- Location
- Central Ohio, USA
- Name
- Andrew
You all get an aadvanced look into what I will be eventually posting on my blog!
I didn't post any images I took with the cell phone because the grip does not do anything to enhance the image quality.
SnapGrip is an accessory for cell phones that allows you to either use the exiting magnetic features of new cellphones or use the supplied plate to attach to a cellphone/case that does not. I backed this project on Kickstarter.
The accessory is designed to give a more traditional hold/shutter release feel to the cell phone, be a platform to use additional accessories like ring lights, tripods, etc. It also has a built in battery that can be used to charge the cell phone as well.
This review will be a little different than our other gear reviews. We will focus more on the handling and how well the shutter feature works. My phone of choice is the iPhone 13 Pro Max.
First, let's level set and let you know what we will be using for this testing and review.
I use this on an iPhone 13 Pro Max. I have a MagSafe case on it that allows for use of MagSafe compatible accessories.
How well does it work?
Connectivity
It is super easy to get the SnapGrip conencted to the phone. After you charge it up with a USB-C cable, press the shutter button to wake the device. The blue Bluetooth LED will blink. Simply go into your devices Bluetooth settings, discovery mode and find the SnapGrip and connect. My experience was very positive and super simple to get it up and running.
Grippiness
Even with the protective case on (SupCase) it holds well. In landscape orientation it is on there firmly and you really need to apply some pressure to slide it off. In portrait orientation, the magnetic attraction is slightly less, so I am more careful when using it this way.
Getting Into Action
Once connected up, simply tap the shutter release button to wake up the SnapGrip and get it into action. It happens relatively quickly. You'll know it is connected when the blue Bluetooth light comes on and is steady.
Shutter Release
This is THE most important part of the review. For the most part the shutter release works as expected. There are a few instances where I went to press the shutter release and the iPhone doesn't take the picture and instead displays the ringer volume. I've narrowed it down to times when the camera did not have a definite part of the scene in focus. Seems odd, and could be a settings issue on my part. I will be looking into this more to see if there is a way to get it to work more consistently.
Another bonus - since the SnapGrip connects via Bluetooth, you can remove it from the cell phone and use it to remotely actuate the camera. Great for those who do not have a smartwatch with that function or do not want to use the camera apps timer function.
The SnapGrip shutter button mimics the use of the volume rocker to trip the shutter. Therefore, any camera app that used those buttons to trip the shutter will function with the SnapGrip.
Function
One of my biggest gripes with using a cell phone as an every day camera is ergonomics. I just do not enjoy using one because of the disconnect between the camera and the tactile feedback of setting the exposure values and tripping the shutter release.
This gets you a little closer, but is not perfect.
What is nice is that on the iPhone 13, I have my stock camera app residing at the bottom right of the system tray. This puts the app right under my thumb when holding the phone in landscape orientation.
Once in the stock camera app, the camera modes are just a slight move to the left to get to them. I could not get to the lens switcher icon on the screen with my right hand, so need to adjust grip and use my left hand to do that when in Portrait mode. I can get to the zoom wheel in normal photo mode.
Moving the grip to put the phone into portrait orientation, your thumb cannot get to anything on the screen, so two handed setting changes will be the normal here.
Fit And Finish
It is solidly built despite the fact that it is all plastic. The mold lines look good and the fitting is well done. The seams line up perfectly on my copy. There are no sharp edges.
The grip is big enough that my hand fits it well. My pinky finger does sit off the bottom.
The LED lights are bright and easy to see. The LED lights show % of battery life (100%, 75%,50%,25%).
A light also illuminates if the SnapGrip is being used as a battery.
Enhancements
I almost feel that something like this is going to be limited by the phone manufacturer and how much they allow for external control of the stock camera app. This may have been a more successful product if they had developed a custom camera app that was tightly integrated with the accessory. Maybe even have a dial that could be spun to change shutter speed and ISO settings. The app could allow for shooting in aperture priority and shutter priority. Most phones have fixed apertures, so a true full manual mode would not be likely.
Given that this is a first iteration, perhaps these are things that can be looked at in a 2.0 version or a "Pro" version.
Battery
3200mAh battery is included to power the SnapGrip as well as for the battery feature. While not something that will be able to fully top off most larger capacity cell phones, it is better than having no extra battery at all. it is nice, though if you want to keep the phone topped off or not run down the battery too much when shooting stills or video.
The Bluetooth connectivity automatically turns off after a certain amount of time due to inactivity.
Bottom Line
While not perfect, it does make the cell phone experience better. The cell phone is not an ergonomic or tactile perfection either. I can see me using this more often, especially when I need to use the cell phone in places where an actual camera may not be allowed or if I want to go super light and not have an actual camera.
Still, the biggest limiting factor to using a cell phone as a camera is the lenses and sensor. We are still not there YET - to a place where I can say that the IQ is good enough to replace even a 1" sensor camera, let alone an APS-C or FF. Up close, non zoomed images are decent enough to document everyday life...but I like to experiment with my images and all the stuff that goes along with photography...and the cell phone images just do not hold up to that kind of processing...not even the raw files.
I have no regret in backing this project and look forward to see if this is a one off or if this group has plans on pushing forward and innovate beyond the initial products.
