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Want to mount your iPhone on a tripod? There are lots of third-party accessories that can help, but few are as practical or affordable as the Kungl iPhone Tripod Mount.
Lest you think it sounds crazy to connect a smartphone to a tripod, consider this: the iPhone 4 sports a 5-megapixel camera and can capture 720p video, while the 4S raises the bar to 8 megapixels and 1080p–and even brings image stabilization to the table.
The latter might seem to obviate the need for a tripod, but if you want the sharpest photos and smoothest video, nothing beats one.
Kungl
The Kungl is essentially a hard-plastic bumper case with a 1/4-inch tripod mount embedded in the right edge. That edge is perhaps 10 millimeters wider than the rest of the bumper, so slight a difference that you scarcely notice it.
Indeed, the Kungl is the only tripod-mount solution I’ve seen yet that can double as a full-time iPhone case. (Contrast that with the Glif, which doubles as an iPhone stand.) It’s very sturdy, made of injection-molded polycarbonate, but also extremely light. (On my scale, it showed exactly 0.6 ounce.)
Your iPhone slides into the Kungl from the top, snapping securely into place thanks to a molded lock-bar along the tip. The good news is that once the iPhone is locked in, it’s not going anywhere. The bad news: I had a horrendous time getting my iPhone out again, until I learned the “trick”: gently pull on the right edge of the case while gripping the phone’s front and back with your other hand and sliding it out.
My only real complaint with the design is that the volume buttons are a bit harder to press owing to the protrusion of the case, but that’s solved by pressing with a thumbnail instead of your thumb tip.
In my tests, the Kungl mount worked perfectly, allowing me to snap rock-steady shots with my iPhone and tripod. It’s a winner.
It’s also a bargain, at least relative to fancier iPhone mounts like the Canopy Kapok. The Kungl costs $19.99, plus two bucks for standard shipping, versus $70 for the Kapok. (The aforementioned Glif also sells for $20.)
Bottom line: If you’ve been looking for an affordable way to mount your iPhone on any standard tripod, the Kungl delivers.
