Before I begin, I need to set the record straight by mentioning the fact that I normally use a digital camera or preferably an analogue film camera when I'm out and about making photographs. But I have a wedding coming up which involves a large family gathering and a train trip travelling together with my son, his wife and their baby plus my daughter and her husband. This will undoubtably involve lots of luggage, a train trip and crossing London via tube and train. The idea of carting along a camera bag, even a small one, went out the window. A phone, however, I always have with me.
I want to make photographs of course and I had recently changed my old iPhone SE (over six years old and showing its age) for a new iPhone 17pro. I'm not going to get into a pointless debate over which is the best phone or operating system etc. I've used Apple products since 1989 with my purchase of a Macintosh SE 4/40 (nicknamed ‘the toaster’) and I have never looked back. It's simply what I'm used to.
I opted for the 17pro because of the versatile camera array, and after testing the phone, I realized it gave me what I needed and then some! A phone will never replace a camera for me, but for this job the iPhone 17pro ticked all the boxes. The only problem was handling. I don’t like taking photographs with mobile phones. Mobile phones are thin and small, with little to get hold of when pressing the shutter. As a regular camera user, this poses a problem, particularly when using the x8 zoom. Then, I saw the Ulianzi MA35 phone grip. The grip was reduced in price on Amazon, so I thought I would try it out.
It's a lightweight and plastic but reasonably tough and well made. It’s an easy to use phone grip solution and keenly priced too. I have a MagSafe Spigen armour case so attaching the grip via its strong magnets would be no problem. It connects to the phone’s camera system via Bluetooth and the shutter switch detaches for remote work.
The Ulanzi also has physical grips which can be used if you have no MagSafe case or you wanted added protection. Personally, the magnets are so strong I don’t think I’m going to need them.
