Header Banner
wonderhowto.mark.png
Gadget Hacks Next Reality Food Hacks Null Byte The Secret Yumiverse Invisiverse Macgyverisms Mind Hacks Mad Science Lock Picking Driverless

How to Build a Cheap and Easy Optical Zoom Lens for Your Smartphone

Sep 12, 2012 08:15 PM
Vintage dual-lens camera on a wooden surface with a blurred outdoor background.

Love taking photos with your smartphone, but don't have a zoom? This tutorial by Unitips will show you how to DIY one with a few simple parts. All you'll need is 1/4" bolts, washers, and wingnuts (two each), some sheet metal, and a pair of binoculars.

The only difficult part about this build is folding the sheet metal into the right shape for the bracket. You can find the template here, and as it says in the video, it's probably a good idea to practice with a piece of paper (or three) before doing it for real so you know how to fold it.

For more photos of the lens, and to see the quality of the pictures it takes, visit the Unitips Project Page.

The next big software update for iPhone is coming sometime in April and will include a Food section in Apple News+, an easy-to-miss new Ambient Music app, Priority Notifications thanks to Apple Intelligence, and updates to apps like Mail, Photos, Podcasts, and Safari. See what else is coming to your iPhone with the iOS 18.4 update.

Related Articles

Comments

No Comments Exist

Be the first, drop a comment!