Although the camera in the iPhone got a boost to 3 megapixels in the 3G-to-3GS refresh, it’s still not what anyone would call “powerful.” So if you’re among the many iPhone owners who take a lot of photos with your smartphone, it may be time to supersize that built-in camera with an add-on like the USBfever 8X Telescope with Hard Case. What you get for your $29 is a telescope-style fixed optical zoom lens (which attaches to an included case) and a miniature tripod that steadies your iPhone while you shoot photos or video. The lens lets you manually zoom in on a subject up to 8X, so you can get much closer without ever moving a muscle.

8x Telescope with Hard Case for iPhone

Attaching the lens is straightforward: Snap on the thin case, then screw on the lens. It’s a good idea to clean both your phone’s lens and the telescope’s lens first. And when we weren’t careful to screw on the lens tightly, we noticed that some of our photos showed a sliver of the black lens housing. Otherwise, we found the telescope’s ability to magnify portions of a scene quite impressive. Zooming is a manual affair, and it’s fun to experiment with the 3GS’s tap-to-focus feature to get the best shot. The tripod comes in handy for steadying the phone, especially when shooting video, but its design limits you to shooting in a horizontal (landscape) orientation. That’s ideal for video, but it sometimes was limiting for still shots. And fortunately, the tripod is extremely portable--as is the lens--so they can go with you anywhere.

It’s not going to transform your iPhone 3G or 3GS into a camera to rival pro-level shooters. But if you’re using your iPhone to take pics of subjects you care about, this lens/case/tripod combo is affordable and easy enough to use to warrant a spot in your accessory bag.

8x Telescope with Hard Case for iPhone
COMPANY: USBfever
CONTACT: www.usbfever.com
PRICE: $28.99
REQUIREMENTS: iPhone 3G or 3GS
Portable, affordable iPhone zoom lens.
Tripod only accomodates landscape orientation. Lens housing visible in upper corner of photos if not screwed on tightly.