ShiftCam LensUltra Set of Lenses for Smartphones – Now on Kickstarter

Lens News

by Jeff LochMay 8^th, 2023

ShiftCam recently launched a Kickstarter crowdfunding campaign for their new smartphone lenses: the LensUltra. The LensUltra series consists of three wide-angle, two macro, two anamorphic lenses, and two CPL/VND filters. The lenses are compatible with most phones, but the company also makes dedicated cases for Apple iPhone 11-14 and Samsung Galaxy S23 series smartphones. So let’s take a closer look at all this glass for smartphone content creators!

ShiftCam is an American company founded in 2017 specializing in smartphone photography and filmmaking accessories. The company makes a full range of smartphone accessories, including cases, innovative camera grips like their SnapGrip, tripods, and more.

ShiftCam launched no less than 48 products in six years and seven successful Kickstarter campaigns. Indeed, back in 2019, we reported about the Kickstarter crowdfunding campaign for their ShiftCam 12mm fisheye smartphone lens.

This time, the company is back on Kickstarter for its 8th crowdfunding campaign – which is already 1,000% funded as of this article – with an entirely new set of smartphone lenses: the ShiftCam LensUltra.

ShiftCam LensUltra – Features

The ShiftCam LensUltra is a set of lenses and filters compatible with most smartphones on the market, thanks to a Universal Lens Mount. As long as your smartphone’s thickness is between 3.5 and 16mm, it will work.

The company created dedicated cases for Apple 11-14 smartphones and the Samsung Galaxy S23 series. With the cases, your smartphone is protected, but you can also attach the Universal Lens Mount and LensUltra lenses more securely at the back of the smartphone.

In addition, the cases are compatible with wireless charging even with a lens attached and provide “up to 2m of drop protection.”

Here is a breakdown of all the products in this lineup:

• 200° fisheye lens: useful in shooting action sports with an iconic, distorted look.
• 16mm wide-angle lens.
• 60mm telephoto lens, equivalent to a 2x teleconverter.
• 75mm long-range macro.
• A 10x traditional macro lens that creates a 2.76:1 aspect ratio.
• 1.33x anamorphic lens adapter.
• 1.55x anamorphic lens adapter.
• Two filters: a variable neutral density (VND) and a circular polarizing filter (CPL). The filters can be attached to all lenses. Two versions of the VND filter are available: 2-5 stops and 6-9 stops.

It looks like LensUltra’s lens design was taken very seriously, with many elements to ensure pristine image quality. Also, according to the company, LensUltra lenses are “the first in the world to be crafted with rare earth fluorite for incomparable clarity and enhanced bokeh.”

All lenses are made of aluminum, and a multi-layer coating is applied to reduce lens flare and ghosting.

Pricing and availability

The crowdfunding campaign is live until June 17th, and all LensUltra products should start shipping in July of this year. A plethora of kits is available starting at $119 for one lens, a Universal Mount, and a smartphone case. If you want all the lenses and filters, a kit is available for $629.

At the end of every crowdfunding-related article, we remind you to please be aware of the risks when backing a project on a crowdfunding platform. Also, please read the platform’s use and remember there can be significant delays when delivering the product. Some projects don’t get delivered at all.

For complete transparency, the links for the above Kickstarter campaign are CineD affiliate links.

For more information, please visit ShiftCam’s Kickstarter campaign here.

What do you think about this set of smartphone lenses and filters? Do you often use third-party accessories with your smartphone? Don’t hesitate to let us know in the comments down below!