Beastgrip, a camera grip system for Windows Phone

Beastgrip

To call Beastgrip a photographic camera grip for your Windows Phone would be an understatement. Beastgrip is more than of a systems foundation for your Windows Phone camera that has a cold shoe to mount lights from, a lens mount for accessory lenses, and five accessory mounts that can be used with tripods, rail, stabilizers and more than.

Beastgrip is the product of Chicago-based inventor/photographer Vadym Chalenko. He took his idea to KickStarter and is about a month away from filling orders. Nosotros were able to go our easily on a pre-release model and found Beastgrip to be an impressive, well built, photography accessory for Windows Phones.

BeastGrip

Blueprint

While Beastgrip expands your Windows Phone capabilities, the concept is rather simple. Y'all accept an adjustable clench that slides horizontally on rails and a camera port that adjusts vertically on runway. Along each corner and shut to the center of the base of the grip y'all will find the five 1/iv inch accompaniment mounts.

The clamp that holds your Windows Phone in place is lined with a thin strip of foam to cushion the Beastgrip's grip. The cream in the top part of the clamp has a gap to accommodate the camera hardware button on our Windows Phone and avoid information technology from being pressed. The base of this clamp can also be re-positioned to accommodate narrower phones.

Beastgrip Mounting Clamp

In one case you have placed your Windows Telephone in the mount, you tin position it horizontally to line up with the photographic camera port and move the port vertically into position. Tension screws are scattered about the Beastgrip to keep everything nicely in identify.

While ruggedly built, the Beastgrip is non a protective device for your Windows Phone. I think the Beastgrip could survive a hefty fall merely your Windows Phone screen is exposed and wouldn't be and then fortunate.

Beastgrip
Book and Power Buttons remain exposed

Looking at the Beastgrip solely every bit a grip, it isn't as sleek equally the Nokia Photographic camera Grip for the Lumia 1020 but offers a very grippable handle. The design is level enough to be costless standing both horizontally and vertically.

It is a bulky accompaniment for your Windows Phone and pants pocket comport goes out the window. Then once more, you aren't buying the Beastgrip for its pocketability.

Beastgrip

Accessories, accessories, accessories…

Where the Beastgrip separates itself from the Nokia Camera Grip is the accessory mounts. The common cold shoe will permit you mount a video low-cal, y'all have the 1/4 inch accessory spiral mounts and the lens port is threaded to have 37mm screw mount lenses and filters. You tin can even buy (or build) a depth of field converter to use SLR lenses with the Beastgrip.

Beastgrip i/4" Mounts

The power to mount accessories lenses is a tremendous asset to the grip. For under $20, you tin buy a gear up of close-upwardly filters and give your Windows Phone photographic camera's macro/close-up abilities a hefty boost in magnification. Then there are the wide-bending and telephoto accessory lenses that volition open up your field of view or get you a little closer to your subject. Prices for these lenses range from $10 on up with the wide angled choice out-numbering the telephoto options. I did notice that with a wide-bending lens the Lumia 1020 generated a adept bit of vignetting. Information technology is not the fault of the Beastgrip, simply a odd lucifer-upwards with the lenses. The vignette isn't too dramatic on the .45x wide-angle lens but farthermost with the .16x wide-angle. You can eliminate it by zooming in always so slightly with your Windows Phone photographic camera until the image fills your viewfinder.

Beastgrip
Vignetting with .45x Wide-Angle Lens

The SLR lens converter is a niggling more involved than the screw-on lenses. In a nutshell, you are building a converter that will project the image from the SLR lens to a focusing screen. The Windows Phone camera volition then focus on the screen for the image. The pre-built DOF Converters can exist rather pricey simply you tin build your ain (hither's Beastgrip's DYI instructions) for but over $100.

Beastgrip Macro Sample

We haven't put a DOF converter to the exam with the Beastgrip but in using the close-up filters and accessory lenses, the epitome quality is rather nice.

