What’s in the Box?
Each lens came securely packaged in a cardboard box, which also contained several other accessories.
First, there’s the phone case that the lenses screw into. Mine was for the iPhone XS, but you can buy versions for every iPhone model from the 7 and 7 Plus upward.
There’s also an external clip included for those not using an Apple device. It functions in much the same way: you screw the lens into the clip and then secure it over your phone’s camera.
The box also contains a drawstring bag to keep the lens in, and a small microfibre cloth. You can never have too many of those.
How the SANDMARC Case Works
On one hand, it doesn’t add a huge amount of extra weight or size, so you can still easily keep your phone in your pocket without any issues. On the other hand, if you happen to drop your phone, the case isn’t going to provide much protection.
Unfortunately, the case doesn’t have the sturdiness of the lenses and doesn’t feel as well-built. Mine developed a crack in the corner from one month of light usage, during which I only slipped it off the phone once or twice.
The split didn’t affect how the case or lenses functioned, and because SANDMARC provides a case with every lens, I had two spares to fall back on. Even so, it was a surprise given the quality of the lenses themselves.
The lenses screw into a metal ring on the case, with two position options depending on which rear camera you want to use. You can screw the SANDMARC lens over either the default iPhone lens, or the telephoto lens below it. Either way, the lenses sat securely and tightly in place once they were attached, with zero risk of falling off.
The design of the iPhone XS camera also means that part of the SANDMARC lens covers the flash while it’s attached to the mount, rendering it unusable. This won’t be a big issue for many people ( I never use the flash, for example) but if you do, it may be a frustration.
Of course, if you don’t particularly like the SANDMARC case, just pack the clip accessory instead.
The SANDMARC Wide-Angle Lens
For most travelers, the wide-angle lens will be the one they use most often on the road. It gives twice the field of view, letting you fit more of the scene into your shot.
That’s useful in many situations, from taking photos of landscapes, crowds, and big buildings to getting more of your fancy hotel room into your shot. The photo quality was fantastic, and I saw zero signs of distortion at the far edges of the frame.
As I mentioned above, this is the heaviest of the lenses, which can lead to the phone feeling a little unbalanced. For a steadier photo, you’ll probably want to hold it with both hands when shooting.