I’ve been an avid iPhoneographer for some time now and am always on the lookout for new camera accessories. I own plenty of lenses so when I first saw Trygger on Kickstarter, I knew I wanted to try it. The Trygger, for those of you who don’t know, is essentially a polarizing filter that slips around your iPhone’s camera. The filter should give more vibrant colors while reducing reflections.
The nice people over at Bite My Apple sent me a copy and I’ve been using it quite a bit. Let’s take a look and see what all the hype is about.
Pros and Cons
Pros
Better color as expected
Power button has a nice feel
Easy to use
Included plastic case is a nice touch
Cons
Has to be used on a bare iPhone
Covering up reflections is hit or miss
Felt on the inside seems to shed a bit
Tech Specs
Features taken from Bite My Apple.
Adjustable polarizing filter
Shock and scratch resistant case
Filter and case back slides easily into position
Hand ground optical glass construction
Lightweight, slim fitting case
Handsome color choices
Ergonomics
Trygger is just a little guy and doesn’t offer a whole lot in the buttons and dials department. On the corner is just a dial that adjusts the amount of light that comes through the polarizing lens.
On top is a snappy little button that allows you to sleep or wake your iPhone while the lens is attached. The button honestly has a better feel to it than the one on the phone.
On the inside of the Trygger is a little bit of felt that gives the lens the right amount of tension so it doesn’t fall right off your phone.
Ease of Use
The toughest thing about using Trygger is probably going to be the constant removing of your current iPhone case, I sure hope it isn’t one of those crazy water proof ones. In a perfect world you don’t use a case and in that world the Trygger is a breeze. All you have to do is slide the lens onto the corner of your iPhone and move the dial to adjust the amount of light to your liking.
Real World Use
In the video above you can see the different results from the lens. It shows off the highlight recovery, contrast / vibrance and the ability to get rid of annoying reflections. It may be the fact that I’m a polarizer noob but it seemed like the lens either worked pure magic or did nothing at all in my tests.
In most situations I feel putting on the lens would be too slow to catch a fleeting subject. It isn’t difficult, the Trygger just takes time to adjust after you place it over your camera. If your subject is a pretty view or flower then this is the lens for you or you could always leave it on to catch moving subjects.
Part of me really likes the continuous spinning of the filter dial but another part really wishes it either had hard stops or book end stops to help keep track of the light. This is just me nitpicking and not entirely realistic.
Make sure you keep an eye on the dirt buildup on the lens from either your pocket lint or felt shedding from the interior. It should be noted that the plastic case it comes with is essential to keep good care of the lens.
Sample Images
Without Trygger
With Trygger
Conclusions
As I mentioned the Trygger either made the image complete or added nothing. Although frustrating at times I still feel that if you are really into mobile photography something like the Trygger can be invaluable when it’s needed. I watched reflections disappear in photos and videos which would have been worthless without the filter.
When it comes to the lens adjusting color and vibrancy the argument will always be “there’s an app for that”. Yes, it’s true there at least 1,000 apps for that but we all know getting it done in camera results in better imagery. The part in my opinion where the Trygger shines is when it’s just too bright and highlight recovery is needed. I was shocked when I was able to pull cloud detail out of a few shots by adjusting the light dial on the lens.
At $40 the Trygger is definitely a premium accessory to your iPhone 5. Just like a really good pair of shoes, if they are used enough the cost per day drops down to cents. It could mean getting that shot or not and we all know in those cases a simple accessory could be worth it’s weight in gold.
You can but your Trygger in either black or white over at Bite My Apple for $40.
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