Portrait mode on iPhone uses computational photography to simulate the shallow depth of field of DSLR and mirrorless cameras with larger sensors. It has evolved from a very crude tool to one that is now quite convincing, but it is still no substitute for the real thing.
There are some situations where you can get really shallow depth of field in your iPhone shots, but they are very limited as we’ll see later. The Sandmarc 2x telephoto lens is a much more practical way to achieve true optical blur when shooting portraits.
A quick primer on depth of field
Depth of field is a way to describe what part of a photo is in focus. Sometimes you want the entire photo to be in focus, and other times you want a very thin focal plane. Let me illustrate with some shots from a DSLR camera.
In this first case, I wanted to focus on everything from the foliage a few feet in front of me to the opera house and bridge about half a mile away. Therefore, I used a narrow aperture of f/16 to create a very deep focal plane. This is very similar to the default depth of field you get from your iPhone.
In contrast to this shot taken at f/1.4, only the closest eye is in perfect focus, and even her hand, which is only a foot or so behind her, is completely blurred. This is simply not possible on the iPhone.
I was able to achieve such a shallow depth of field because I shot with a full-frame camera with a very fast (wide aperture) lens.
Portrait mode limitations
Portrait mode on iPhone simulates shallow depth of field by calculating what’s in the foreground and artificially blurring the background. In recent years, simulations have been conducted in which objects gradually go out of focus as they gradually move away from the camera.
I’ve become more and more impressed with this over the years, especially since it started supporting night shots as well. However, it’s far from perfect and can sometimes look like a green screen cutout effect.
Even though the results may look natural on an iPhone screen, when creating large prints from portrait mode photos, there are typically no noticeable defects. Therefore, it is always desirable to obtain a true optically shallow depth of field.
natural bokeh
One of the factors that reduces the depth of field is a long lens. When Apple upped the telephoto to 5x lenses, we started seeing natural bokeh for the first time.
However, the problem is that you can only take portraits if you have access to a 5x or 8x lens. length Far from the subject. Still, if you step back further to photograph more than just the head and shoulders, the bokeh quickly diminishes, so you’re limited to this kind of close-up.
Introducing the Sandmarc 2x telephoto lens
This is the problem the Sandmarc 2x telephoto lens was designed to solve.
Like the macro lens we tested last week, you can attach the lens to your iPhone using the included clip, or you can purchase one of the company’s iPhone cases. I choose the case because I use some Sandmarc lenses. My comment will be the same, so I’ll just quote what I said about it last time. We’ll also explain what the lens itself looks and feels like.
I tend to have my own favorite cases, so I’m averse to accessories, but I usually use a dedicated iPhone case. However, in this particular case I found it to be enough to leave it on my iPhone forever. Fully compatible with MagSafe charging and accessories.
It has a matte finish that provides a very firm grip, and the metal buttons provide a very sure and reliable click. The camera bump is obviously a bit deeper to allow room for the lens threads, but it has a pleasantly industrial look to my eye.
The lens itself looks like a very common camera lens. It has very distinctive white text on the side, which may be distracting for some people, but can be helpful if you have more than one iPhone lens.
in use
The telephoto lens can be attached to the main camera lens (24mm). This effectively makes it a 48mm lens. This is very close to the 50mm lens that SLR photographers call “nifty” because it is a very flexible focal length.
This includes the lower end of the popular 50-90mm range that I typically use for portrait photography. I have certainly taken a lot of portraits using the 50mm lens.
To be clear, I’m not trying to help you get it. very Although this lens has a shallow depth of field, it provides sufficient background separation for general portrait photography, even in very crowded urban environments.
sample shot
I started with intentionally difficult tests. The background is very cluttered with several layers. This includes a mesh fence only about 15 feet away and a leaning metal sculpture about 20 feet behind the subject. In a standard iPhone shot, this would be a terrible mess. However, the lens provides enough separation to make Pippa stand out from all elements in the background.
As you look at the piers, the bridge, and the buildings on the other side of the river in order, you will notice that the focus gradually shifts away.
You wouldn’t intentionally choose such a messy composition, but sometimes it takes just a split second to get a natural shot, and you have no control over the background at all.
There’s not as much separation from the sculpture as I would ideally like, but it’s still good enough for this kind of improvised shot
If you place Pippa in a more distant background, the effect is really satisfying.
There is a way to “cheat” with iPhone photos. It means getting very close to the person you are photographing. The closer you get to the subject, the more blurred the background becomes. However, where that plan falls apart is when you want to take a wider shot, but still have enough separation from the background. For example, this shot would not be possible without the included lens. The lamppost coming out of her head is blurry, so all you can do is avoid it.
Check out more sample shots in the gallery below (click or tap each to enlarge).
Price and conclusion
The full name of Sandmarc Telephoto 2x Lens Edition is $159.99.
As an iPhone accessory, it doesn’t come cheap. Yes, it’s more expensive than a typical DSLR camera 50mm lens, but the reason the lens is so cheap is because it’s such a popular focal length and millions of units are sold, leading to huge economies of scale.
In my view, this acquisition makes sense for two target markets. First, I’m an avid iPhone photographer or videographer who regularly photographs people and uses an Apple device as their primary or only camera. This market adds a ton of performance and utility at a relatively affordable cost.
The second type of person is someone who uses their iPhone as a DSLR or secondary camera for their film production equipment. In this context, it means that the cost is very small and the C-camera has much more flexibility.
A third market could emerge in the form of parents who take lots of photos of their children. My test here is whether to print them or display them in a large photo frame. That’s because artificial portrait mode limitations tend to appear. If you’re happy looking at photos of your kids on your iPhone or iPad, you can probably stick with portrait mode.
In my own case, I’ve found the iPhone to be a great camera for run-and-gun B-roll footage. And I hope that this lens will be really useful for these kinds of shots.
The Sandmarc Telephoto 2x Lens Edition can be purchased from the company’s website for $159.99.
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