I didn't post any images I took with the cell phone because the grip does not do anything to enhance the image quality.
Background
SnapGrip is an accessory for cell phones that allows you to either use the exiting magnetic features of new cellphones or use the supplied plate to attach to a cellphone/case that does not. I backed this project on Kickstarter.
The accessory is designed to give a more traditional hold/shutter release feel to the cell phone, be a platform to use additional accessories like ring lights, tripods, etc. It also has a built in battery that can be used to charge the cell phone as well.
This review will be a little different than our other gear reviews. We will focus more on the handling and how well the shutter feature works. My phone of choice is the iPhone 13 Pro Max.
Impression
First, let's level set and let you know what we will be using for this testing and review.
I use this on an iPhone 13 Pro Max. I have a MagSafe case on it that allows for use of MagSafe compatible accessories.
How well does it work?
Connectivity
It is super easy to get the SnapGrip conencted to the phone. After you charge it up with a USB-C cable, press the shutter button to wake the device. The blue Bluetooth LED will blink. Simply go into your devices Bluetooth settings, discovery mode and find the SnapGrip and connect. My experience was very positive and super simple to get it up and running.
Grippiness
Even with the protective case on (SupCase) it holds well. In landscape orientation it is on there firmly and you really need to apply some pressure to slide it off. In portrait orientation, the magnetic attraction is slightly less, so I am more careful when using it this way.
Getting Into Action
Once connected up, simply tap the shutter release button to wake up the SnapGrip and get it into action. It happens relatively quickly. You'll know it is connected when the blue Bluetooth light comes on and is steady.
Shutter Release
This is THE most important part of the review. For the most part the shutter release works as expected. There are a few instances where I went to press the shutter release and the iPhone doesn't take the picture and instead displays the ringer volume. I've narrowed it down to times when the camera did not have a definite part of the scene in focus. Seems odd, and could be a settings issue on my part. I will be looking into this more to see if there is a way to get it to work more consistently.
Another bonus - since the SnapGrip connects via Bluetooth, you can remove it from the cell phone and use it to remotely actuate the camera. Great for those who do not have a smartwatch with that function or do not want to use the camera apps timer function.
The SnapGrip shutter button mimics the use of the volume rocker to trip the shutter. Therefore, any camera app that used those buttons to trip the shutter will function with the SnapGrip.
Function
One of my biggest gripes with using a cell phone as an every day camera is ergonomics. I just do not enjoy using one because of the disconnect between the camera and the tactile feedback of setting the exposure values and tripping the shutter release.
This gets you a little closer, but is not perfect.
What is nice is that on the iPhone 13, I have my stock camera app residing at the bottom right of the system tray. This puts the app right under my thumb when holding the phone in landscape orientation.
Once in the stock camera app, the camera modes are just a slight move to the left to get to them. I could not get to the lens switcher icon on the screen with my right hand, so need to adjust grip and use my left hand to do that when in Portrait mode. I can get to the zoom wheel in normal photo mode.
Moving the grip to put the phone into portrait orientation, your thumb cannot get to anything on the screen, so two handed setting changes will be the normal here.
Fit And Finish
It is solidly built despite the fact that it is all plastic. The mold lines look good and the fitting is well done. The seams line up perfectly on my copy. There are no sharp edges.
The grip is big enough that my hand fits it well. My pinky finger does sit off the bottom.
The LED lights are bright and easy to see. The LED lights show % of battery life (100%, 75%,50%,25%).
A light also illuminates if the SnapGrip is being used as a battery.
Enhancements
I almost feel that something like this is going to be limited by the phone manufacturer and how much they allow for external control of the stock camera app. This may have been a more successful product if they had developed a custom camera app that was tightly integrated with the accessory. Maybe even have a dial that could be spun to change shutter speed and ISO settings. The app could allow for shooting in aperture priority and shutter priority. Most phones have fixed apertures, so a true full manual mode would not be likely.
Given that this is a first iteration, perhaps these are things that can be looked at in a 2.0 version or a "Pro" version.
Battery
3200mAh battery is included to power the SnapGrip as well as for the battery feature. While not something that will be able to fully top off most larger capacity cell phones, it is better than having no extra battery at all. it is nice, though if you want to keep the phone topped off or not run down the battery too much when shooting stills or video.
The Bluetooth connectivity automatically turns off after a certain amount of time due to inactivity.
Bottom Line
While not perfect, it does make the cell phone experience better. The cell phone is not an ergonomic or tactile perfection either. I can see me using this more often, especially when I need to use the cell phone in places where an actual camera may not be allowed or if I want to go super light and not have an actual camera.
Still, the biggest limiting factor to using a cell phone as a camera is the lenses and sensor. We are still not there YET - to a place where I can say that the IQ is good enough to replace even a 1" sensor camera, let alone an APS-C or FF. Up close, non zoomed images are decent enough to document everyday life...but I like to experiment with my images and all the stuff that goes along with photography...and the cell phone images just do not hold up to that kind of processing...not even the raw files.
I have no regret in backing this project and look forward to see if this is a one off or if this group has plans on pushing forward and innovate beyond the initial products.
