REVIEWED: Carson IS-100 Universal Hook-Upz optics adapter for smartphones
Clip-on a phone to a telescope, binoculars or a finders-cope for travel-friendly super-zoom phoneography
Ever wanted to indulge in some super-zoom photography without the expense, faff and sheer weight of a DSLR camera, zoom lens and tripod? For those of us with binoculars, a telescope or a finderscope, the Carson IS-100 Universal Hook-Upz is the compact solution.
Manual affair
A bracket that grips a phone on one side and the eyepiece of a telescope or binoculars on the other, the Carson IS-100 Universal Hook-Upz is simple indeed. It comes in a small hard case that can be clipped onto a bag or belt using the attached carabiner clip.
Perfect fit?
Since it uses a pincher to grip to both phone and eyepiece, the Carson IS-100 Universal Hook-Upz is pretty easy to apply, though it does take some wiggling of a phone to get its lens lined-up perfectly. There’s a little drag, too, with the whole thing susceptible to fall off whatever it’s clipped to. However, held steady, some highly impressive results are possible; just focus the phone’s camera and zoom-in slightly to avoid the vignetting in the corners.
Moon close-ups
In our test we used the Carson IS-100 Universal Hook-Upz to get some pretty impressive images of the Moon, mostly using a pair of 15×70 binoculars on a tripod. We also used it to get some shots through a small reflector telescope. If you;re going anywhere with public telescopes – such as an observatory or even the top of tall buildings such as the Eiffel Tower or Empire State Building – the Carson IS-100 Universal Hook-Upz – is a great option to have with you.
Great alternative
If you’re after the occasional souvenir shot and you keep your expectations low, the Carson IS-100 Universal Hook-Upz makes a great alternative to expensive photography gear. Small and nicely presented for travel, this clip-on is a good value and versatile solution if you just want to dip in to zoom photography.