Take your mobile photography to the next level with these accessories

Smartphone brands have continuously been moving up the megapixels on the device cameras. You now have phones boasting of cameras with 108MP, 100X zoom and other similar features.

While the phones themselves are capable of providing great photo and video results, you can improve your results by using accessories with the device.

Here are our top recommendations:

1. Gimbal – Usually associated with large DSLR cameras, a gimbal is a handheld accessory that adds stabilization to your camera in 2 or 3 axis for photos and videos. The result is smooth, stabilized videos and blur-free images. In the last couple of years, gimbals are being made specifically for smartphones, and our current favourite is the DJI Osmo line of handheld gimbals. You can go for Osmo 2 for Rs 6,990 or the Osmo 3 for Rs 9,999 – they provide three-axis stabilization and adds a variety of functions for shooting creative videos and photos.

2. LED Ring Flashlight – The ring flashlight comes in a portable clip-on style (Rs 150 onwards) or various large sizes, including 10-inch, 18-inch and 20-inch size (Rs 799 onwards).  As evident from the name, the LED ring light has a bright LED's positioned in a circle to add light while taking selfie photos or video. The clip-on ones can be added on to the device and are suitable for occasional use only as the front clip covers your screen. The larger ring-lights are ideal for taking creative shots, especially if you are a vlogger or a creator, as they can be easily fit on a mounting stand along with your smartphone. Some of them also come with the option to change colours and adjust the brightness level.

3. Popsocket Grips/ Grip Ring – This small utility accessory permanently attaches to the rear of your smartphone (direct on the phone or the cover/case). Available in multiple styles, this accessory gives you a better grip on the device using your hand and allows for photos and videos to be shot in different angles comfortably. You can also use the accessory as a stand to prop the smartphone at an angle for usage if required. Priced Rs 99 onwards.

4. Add on lenses – If you have a recently launched smartphone, the chances are that your phone already has multiple lenses for wide-angle, depth, macro and telephoto. In case you have a slightly older phone, you might not have all those lenses, but you can get add-on lenses for your smartphone. There are individual clip-on lens available with 8x to 26x optical zoom, 20x macro lens, as well as a wide-angle lens that can help you get unique photos and videos from your smartphone irrespective of the number of lenses already available to you on the device.

5. Tripod – Although several smartphones now offer optical image stabilisation in their camera, using a tripod is highly recommended wherever possible. You can get tripods designed primarily for smartphones now and that too in a different style. You can get a standard tripod with a phone mount to use, a small compact one to prop up your smartphone on a stable surface or a tripod with flexible legs that can be used to mount the smartphone at any angle on different objects or uneven surfaces. Prices start as low as Rs 249 for basic entry-level tripods.

6. Selfie stick – The selfie stick is an accessory that has become commonplace now. It has a smartphone mount on an extendable stick with a dedicated button or a wireless remote to cover more background area while taking selfies. You can choose a selfie stick that connects with your phone via the 3.5mm audio connector or the one that uses Bluetooth for connectivity depending upon your smartphone. The compact accessory is easy to carry or store, making it a great companion when travelling.

7. External Microphone – If you do a lot of video recording with your smartphone, then you would have noticed that most of the time, the audio recorded is not the best in quality, especially if you plan to use the smartphone for recording video interviews. In such an instance, it is best that you invest in a good quality external microphone for your smartphone. If it's only for recording interviews, then it's best to go for a lavalier microphone (Rs 699 onwards), while for others, you can go for a shotgun microphone (Rs 999 onwards) for your smartphone.

8. Portable Photo Studio – A mobile photo studio is a small lightbox in which you can place a product to take high-quality photos and that too with a white or coloured background for easy editing. These photo studio boxes also have LED lights with adjustable brightness that keeps your product well-lit, giving the photos a professional look. Moreover, they also come with various coloured backdrops to create a contrast effect if required. If you have a small business and want to get professional-looking photos of your products to list on an online store, this one is a great investment.