iPhone wide angle lens anybody?

[arashaw]

Hi folks. I’m interested to know if anybody has used an aftermarket attachable wide-angle lens, with their iPhone, for shooting guitar videos? I’m looking to simplify my video and audio direct to the iPhone. I realize there are better, more high-quality options out there, but simplicity is my goal these days. I was thinking an Irig for the audio and a wide angle lens for the video and I’m done. Anyone care to comment or share their thoughts on this? Thanks

[raysachs]

Originally Posted by arashaw

Hi folks. I’m interested to know if anybody has used an aftermarket attachable wide-angle lens, with their iPhone, for shooting guitar videos? I’m looking to simplify my video and audio direct to the iPhone. I realize there are better, more high-quality options out there, but simplicity is my goal these days. I was thinking an Irig for the audio and a wide angle lens for the video and I’m done. Anyone care to comment or share their thoughts on this? Thanks

The iPhone cameras are already about 28-30mm equivalent focal length - I'm not sure how much wider you'd want to do. With the phone a few feet away, you can get a player and a guitar in the frame really easily. I use an Apogee mic for the guitar and it's cord is plenty long to have it about 2 feet with the phone/camera well behind it.

I'm not a fan of the aftermarket add on lenses for phones - they basically just sit over top of what's already a pretty mediocre lens and make the image quality that much worse. But it may be ok for this use. I'd guess you'll be OK without it though - anything much wider than 28mm focal length starts introducing some pretty notable distortion...

-Ray

[ljguitar]

Originally Posted by arashaw

Hi folks. I’m interested to know if anybody has used an aftermarket attachable wide-angle lens, with their iPhone, for shooting guitar videos? I’m looking to simplify my video and audio direct to the iPhone. I realize there are better, more high-quality options out there, but simplicity is my goal these days. I was thinking an Irig for the audio and a wide angle lens for the video and I’m done. Anyone care to comment or share their thoughts on this? Thanks

HI arashaw

I shoot video using an iPhone 8+ and 6s, and use Filmic Pro app to shoot (it's a pro video app).

I use a set of Sandmarc lenses (macro, tele and wide angle, plus case with thread mount for the lenses). The iPhone 8+ wide lens is already equivalent of a 28mm lens, so the Sandmarc makes it 14mm (without heavy distortion like a fisheye).

Olloclip makes decent after market lenses far cheaper than Moment or Sandmarc. Their full set is ⅓ the price of high end lenses. And there are inexpensive (fun to play around with) import lens kits from who-knows-who-they-are for cell phones for under $25 for several lenses.

I started with the play-around kind and upgraded when I started shooting serious video with iPhones.

Have fun recording…

[arashaw]

Raysachs- Maybe it’s just operator error on my part, but I have a hard time framing my body and the guitar, with a nice close-up using the iPhone. When I settle for everything in frame I feel like the shot is far away from my fingers. I’m trying to work on some instructional videos.

[arashaw]

Ljguitar- thanks for the tip on filmic, I’ll have to investigate.

[ljguitar]

Originally Posted by arashaw

Raysachs- Maybe it’s just operator error on my part, but I have a hard time framing my body and the guitar, with a nice close-up using the iPhone. When I settle for everything in frame I feel like the shot is far away from my fingers. I’m trying to work on some instructional videos.

Hi a…

Recording the audio separate from video and joining them up during post processing…sets one free from those kinds of worries.

And once you set the shot, you can just start the video and take your time setting up, and then trim the ends later during editing.

I have used two phones, and recorded audio separately to make it possible to incorporate the close-up of the hands for fingerings, and the distance shot. I have an iPhone 6s which does fine for the overall/establishing shots, leaving the 8+ for pulling the close up work (it has a telephoto lens).

Using two cameras really opens up possibilities and frees one up. I'd think that would be key for doing instructional videos. If you film in 4K and export to 1080p, you can zoom in on sections of the frame, and still retain solid sharpness/resolution. Since 1080p is ¼ the area of 4K you can select up to ¼ of the image shot in 4K and have full HD resolution (this would enable you to zoom in on fingerings). I copied this from a site for clarifying size and format, and have no recollection of what the WOW in the title means.

[arashaw]

thanks for this info Larry, appreciate it. I have in the past, shot video and audio separately, and then later sync-ed them up. I guess my goal was to make things really simple. I don’t want to get too bogged down in the technical stuff when I get lesson ideas.. If I have a quick idea, to turn the phone on, record it, then literally dump it to YouTube is what I’m thinking these days. I agree that two cameras ultimately, would make things nice. The close up and then a further back shot.

Part of me just wants to pay a pro so I can focus on the guitar and lesson work. I’m sure a lot of us have this back-and-forth in our minds… Should we DIY it, or pay a studio? I can see the value in both.

[ljguitar]

Originally Posted by arashaw

…I guess my goal was to make things really simple.

Hi a

Then the iPhone with an extra wide-angle lens would make sense so you could set it up close enough to pick up sound and fit the guitar and you into the picture.

You could also do the very-oft-used-on-YouTube shot with just the guitar in the picture and the headstock cut off, the players head not in the shot, and maybe not even their knees.

I actually don't mind those because of the inclusion of both hands and the sound quality.