![The iPhone Viewfinder can extend to accommodate different eyesight needs.](https://www.cnet.com/a/img/resize/81decf3f84da0611013fe6603a4982dbc1e861e0/hub/2013/01/22/125e4f80-fdba-11e2-8c7c-d4ae52e62bcc/iPhone_Viewfinder_hand.jpg?auto=webp&width=644)
Photojojo
The good: Your iPhone has a pretty decent camera. Better than decent, in fact, if it’s an iPhone 4S or iPhone 5.
The bad: Not everybody likes using the iPhone’s screen to frame their shots, especially outdoors, where the ambient light can wash out the display. What’s more, anyone accustomed to old-school, SLR-style photography no doubt misses their old-school, SLR-style viewfinder.
To the rescue comes the Photojojo iPhone Viewfinder, which combines hardware and software to give you a more traditional camera experience.
The kit consists of a round, black eyepiece that uses a suction cup to affix to your iPhone’s screen. You then run Sig Innovations’ free Daylight Viewfinder app, which shrinks the camera’s live preview to a tiny window that rests just under eyepiece. (Incidentally, the Daylight Viewfinder itself is the same product Photojojo sells, but for 5 cents less — plus free shipping.)
The end result is you squinting into a viewfinder, same as you would with a traditional SLR camera. In theory, this should allow for steadier shots, as you’re bracing the whole shebang against your eye. And it should definitely block out ambient light, giving you more precise control over how you frame your shots.
Sure, you might look a little silly, but that’s all relative, isn’t it? (Some might argue that holding a big ol’ SLR up to your face looks equally silly.) If you rely on your iPhone or iPad for semi-serious photography (and/or videography), this little gadget might prove very handy.
The iPhone Viewfinder sells for $30, plus a few bucks for shipping — or $29.95 shipped if you grab it directly from the aforementioned Sig Innovations. What do you think? Worth the money?