Yes, that's a magnetic, fisheye lens on my phone!

I've been posting images taken with my iPhone and the tiny magnetic lens for the past few days. Most were featured in my visit to San Juan Bautista. When I take it out in public people definitely notice it and have questions about how it works so I wanted to show you just how easy it is to use.

I found it online in the Photojojo camera accessories store. I've always wanted a fisheye lens but here's the thing, the MFT (Micro Four Thirds) 180º lens for my Panasonic GF2 camera retails for $629 and I didn't think I'd use it often enough to justify that price. Panasonic introduced a fisheye adapter for $149 but it only has a 120º view. But Photojojo's lens retails for $25 and has a 180º view. Sold!

The lens is 1" in diameter and has a magnetic ring on the more narrow back end. For most phones the standard mount ring stickers work fine. For the iPhone 4 and 4s a small notch is removed to allow the light from the flash to work when the lens is not in place.

The silver side is magnetic, the white is the sticker backing for the adhesive side.

The magnet attaches to a metal ring that attaches to your phone with adhesive. You'll receive two iPhone 4/4s notched rings and two standard rings.

When you place the ring on your phone you'll want to make sure to align the cut out to not interfere with or block your camera flash / flashlight if you have an iPhone 4 or 4s.

This is the back of the lens. That small inner ring is the magnet. Some geeky friends at dinner wondered if it would interfere with the compass built into the iPhone. It did a little as they floated the lens near the camera but not severely. While completely off or attached there wasn't any noticeable interference.

You just place the lens over the ring and it will hold in place.

A side view.

The magnet is definitely strong enough to hold the lens to the camera but not so strong that I would store it there. The lens can be knocked off fairly easily so I remove it between shots if I'll be walking or moving around a lot.

Once the lens is on the camera the one thing you will want to do is make sure it's perfectly aligned around the opening of the built in camera lens. If you don't align it evenly the lens can cast a shadow along one side of your picture.

The magnetic lens also comes with a small, flat, disc to stick to the back when the lens is not in use to protect it.

It's so easy!

And the front comes with a plastic lens cover.

It snaps on over the face of the lens.

The only thing it doesn't include is a carrying case.

So I sewed a small silk pouch to tuck it into when not in use.

Safe and sound in my purse.

And what kind of pictures will the lens take?

Shooting in low light works better than without it because the fisheye is a wide angle lens so it lets in more light. Also the wider an object is, like a building, the more of it the fisheye will include because of its wide angle capabilities.

Shooting tall objects, like this LED wrapped palm tree at night, turns them into dynamic forms. The closer you are to something tall the greater the distortion effect of the fisheye will be.

Snapseed Tilt Shift Filter

If you're into street photography and use editing apps like Snapseed, Instagram or Histagram the fisheye is a must! Read more about this image in my Urban Art: Street Koi post.

Photographing small objects close up can make them look larger than they are.

And if you know people who like to make goofy faces in pictures the fisheye will exaggerate their expressions.

The fisheye turns ordinary into extraordinary.

So cool. I used it like crazy on a day trip to San Juan Bautista.

CLICK HERE to learn more about this lens on the Photojojo website and use the FAQ link to answer any questions you may have. There are also magnetic macro and zoom lenses that come as a 3 lens kit for the iPhone, a remote shutter release, a tripod attachment and a boom mic. All for the iPhone!