Basically an iPhone or Android accessory for spying, this periscoping lens allows people to take pictures and shoot video by holding their phone in inconspicuous positions.
This gadget seems to be the perfect smartphone accessory for the ones who don’t care too much about other people’s privacy. Similar to a periscope, this lens employs multiple mirrors so that pictures and video can be recorded at a 90 degrees angle than the direction the camera is pointing to.
Of course, Photojojo, the manufacturer of this little gizmo, has an excuse, despite admitting out front that this is meant for spying. According to the company, the Smartphone Spy Lens should be used for photographing camera-shy kids.
There’s also an upside to this periscoping lens. If the smartphone is positioned horizontally and the lens acts as support for it, the Smartphone Spy Lens basically acts as a tiny tripod that enables people to take group photos with greater ease.
Photojojo made sure that the glass and the inside mirrors used for the manufacture of this gadget are of high quality. This way, none of the picture quality is lost.
The lens attaches to iOS and Android smartphones and tablets via magnets. Because of this, people can put the lens on and take it off without causing any suspicions. First, however, people have to attach the included metallic ring around the smartphone’s camera. The periscoping lens then attaches securely to this ring.
Once attached, the lens can be rotated at 360 degrees, thus acting as a swivel camera. The manufacturer mostly advertises this lens for photography, but I’m curious as to how video would look like when shot through this spy lens, especially if people rotated the periscope on the metallic ring.
As pointed out by a commenter on Design Taxi, there’s a major problem with the Photojojo smartphone spy lens. It only works if there is no case on the phone.
The Smartphone Spy Lens can be purchased on the Photojojo website for $20. For a magnet, a couple of mirrors and a plastic case, I’d say that the price of this smartphone accessory is outright steep.
Besides photographing kids, this smartphone accessory would be great for shooting pictures or videos of cats and dogs. I’m sure this would put our pets into a new perspective!
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