It’s not the first camera grip to come out for the iPhone. The Pictar, however, makes a solid case by turning your iPhone into a veritable point-and-shoot. Beyond providing a grip for comfortably holding your phone while taking pictures, it comes with physical controls to deliver a camera-like experience.
When attached to your phone, the grip transforms the lower half of your phone into a conventional camera that you can comfortably hold with one hand. That way, you can take quick shots without worrying about dropping your phone at any point during the process.
Aside from offering an ergonomic grip, the Pictar comes with a shutter release button for quickly pulling the trigger, complete with a half press mode to lock focus and exposure before taking the final capture. A zoom ring out front lets you zoom in and out on the display without having to touch the screen, all while doubling as a quick way to switch from the rear cam to the front cam and vice versa with a single press. Two knobs along the top let you adjust brightness level and shooting mode, respectively.
Both the zoom ring and the shooting mode knob can be programmed separately, allowing you to use them to adjust any settings you want easy access to when shooting. The app also comes with a virtual wheel that you can quickly turn with your thumb for flipping through a variety of settings. Other features include a tripod socket, accompanying neck and wrist straps, and a cold shoe mount.
A Kickstarter campaign is currently running for the Pictar. Pledges to reserve a unit starts at $90.