I use my iPhone to take almost all of my photos anymore; the 6 Plus’s camera is excellent, but it does have limitations. I first found out about the Ztylus case and Revolver 4-in-1 lens system at CE Week, and it intrigued me; after several weeks of use, I figure it’s time you found out about it, too.
The Ztylus system is actually composed of two parts, the first being a protective case and the second being the detachable Revolver Lens. You can purchase them together as a kit or separately.
Since the case is pretty impressive (and available separately from the lens for $29.95 or $49.95 — depending upon whether you get the Lite Series or Metal Series), I want to start by telling you why you should get one — even if you have no intention of buying or ever attaching the 4-in-1 Revolver Lens.
I’d been using my iPhone 6 Plus without a case for some time, and while I was aware that this wasn’t an ideal situation, I was trying not to be neurotic about it. In fact, when I received the Ztylus Metal Series, I didn’t expect to like it because it added a bit of weight to the iPhone. But the case looked good, and I liked the grippy “premium textured leather finish”; the metal kick-stand on the back was a nice bonus.
The bottom portion of the case is metal, and it adds a bit of weight to the iPhone 6 Plus
The inside of the Ztylus case is lined in microfiber to protect your phone’s finish.
The bottom of the case unscrews so the phone can be inserted. I’ve been using my case for a couple of weeks now, and the screw has stayed securely fastened, but there are replacement screws available on the Ztylus site just in case.
There is a nice large opening for the iPhone’s camera and LED flash on the back …
The cutout for the power button is generously sized so that even if you have larger fingers you’ll be able to get in there easily.
This is one of the things that I absolutely love about the Ztylus case: the bottom has wide cut-outs that will allow any headphone jacks or charger cables to be inserted, but it still provides complete drop protection on the corners and bottom. I loathe cases that don’t allow you to use after-market accessories!
Another thing that I like is that you can attach a wrist-strap lanyard to the Ztylus.
The volume and mute button cutouts are large enough for easy access.
And the metal kick-stand on the back is handy for when you want to watch a movie or use your phone as an alarm clock.
The raised metal kick-stand used in tandem with the button on the circular back will remove the circular plug from your Ztylus case if you have the Revolver 4-in-1 lens, but if you don’t need the lens (or choose not to buy one) leaving the disk in place makes for compact and attractive phone protection.
The first few times you remove the circular disk, you’ll probably think you’re going to break something (or at least, I did), but it’s strong and meant to be removed and replaced repeatedly.
The Revolver 4-in-1 lens measures roughly 2.3″ in diameter, and it is about 0.6″ thick. In other words, it might not be something that you always want to keep installed on your phone. A soft microfiber storage bag and cloth are included so that you can carry the lens separately and attach it when needed.
Installing the lens is a matter of lining up the red dots on the Ztylus case and the Revolver lens and turning the lens to the right just a bit until it locks into place; the button on the lens will pop out at that point.
As you can see, the lens will make your phone a bit less pocketable, but it’s not too unwieldy for daily use.
The Revolver lives up to its name: twisting it to the right will allow one of its three lenses to be revealed. This lens is labeled CPL, and it contains a polarizer which you can use to “remove unwanted reflections from nonmetallic surfaces”; it basically cuts glare and improves saturation. The lens twists so that you can adjust it until the glare is cut.
Here’s an example of sun glare on some Janis Joplin stamps with and without the CPL lens.
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- Without CPL Lens
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- With CPL Lens
Who doesn’t love a good fish-eye lens? Well, the Revolver has one.
It’s great for getting large objects into a single shot, as well as giving a bubble effect when items are closer to the camera.
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- Selfie with Fish-Eye
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- That same image after Travis ran it through Camera+ editing software
The last lens serves a dual purpose — it’s both a wide-angle lens as well as a macro lens.
The wide-angle lens allows you to fit more into the frame than you could otherwise.
If you remove the top layer from the wide-angle lens, you’ll reveal the macro lens.
You have to practically lay the phone on the object that you are trying to photograph to get good results with this lens, but I think that you’ll agree the results are pretty spectacular.
The Ztylus comes in several configurations; if you want the case but don’t want the extra weight the metal bottom adds, you can opt for the Lite Series with or without the camera kit. Ztylus makes cases that will fit iPhone 5/5S, iPhone 6, and iPhone 6 Plus.
They’ve just released a limited edition rose gold kit that looks amazing; I wish I had that one to match my gold iPhone. Ah well. There’s also an LED Ring Light attachment that can be used on the case in place of the Revolver 4-in-1 Lens or separately in the photographer’s hand.
On its own, the Ztylus case is nearly perfect. It protects the iPhone, looks great, and it allows you to use any aftermarket cables or headphones.
I don’t keep the Revolver Lens on my phone all the time because that would be a bit too bulky, but I do carry the Revolver Lens with me all of the time so that I can swap it out in seconds. The Ztylus system is probably the most clever and compact lens systems I’ve seen for the iPhone, but if I had to think of one thing that might make it positively perfect in every way, it would be the addition of a zoom lens — but that’s probably not very practical. 😉
The Ztylus Metal Series Camera Kit retails for $114.95, and it is available directly from the manufacturer.
Source: Manufacturer supplied review sample
What I Like: The Ztylus case adds excellent protection and function to the iPhone; the Revolver adds 4 lenses to your picture-taking arsenal; Available in a lite version or a metal-bottom version; The case is smart looking and it feels good in hand; The additional Lenses are very handy; Works with any screen protector
What Needs Improvement: The metal series case is a little bit heavy, but there is a lite version if you don’t want the extra weight
Special Offer – Ztylus has a special trade-up offer going on now; here are the specifics:
The award winning Ztylus Camera Kit is now even more affordable!
Do you have any old add-on lenses for your iPhone? Is it broken, bad quality, or you just don’t like to use it anymore?
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Along with your order, we’ll include a form for you to fill out
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Your next Ztylus purchaseUse the coupon code TRADEUP for a 35% discount on your order.
