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If you are tired of using the same overused filters for your Instagram shots, you might want to try using add-on lenses for your phone instead. Smartphone lenses have been around for a long time. They work similarly to the swappable lenses on DSLR. There are certainly more expensive options that use high quality glass lens. However, there are also cheap plastic lenses that are good enough for creating fun Instagram shots. The Apexel 10-in-1 Lens Kit is one of the cheaper options and it comes with a total of 10 different lenses.

Most add-on lens kit come with 4 different lenses – a wide lens, a macro lens, a fisheye lens and a telephoto or zoom lens. The wide lens is for taking wide or panoramic shots. The wide lens usually dual-functions as the macro lens by flipping it or by removing part of the lens. The macro lens is for taking close up shots, as close as an inch or less. A fisheye lens takes ultra-wide images but the image is strongly distorted. Last but not least, the zoom lens lets you get a little closer to your subject.

However, the Apexel 10-in-1 Lens Kit adds another 6 lenses. These extra lenses are more for adding effects to your images. For example, the 2 kaleidoscope lenses add overlapping images to create the kaleidoscope effect. The difference between the 2 is that one creates 3 overlapping images while the other has 5 images.

Another 2 similar lenses are the radial and flow filter lenses. Both add blurring effects to the images. The radial filter adds a radial blurring effect to add visual impact and add focus on your main subject. The flow filter lets you add a motion blur effect to your photos. By rotating the lens, you can control the direction of the motion blur.

The star filter creates points of light or stars that streaks outward from a light source. It makes scenes more sparkly or glamorous. The last of the lenses is the CPL or circular polarizer/linear lens. What it does is to reduce the glare from reflective surfaces like glass or water.

The Apexel 10-in-1 Lens Kit comes with a clamp that you can attach the lenses to. The good thing about the design is that it works with most cameras as you can adjust the clamp to fit your phone’s camera position. Should you upgrade your phone, you should still be able to continue using the Apexel 10-in-1 Lens Kit. The disadvantage of this design is that the clamp design is rather bulky compared to more customized designs. The lenses come nicely packed in a zippered storage case.
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