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DIY: How to make your own iPhone macro lens

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Learn how you can take amazing pictures with a homemade macro lens for your iPhone or other smartphones.

I read that it was possible to use the lens from a cd-rom or dvd-player as a macro lens for the iPhone, and wanted to test it. Here is the result so far (see the pictures I took with the macro lens towards the bottom, the first part contains a short how-to on how you can make your own smartphone macro lens).

Video

Closeup of dragonfly wing and fly

Guess what:

How-to:

My iPhone 3G – ready to get a camera makeover.
My iPhone 3G - ready to get a camera makeover.
The camera on the iPhone is actually quite horrible compared to most newer mobile phones. The resolution is poor, the light sensitivity is awful, and the way it scans the image makes it hard to avoid distortions. The rest of the iPhone is absolutely state of the art, but the camera could hardly suck more. But perhaps we can add a little more fun to it by making a macro lens from an old cd-rom or dvd-player!

Old cd-rom drive
Old cd-rom drive
Or perhaps it is a dvd-rom, I’m actually not quite sure. This is from an old workstation that died many years ago, but I have a hard time throwing cool junk away, so it’s been sitting in the basement collection dust. I’ve canabalized this computer before when making other strange things, and I have plans for the motors on the drive, but I haven’t had any use for the laser lens until now. Let’s start cracking!

Lens closeup
Lens closeup
The lens is wrapped in a black plastic cap, which I pried off with a screw driver. I then unscrewed everything I could see and took out the entire laser mechanism. I won’t go into details, in my experience every cd/dvd player is completely different in design.

Laser module removed
Laser module removed

Plastic cover removed
Plastic cover removed
I pried loose the black plastic cap and uncovered a metal holder held in place by four small but strong magnets that I will probably save for another project, or perhaps just use as refridgerator magnets. The metal holder is basically completely loose, exept for the thin cableribbon you can see on the right. Just lift up the metal lens holder and cut the ribbon. (or do whatever you need to do to get yours free).

Pretty steampunk jewelry!
Pretty steampunk jewelry!
There is something VERY steampunky about this object! I must find some use for the metal holder in a later project. But for now I must find a way to pry the lens loose without damaging it. I have no idea how hard it is fastened.

Using a knife
Using a knife
I started prodding a little with a knife, and noticed that the lens was glued in place with four tiny droplets for glue, silicon, or rubber cement. All I had to do was cut under them all like I did in this picture, and the lens was free.

Use tweezers
Use tweezers
I used a pair of tweezers for moving the lens, to avoid fingermarks on it.

Spooky steampunk picture without function
Spooky steampunk picture without function

Clear tape
Clear tape
I had to figure a way to get the lens to stay in place over the iPhones camera. I decided on clear tape, after considering making a cardboard frame or something to hold it in place. Drag the tape out in a smooth motion to try to avoild creases or blemishes that might later blur the picture.

Place the lens
Place the lens
At this point I was very unsure about which way to actually place the lens. I noticed that one of the sides was flat, while the other side protruded quite a bit, so I desided to place the flat side of the lens UP on the tape (so it would lay down flat on the iPhones camera later). I haven’t tested the other way around, so please tell me what you experience if you try this yourself).

Tape the lens over the iPhone camera
Tape the lens over the iPhone camera
I didn’t know if the lens would work so I kept the tape quite loose so I could take it off and perhaps flip the lens around for a better effect.

Lens in place.
Lens in place.
All ready to test! Exited!

My first test subject
My first test subject
Or perhaps object is the right word.

My first iPhone macro lens shot
My first iPhone macro lens shot
Damn, the lens magnifies a lot more than I thought! This is an extreme closeup of the grip on the tweezers! And I’m finding it really hard to keep the iPhone still enough to get a sharp image!

Tip of tweezer
Tip of tweezer
This is amazing. It’s hell to get the images sharp (ish), but you get incredibly close! I’m holding the lens is just a few millimeters from the the tip of the pair of tweezers, resting the bottom of the iPhone against the table for much needed support.

Gallery:

Guess what!
Guess what!
Can you guess what this is?

