Best Fisheye Lenses for iPhone in 2023

There are tons of fish eye lens options for the iPhone available, but a lot of them are low quality and may adversely affect the performance of your existing iPhone camera lens.

That’s why we’ve saved you some time by doing all the research to find only the best options to really elevate your iPhone photography,

What is the Best Fisheye Lens for iPhone in 2023?

Moment 14mm Fisheye Mobile Lens | M-Series (Best Overall)

Credit: Ashley Darrow

The Moment 14mm Fisheye Mobile Lens delivers high-quality, sharp imagery with a 170-degree field of view.

It has a durable metal build, so you don’t need to worry about putting it through its paces.

Fisheye lenses are known for their unique distortion, so why not lean in? | Ash Darrow

The overall design is high-quality, too. Its cinema-grade glass lets you use the full image sensor on modern phones, producing clear, undistorted images with no vignetting.

Thanks to the customizable mounting plates, the device is compatible with a wide range of iPhones and other smartphones.

Moment also makes an app (the Moment Pro Camera app), which you can use to flatten out your fisheye content.

KEYWING 198° Fisheye Lens (Best Budget Pick)

This ultra-wide angle fisheye lens gives shooters the opportunity to use a unique and immersive creative perspective.

If you’re a fan of the iPhone wide angle lens, you’ll love the expansive field of view this lens gives you.

It’s also, very cheap, at around $20 at the time of writing.

It’s built with durability and ease of use, with an aluminium casing and a simple clip-on design allowing you to attach and remove it from your phone easily.

Keywing claims its lens offers exceptional clarity and no ghosting or distortion, but that’s not completely true.

There is some softness and distortion at the edges, but, to be honest, that’s to be expected from a lens at this price point. You can also use those effects creatively.

Its universal design fits most smartphones, too, so even if you switched from having an iPhone, you could use it on a different device.

Death Lens Fisheye (Best 90s-Style Fisheye Lens)

The Death Lens Fisheye is a classic fisheye lens for iPhone.

It has a solid build and a user-friendly design which incorporates a phone case.

So, the lens is attached to the phone case, which you slip your phone into; it’s much more secure than a clip-on design.

It has a good quality glass lens with a nice, wide field of view, and the results are exactly what you’d want from a lens of this type.

Clear, immersive shots with no distortion.

It also pairs with an excellent app. With this, you can smooth your footage, remove any vignetting, change your frame rates (24 to 240 fps) and get manual control over your focus and exposure.

You can also change the aspect ratio in the app to save your footage in the right format for different social media platforms.

Bear in mind: this lens has limited offerings on Amazon, but there are plenty of iPhone options on the Death Lens website.

Miao LAB 11-in-1 (Best Budget Lens Kit)

This is a budget-friendly creative lens kit, which makes it great for shooters who don’t want to break the bank and for those who want more than one creative option.

You get different colour filters, a star filter, a macro lens and, of course, a fisheye lens, among others.

The lenses all have a durable aluminium housing and can be attached to your phone with a simple clip-on design, which is compatible with most phones.

Sandmarc Fisheye Lens (Best Ultra-Wide Fisheye)

This is another lens that has an ultra-wide perspective. It’s a 10mm camera lens which gives you a massive 210-degree field of view.

Some say it has more of a modern, subtle effect than the Death Lens or Moment Lens, but what’s certain is that the premium-coated glass lens produces minimal distortion and ultra-crisp images, so it’s an excellent choice for serious mobile photographers who want to dabble in the fisheye.

It’s compatible with most phones. You have a range of mounting options, so if you have an iPhone, choose your model, and you’ll be on your way.

It’s made of high-quality materials, and its build quality is solid.

Why Use a Fisheye Lens on an iPhone?

iPhone fisheye lenses allow mobile photographers to expand their creativity and experiment with new perspectives and angles.

This can lead to more engaging, compelling images.

The fisheye camera lens offers a unique, ultra-wide, curved perspective that will make your photos look different from anything you’ve shot before.

You can fit more into the frame than you previously could, expanding your field of view and the scope of what you can shoot. Large landscapes or architectural shots, as are selfies with large groups, are now possible.

You can also use the fisheye lens to make your photos look extremely strange.

The great thing about using an iPhone with a fisheye lens is that mobile phones are perfect for everyday photography and are very versatile. You can get them into tight, awkward places that you can’t get a DSLR or ‘normal’ camera into.

So, an iPhone, paired with a fisheye camera lens, can really elevate your mobile photography and take your creativity to levels you could only dream of before.

13 Pro Tips for Getting the Best Results from an iPhone Fish Eye Lens

Using a fisheye lens with your iPhone can produce some unique and captivating images.

