Best iPhone 13 accessories for better mobile videos and photos
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SmallRig Mobile Video Cage
Top-notch cage mount
$46 at Amazon -
Moment Anamorphic lens
Excellent add-on lens for iPhone
$150 at Moment -
Aputure MC LED video light
Powerful lighting on a budget
$90 at Amazon -
DJI Om 5 gimbal
Like a Steadicam for your iPhone
$159 at Target -
Rode VideoMicro microphone
Excellent external mic
$55 at Amazon
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Profoto B10
Pro-level flash for iPhone
$1,795 at Amazon -
PolarPro Apex Minimalist tripod
Our favorite iPhone tripod
$100 at PolarPro -
Moment MagSafe tripod
Magnetic ease of use
$50 at Moment
The?iPhone 13 and 13 Pro?can blow you away with the beautiful photos and videos you can capture with their multiple rear cameras. The addition of ProRes?on the iPhone 13 Pro meanwhile allows for immense creative options, particularly if you want a more professional look to your footage in post production. Shooting on an iPhone isn’t just for snagging quick Instagram Reels or TikTok videos though; the superb quality means creative professionals the world over can legitimately use these phones as part of their productions.?
And sure, you can simply walk out your front door with your phone and snag some beautiful footage, but there are a wealth of accessories you can use that’ll help elevate both your videos and photos to new levels to wow your followers.
Here is our list of the best tools to pair with your iPhone to really give your shots a boost. Everything here has been tested by us to make sure it works as well as it’s supposed to. If it didn’t impress, it didn’t make the list.
Read more:?Best cases for iPhone 13, iPhone 13 Pro and iPhone 13 Pro Max
Andrew Hoyle/CNET
SmallRig Mobile Video Cage
Top-notch cage mount
Camera cages are common tools that let you attach a wide variety of accessories to a DSLR, including lights, microphones, handles and external monitors. SmallRig’s new mobile cage offers much the same functionality, but for your iPhone, with multiple mounting points around the edge to attach whatever accessories you need.?
I’ve been using the cage with an attached Aperture LED light, PolarPro tripod and Rode microphone (all seen below), which makes for an incredible mobile vlogging rig. SmallRig also offers various attachments of its own, including top and side handles, which help provide stability when you’re hand-holding while filming. The cage is solidly built from aluminum, has bayonet lens mounts (see below), and has a convenient clasp for easily slotting your phone in and out.?
$46 at Amazon
Andrew Hoyle/CNET
Moment Anamorphic lens
Excellent add-on lens for iPhone
Anamorphic lenses are normally something you’d find in a professional cinematographer’s kit bag. These lenses provide a wider aspect ratio, along with distinctive blue-line lens flares that gives footage a much more filmic quality. Moment’s mobile anamorphic lens does exactly that for your iPhone.
Clip it on and it’ll squeeze your footage into the shorter, wider format that completely transforms the look of the video you can take from your phone. I’ve absolutely loved the look of my phone footage using the lens and it’s a must-have for any budding film producers wanting to up their game with their phone.?
You’ll need to shoot with apps like Filmic Pro that let you “unsqueeze” the footage so it doesn’t look all distorted. The lens uses a bayonet mount that attaches to compatible cases, including Moment’s own ones or a variety of third-party options, including the SmallRig cage mentioned above.
$150 at Moment
$150 at Amazon
Andrew Hoyle/CNET
Aputure MC LED video light
Powerful lighting on a budget
This USB-C rechargeable LED video light is small enough to fit into the palm of your hand but puts out a huge amount of light. It’s great for lighting up your subjects, whether that’s for portraits, product photography or macro or to light up yourself if you’re vlogging at night. The power output is easily adjustable, as is the color temperature of the light.?
It also has a variety of creative effects to spice up your production, including simulations of fireworks, lightning, a flickering fireplace or the flashing red and blue of police car lights.
$90 at Amazon
Andrew Hoyle/CNET
DJI Om 5 gimbal
Like a Steadicam for your iPhone
The iPhone 13’s built-in image stabilization is already superb, but for an even smoother ride, consider using a dedicated gimbal like DJI’s OM 5. It evens out all but the most aggressive movements, allowing you to get smooth tracking footage of you running behind your subject as you film a chase scene.?
It also has a built-in extendable selfie stick, which not only makes it great for YouTube vloggers, but also allows for more creative angles by holding it up higher, or even flipping it over and having the camera run close to the ground or through grasses.
$159 at Target
$159 at Amazon
$160 at Apple
Andrew Hoyle/CNET
Rode VideoMicro microphone
Excellent external mic
Recording good audio for your vlogs or your next iPhone-based short film is crucial, and while the iPhone does a decent job of capturing audio, a dedicated microphone will take things to the next level. Rode’s VideoMicro shotgun mic can plug into your phone’s Lightning port (via an adapter) and provides crystal-clear audio when recording with the standard iPhone camera app or any third-party video app.?
I love using it on top of my phone for vlogging and the included wind shield is superb for cutting out wind noise when working on location. Alternatively, get a 3.5mm extension cable and you can try using the mic on the end of a boom pole for recording audio in a conversation you’re filming.
$55 at Amazon
Andrew Hoyle/CNET
Profoto B10
Pro-level flash for iPhone
At $1,795, industry goliath Profoto’s B10 studio flash will be little more than a pipe dream for most. But for if you want to get truly professional lighting on location or in a studio using your iPhone, the B10 is second to none. This pro flash is designed primarily for use with DSLRs but can also be used with iPhones and Android phones via the Profoto app. It allows you to get shots with your phone that would simply not be possible to achieve without it.?
Sure, most pros probably wouldn’t consider shooting a major project on just their phone, but it’s a potentially great backup in case of camera failure, or simply a lightweight and convenient way to test ideas in the field without hauling bags of gear around.
$1,795 at Amazon
Andrew Hoyle/CNET
PolarPro Apex Minimalist tripod
Our favorite iPhone tripod
Having a solid tripod can make all the difference in getting stable, wobble-free video, particularly if you want to put yourself in the frame. PolarPro’s Apex Minimalist tripod is a great option for mobile producers, as its compact size means it’s easy to chuck into a backpack, but it’s burly enough to support bigger cameras should you need to.?
I love using it for static shots, and for holding my phone up to shoot vlogs while walking around. It comes either with an integrated twist-locking ball head, or as the tripod legs only. I prefer the latter as it allows me to use my own compact ball heads, which are more stable with heavier loads.
$100 at PolarPro
Andrew Hoyle/CNET
Moment MagSafe tripod
Magnetic ease of use
Rather than use screw clamps to secure your phone in place, Moment’s tripod mount uses Apple’s MagSafe system, which makes it incredibly quick to pop your phone in place and start shooting. When you’re done, just rip your phone away from the magnetic disk and pop it back in your pocket. Easy!
The minimalist approach to the mount’s design makes it extremely compact so it’s no hassle to always carry it with you for when inspiration strikes. The magnets are strong, too, so you don’t need to worry about your phone popping loose while you’re walking along. It’s available as a mount by itself, or with the cold-shoe bracket (pictured) to attach a microphone when vlogging.
$50 at Moment
$50 at Amazon