Pour some sugar on me
Pour some sugar on me

Paper landscape
Paper landscape
The edge of a piece of paper

Keyring
Keyring

Knife's edge
Knife's edge

Knifes edge 2
Knifes edge 2

Golden keyring
Golden keyring

photo
photo

A fly's ass, photographed with a homemade diy macro lens and an iPhone
A fly's ass, photographed with a homemade diy macro lens and an iPhone

A fly, photographed with a homemade diy macro lens and an iPhone
A fly, photographed with a homemade diy macro lens and an iPhone

Wing of a fly
Wing of a fly

A fly's wing, photographed with a homemade diy macro lens and an iPhone #4
A fly's wing, photographed with a homemade diy macro lens and an iPhone #4

The head of a pin!
The head of a pin!

The tiny tip of a pin!
The tiny tip of a pin!

Copper wire
Copper wire

Salt crystal
Salt crystal
About 1mm on it’s shortest side.

Tip of a screwdriver
Tip of a screwdriver

The hologram on a 5 EURO bill
The hologram on a 5 EURO bill

The hologram on a 5 EURO bill
The hologram on a 5 EURO bill

50 øre
50 øre

The leg of a green beetle
The leg of a green beetle

A fly's wing, photographed with a homemade diy macro lens and an iPhone #1
A fly's wing, photographed with a homemade diy macro lens and an iPhone #1

A fly's wing, photographed with a homemade diy macro lens and an iPhone #3
A fly's wing, photographed with a homemade diy macro lens and an iPhone #3

Closeup of newspaper #1
Closeup of newspaper #1

Closeup of newspaper #3
Closeup of newspaper #3
This is actually Eli Hagen :)

Closeup of newspaper #2
Closeup of newspaper #2

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Written by Morten Skogly

September 22nd, 2009 at 11:40 pm

11 Responses to 'DIY: How to make your own iPhone macro lens'

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  1. Ohhhh.. ble ganske arty disse bildene da. Lag en utstilling..

    Rashid

    23 Sep 09 at 8:23

  2. Kanskje det ja. Hjelper du til? Jeg er lat. :)

    mskogly

    23 Sep 09 at 9:17

  3. Hi there, nice guide and nice pics too. Do you now leave the DIY macro lense on the iPhone? Do you have an example of what sort of photo it takes without deliberately taking a close up photo?

    Nathan

    28 Sep 09 at 4:17

  4. http://www.makroshots.com – my new photos :) s.e. C 902 + dvd lens

    damian

    20 Nov 09 at 9:48

  5. Love your pictures Damian!

    Morten Skogly

    20 Nov 09 at 12:01

  6. ..:) thx… it's a great fun, isn't it? cheap, easy and really involving ;)

    damian

    20 Nov 09 at 14:10

  7. It sure is. It seems that my shots are alot closer than yours, but I like yours better. It must be a difference of the lens or the phone perhaps, I’ve tested with the iphone and a nokia N95. Or perhaps it is because you have more space between the lens and the phone? What did you use to hold the lens, seems like some sort of pink rubber? I found out that you can make a fast and easy holder by using one of those hole cutters for paper, the lens fits perfectly in the hole.

    Morten Skogly

    20 Nov 09 at 18:38

  8. Well, this pink rubber on the first photo is actually a piece of wax ;) but as the title of the folder says- it was The Beginning. Now I'm using a piece of transparent plexiglass as a frame. It suits better, lays closer on the lens, so the vignetting is less visible and the sharpness of the image is much more satisfying… But I must admit that Yours photos, despite not being sharp- are really interesting! They are -I would say- more artistic then mine :).. I've tested this solution on Sony Ericsson K810i and C902… And you're right, the difference between photos comes from: different lenses, phone models, amount of light getting through and of course the immobility of a hand of the photographer :) Once again, I'm very glad that you like my photos on http://www.makroshots.com :) Feel free to comment those images who are worth it ;)

    damian

    24 Nov 09 at 9:07

  9. [...] appeal to the perfectionist inside you and you want something more refined, then check out the homemade macro lens made from a cd-rom or dvd-player. You need to take out the lens from a defunct cd or dvd player and [...]

  10. I'm not sure why you didn't cut out a hole in the tape for the lens instead of shooting right through clear tape. Either way the pictures came out good but the tape makes it a little too abstract to recognize what you're actually shooting.

    Eddie Mercer

    7 Feb 10 at 8:58

  11. Did it with tape just to get a quick test. I’ve later found out that one of those office hole cutters makes a PERFECT fitting hole. I made a new version with cardboard from a milk carton, and I didn’t even have to use glue, the lens stayed in place by itself.

    Morten Skogly

    7 Feb 10 at 13:32

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