Lastly, on the accessory front, keep in heed the Beastgrip is fitted with a cold shoe mount. It is simply a mounting point for a lite and lacks the electronic contacts a hot shoe mount (like the one on a DSLR) would have.

Beastgrip Common cold Shoe Mount

While not a continued mount, I can run into information technology coming in handy for videographers who want to shed a footling light on their subjects.

A few things to signal out

While Vadym did a really prissy job in designing the Beastgrip, there are a few things that should exist pointed out.

First, yous do non have admission to your camera hardware push and volition rely on the on-screen mechanics to capture images and tape video. You do have access to the ability button and volume rocker when your Windows Phone is in the Beastgrip though. Answering calls is a little challenging, or at least with the Lumia 1020, in that the earpiece sits nether the left handle. I do not recollect either effect is a deal billow but worth noting.

Beastgrip Camera Port

2d, the camera port blocks your photographic camera flash. I do not see this as a major upshot (never been a big flash user) just y'all will need to make sure yous disable the camera flash or you may get lite reflection off the plastic, which will muck up your photo. Granted if you did accept a flash port you lot might be able to use a remotely triggered flash in the cold shoe simply still, I don't encounter it as a major event (although I recognize some may experience differently).

I would not heed seeing a hardware shutter button incorporated into the Beastgrip just with it being a "universal" grip that may exist a difficult task.

Additionally, I did notice that with the Lumia 1020 that the left grip handle brushes upwards against the speaker of the Windows Phone. The Beastgrip does come with a prepare of spacing plates that tin can be installed to level out the fit of the Lumia 1020. This will to give the Lumia 1020 only enough clearance to avoid brushing up against the handle. Withal, I would not listen seeing some other millimeter or and so of clearance just to be on the safety side.

In using the Beastgrip over the past few days, it is hard to find whatsoever major flaws in the grip. The blueprint works and really adds to your Windows Phone camera's potential. When you combine the hardware potential of the Beastgrip with all the fantastic photography apps available for Windows Phone, you go a very proficient photographic camera ready-up.

Is the Beastgrip a must take accessory for your Windows Telephone?

Beastgrip with Nokia Lumia 1020

While I really like the Beastgrip, information technology isn't for everyone. If your Windows Phone photography is mostly snapshots and casual photos, the Beastgrip is likely not for y'all. If you desire to elevate your Windows Phone photography or are an avid shutterbug, the Beastgrip will definitely come in handy.

The Beastgrip has fabulous versatility with its accessory mounts, lens options and cold shoe mountain. Personally, I like macro photography and the ability to utilize close-up filters with the Beastgrip is dandy. Combine the close-upwardly lenses with Nokia Camera'due south zoom later characteristic and you can really punch in close to your subjects.

Beastgrip Macro
Sample Epitome with close-upward filters (left) and without (right)

And the Beastgrip'south versatility isn't restricted to still images. Videographers will appreciate the mounting options that tin can accommodate stabilizing rigs, rails, rollers and other rigs. The cold shoe mountain will help with lighting and the lens options will help you widen or tighten upwardly those shots.

Beastgrip should be available sometime in March but you tin can pre-order the grip now. The cost is $75 and you have a broad variety of choices for the accent colors with the base color existence white, greyness or black. Out of the box, the Beastgrip fits everything from the Lumia 920 to the Lumia 520. Sizing plates and rods are included to increase the Beastgrips size to accommodate larger phones (such as the Lumia 1520) or fine-tune the fit for other Windows Phones such as the Lumia 1020. The accessory lenses are non included with the grip merely can be picked up at various online retailers such equally Amazon.com, B&H Photo, or Adorama.

Beastgrip Macro Sample

I will still rely on my DSLR for my photography heavy lifting just the Beastgrip definitely increases the capability of my Windows Telephone camera. I actually enjoyed using the close-up lenses and will probable lean on the Beastgrip for the times I want to travel light and go out my DSLR at dwelling house.

You can notice out more about ordering the Beastgrip hither at the Beastgrip website and if y'all feel similar chatting it upwardly about the Beastgrip, you tin can head over to this discussion in the WPCentral Forums.

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