However, to get the best results, consider the following tips:

1. Clean the Lens: Before attaching the fisheye lens to your iPhone, ensure both the iPhone’s camera lens and the fisheye lens are clean. Dust or smudges can affect image quality.
2. Stabilize Your Phone: While fisheye lenses are generally forgiving with minor shakes, stabilizing your phone is still a good idea, especially in low light. Use a tripod or rest your phone on a stable surface.
3. Center Your Subject: The fisheye lens distorts the image, especially around the edges. Placing your main subject in the center can help reduce this distortion.
4. Get Close: Fisheye lenses have a wide field of view. To make your subject prominent and to take advantage of the lens’s unique perspective, get close to your subject.
5. Mind the Edges: Be aware of what’s on the edges of your frame. The fisheye lens will stretch and distort objects at the periphery.
6. Use Leading Lines: The curvature effect of the fisheye lens can turn straight lines into curves. Use this creatively by incorporating leading lines in your composition.
7. Experiment with Angles: Don’t just shoot from eye level. Try different angles – shoot from the ground up or from a high vantage point down. This can create dramatic effects with the fisheye perspective.
8. Watch for Lens Flare: Fisheye lenses often have a large front element that can catch the sun or other light sources, leading to lens flare. While sometimes this can be used artistically, if you want to avoid it, be mindful of your light sources.
9. Adjust Exposure: The iPhone allows you to tap on your screen to set focus and adjust exposure. If your scene has varying light conditions, tap on different areas to see which gives the best exposure, or manually adjust using the exposure slider.
10. Post-Processing: Consider using iPhone photo editing apps to correct or enhance your fisheye photos. Some apps offer distortion correction, while others can help enhance the unique look of fisheye images.
11. Limit Overuse: While fisheye lenses can produce exciting images, the effect can become repetitive if overused. Mix up your shots with and without the lens to provide variety in your photography.
12. Protect the Lens: When not in use, store the fisheye lens in a protective case to prevent scratches or damage.
13. Know the Limitations: Fisheye lenses, especially clip-on ones for phones, might not always produce the sharpest images, especially around the edges. Embrace the artistic look, and don’t always aim for technical perfection.

FAQs on Fisheye Lenses for the iPhone

Does a fisheye lens work on iPhone?

Yes. Many different kinds of creative camera lenses work on the iPhone.

All of the products in this guide do, along with many others on the market.

Does Apple make a fisheye lens?

As of the time of writing, they don’t. But, as mentioned here, there are plenty of third-party fisheye lenses to choose from to go with your Apple device.

Are the more expensive iPhone fisheye lenses worth it? (E.g. Moment, Sandmarc, etc.)

In my view, they are.

Investing in a more expensive camera lens gives you higher-quality materials, build, and design.

Your camera lens will likely last longer, and you will probably get better shots from it.

High-quality glass will give you cleaner, crisper shots that you’re more likely to want to keep and are normally free from the flaws plaguing these lenses – distortion, ghosting, and vignetting.

Of course, these flaws can be delightful and used to creative effect, but they become tiresome if you are forced to use them or constantly find ways around them.

The more expensive the fisheye camera lens is, the more likely it is to come with an app.

These apps help you change the aspect ratio of your footage or stills, prepare them for different social media platforms, and enhance your images. Having powerful apps like this, which allow you to edit and share your footage straight from your phone, is another reason the more expensive lenses tend to be better value for money in the long term.

What is the best cheap fisheye lens for iPhone?

Our pick is the KEYWING 198° Fisheye Lens.

It’s made of good quality materials, extremely cheap, and easy to use.

Its ultra-wide perspective is a bonus, too.

Which is better: a clip-on style fisheye lens or a case-style fisheye lens?

Making this choice really depends on your preferences and needs.

Clip-on lenses are the most versatile as they can be used with several smartphone models.

They are super easy to attach and remove, so quickly switching between different lenses is a breeze.

This is especially useful if you are using a multiple-lens kit such as the Miao LAB 11-in-1.

There is a problem, though. This style of camera lens might not fit securely on all phone models. And, even if they do, you don’t always get complete peace of mind because of the nature of the design.

The clip can be knocked aside or off your phone completely. If that happens, your shot can be ruined or your camera lens could get damaged.

Clip-on lenses are also more likely to cause vignetting than the case-style version.

Case-style lenses are specifically designed for each iPhone model.

This tailored fit means they are guaranteed to fit precisely and securely.

They are also less likely to come out of alignment or cause distortion or vignetting of your images.

While they’re not as versatile as clip-ons – in that if you change your iPhone, you won’t be able to use the same case – they are also more convenient for daily use.

You can leave the case (and, therefore, fisheye lens) on your iPhone and bring it in and out of your bag or pocket without dislodging it.