bottom Line

Although this Aukey Ora es with a macro and a wide-angle — it's a great value for those looking for an inexpensive lens kit for their smartphone.

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