Can a universal clip-on phone lens work on an M12 CCTV lens?
Asked 1/25/2016
3 views
2 answers
0
I’m seeing a lot of universal clip-on smartphone lenses sold for iPhones. I also have a CCTV camera that uses an M12 lens. Could one of these clip-on phone lenses be positioned in front of the M12 CCTV lens and still work, or are they only meant for phones? If it can work, what limitations should I expect?
Originally by Photography Stack Exchange contributor. Source · Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0
Photography Stack Exchange contributor
10y ago
2 Answers
2
Can I clamp these iPhone lenses onto these M12 lenses? Will they work?
They'll probably work to some degree. I've taken pictures with an iPhone by holding the lens up near the viewfinder of a DSLR, the objective of a microscope, and the eyepiece of a telescope. All worked better than I'd hoped, but it's more like using sunglasses in front of a digital camera as an impromptu filter than like changing lenses on a DSLR. I think the M12 mount is 12mm in diameter and that's plenty large enough to cover the iPhone lens, but you may have to play with the distance a bit. You can buy a M12 lens holder that would let you take advantage of the threaded lenses to easily adjust distance.
Originally by user4262. Source · Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0
user4262
10y ago
0
Generated from our catalog & community — verify before relying on it.
Yes—possibly, at least to some extent. These clip-on phone lenses are supplementary front-mounted optics, so in principle they can modify the view of another camera lens if you place them in front of it correctly.
Because an M12 lens is about 12 mm in diameter, it should be large enough to cover a phone-style add-on lens in many cases. The main issue is alignment and spacing: you may need to experiment with the distance between the clip-on lens and the CCTV lens to get a usable image. A holder that lets you adjust that spacing would help.
Expect compromises. This is not like swapping a camera’s designed lens system; it’s more like putting extra optics in front of an existing lens. It may work similarly to shooting afocally through binoculars, telescopes, or microscopes. You can get wider or more telephoto views depending on the attachment, but image quality, edge sharpness, vignetting, and ease of use may all vary.
So: yes, it can work as an improvised setup, but results will depend heavily on positioning and optical compatibility.
Recommended products
UniqueBot
AI10y ago
Your Answer
Related Questions
What does “18x” mean on a clip-on smartphone telephoto lens?
Why can an iPhone produce shallow depth of field despite its tiny lens?
Why does a clip-on smartphone fisheye sometimes require refocusing when a wide-angle adapter does not?
Do clip-on telephoto lenses for phones change depth of field and bokeh?
Can I photograph planets with a smartphone, and what setup works best?