iPhone camera accessory review
One of the easiest things you can do to improve the quality of your photos or videos is to eliminate, or at least reduce, camera shake. In a perfect world, we all would be blessed with steady hands; however, only some of us have them, so for those that need something to stabilize their grip, accessories can help. One such accessory is the Zgrip iPhone Jr. by Zacuto.
Why ?
The Zgrip iPhone Jr. is a hand-grip system for the iPhone 3G, iPhone 3GS, and iPhone 4. It acts like a big handle for your phone, so you don’t fumble when shooting pictures or videos at very difficult angles. If the name Zgrip iPhone sounds familiar to you, you probably already heard of Zgrip iPhone Pro, which was introduced in the market before Zgrip iPhone Jr. came out. And the reason you still remember the name might be the pro version’s huge price of $295.
What we love
It’s good that Zgrip iPhone Jr. is much more affordable than Zgrip iPhone Pro. At $69, it’s cheaper and simpler but just as effective as the pro version. It isn’t as adjustable, but that’s not so much of a big deal. Most of us just need something handy we can mount our iPhones on anyway, so all the extra features of Zgrip iPhone Pro aren’t very important.
Like the Zgrip iPhone Pro, Zgrip iPhone Jr. can be attached to other accessories. It has ¼ 20” threads, one located at the bottom of the handle and another at exactly the opposite side. This means you can use many other things, such as flash attachments or tripods, with your iPhone, which is very nice if you have a big collection of camera accessories.
Judging by Zgrip iPhone Jr.’s hand-rake-like appearance, you may not think that it will keep your phone securely on the mount. But, thankfully, it does; you can even use the accessory upside down or shake your hands while shooting. This secure fit is especially important since Zgrip iPhone Jr. works only with iPhones that are not in their cases.
What we don’t love
Sadly, an iPhone in the Zgrip iPhone Jr. is a scary sight. It has nothing but slightly curved, finger-like clamps to keep the phone mounted, so you can’t help worrying about your naked iPhone falling out of place and shattering into a million pieces. If only the clamps were more curved or there were something else to keep your phone in place.
The end game
Those who use their iPhones to take pictures and record videos every day can benefit from owning their own Zgrip iPhone Jr. It’s an effective product that can be used with other accessories to further improve the quality of your pictures and videos. If you have an iPhone 4S, however, you have to know that Zacuto.com mentions only the third-generation iPhones and iPhone 4 as compatible with the Zgrip iPhone Jr. It’s almost a certainty that the iPhone 4S will work with the Zgrip iPhone Jr., though. Perhaps the site just hasn’t been updated yet.