This Smartphone Case Turns Your iPhone Into a Portable Photo Studio
Our smartphones are sooo brainy that there’s almost no virtual task an app can’t help us to do. But our phone cases? They, for the most part, do one thing and one thing only — protect our precious devices from harm’s way (read: the floor and the toilet :/). But a brand-new smartphone case from Manfrotto called KLYP+ promises to do way more than be a bodyguard. It essentially transforms your iPhone 5/5s into a totally portable photo studio.
KLYP+’s website touts the slogan “Not just a pretty case,” and while we’ll sidestep the debate over just how “pretty” it actually is, we’ll certainly +1 the part that states this ain’t your average phone case. Even though the utilitarian bumper ($30) seems pretty unassuming in its Clark Kent role, the KLYP+ can bulk up to Superman status seconds after you spot your photogenic subject. Look! Up in the sky! It’s a bird… it’s a plane… it’s the blingin’ piñata you bought for your sister’s bachelorette party! Now that the bride-to-be is up to bat, you’re poised to turn this moment into legit share-worthy snaps with KLYP+ to the rescue!
Like a Swiss Army Knife for iPhone photography, KLYP+ comes equipped with enough transforming tricks to make the sheath a gadget in its own right. With just a few easy clicks, you can attach a super bright LED light ($65) to your bumper that lets you shoot images + record video in just about any light condition. The continuous illumination makes the images you capture incredibly vivid with no light reflectors required. KLYP+ is also compatible with a trio of external lenses ($60) that screw right on so you can alter your POV from portrait mode to landscape to fisheye effect on the fly.
Even a kickstand and tripod mount connect to your bumper so that you can prop up your phone when you want more than a selfie. You’ll be glad you have your hands free, too: Besides striking Beyoncé-level poses, you’ll need to put your hands together in order to command your KLYP+ photo app to take the pic. (Ahhh, KYLP makes a loooot more sense NOW). Just like its PIC bumper, KLYPapp+ is a powerhouse, too: Manually adjust the focus and exposure, shoot stop-motion and time lapse videos and apply filters, frames and watermarks using the $0.99 app.
As you’ve probably calculated by now, this all-in-one artful armor is a bit of an investment — $155.99 will get you the bumper + lenses + light + app you need to yield studio-quality smartphone photos. And while these add-ons do make your sleek gold iPhone decidedly more bulky, it’s still SO much lighter than the traditional alternative: a pro-level snapper slung ’round your neck that weighs you (+ your after party dance moves) down. If you just can’t imagine walking a day in a paparazzo’s shoes, then count on KLYP+ to help you streamline your street style Insta feed or take the snaps destined for your DIY blog with your trusty One and Only.
Do you have any iPhone photography gadgets that you swear by? Would you try this all-in-one system if it would help you snap top quality photos? Tell us in the comments below.