11/30/2025
A camera club that I give presentations to recently asked me this question:
I have a member who is interested in learning what accessories, filters, adapters would you recommend for phones?
So, here was my written response:
About Accessories for Mobile Photography
From Bob Shor — mobile & traditional photographer
One of the biggest advantages of shooting with an iPhone today—especially the newer models—is that you don’t need many accessories, filters, or add-ons to create excellent images. The iPhone’s camera system is already doing an enormous amount of high-level work for you.
Why most accessories aren’t necessary (in my opinion)
Modern iPhones include:
Multiple built-in prime lenses (ultrawide/macro, wide, telephoto)
Advanced computational photography (e.g. Smart HDR, Deep Fusion, Night mode)
The option to shoot RAW for maximum editing flexibility
With all of these capabilities, I feel that most clip-on lenses, filters, and adapters aren’t really necessary for the kinds of shooting situations that I typically use an iPhone for (I still shoot with a full-frame mirrorless camera in certain specialized situations).
Years ago, when iPhones had only one or two lenses and computational photography was less advanced, add-on macro or telephoto attachments sometimes helped—but even then, I found the results weren’t always consistent. Today, I feel that the built-in lenses and software algorithms perform extremely well.
About filters
From my perspective, filters aren’t normally needed on an iPhone.
iPhone computational photography already handles:
Exposure balancing
Highlight/shadow recovery
Noise reduction
Color rendering
And the editing tools now available—both in the Photos app and in third-party apps—can recreate many of the effects photographers traditionally use filters for. Even long exposures (or shots where you want to introduce motion blur) can be created using Live Photo conversions or third-party specialty apps.
The one accessory I do recommend
The only accessory I personally use on a regular basis is a selfie-stick tripod combo—not necessarily for selfies, but for:
More stable low-light shots
(even then, Night Mode often does an impressive job handheld)
Long exposures
High/low creative angles
Lightweight, portable support
Specialty photography
When a situation truly requires specialized tools—such as infrared, macro requiring longer focal lengths, or long-range telephoto shots beyond the iPhone’s reach—I switch to my full frame mirrorless camera. But for most shooting situations (street, travel, everyday photography), I feel that the native iPhone tools are more than sufficient.
Of course, other mobile photographers may have different opinions or workflows, and that’s perfectly valid. But based on my photographic experience, the strength of the iPhone is in its simplicity and built-in power—great results with the camera you already carry in your pocket.
