The best way to ensure you get the best performance from your cell phone when taking photos or shooting videos starts with good lens maintenance, making sure it has no fingerprints or dust, which you can always wipe off, or scratches, which can forever compromise the results you want to get.
With DSLR, mirrorless or other cameras the first thing to do to protect any lens is to buy a filter, which can be a skylight or UV or even a clear protective filter, available from many brands, but with cell phones protecting the lens is more difficult, even though the lens on a cell phone, or the lenses on most modern models, are more exposed than those used with regular cameras. Cell phones are left everywhere, including tabletops, with the lens side down, and travel in pockets or bags with objects such as keys that can scratch the lens irreparably.
Most of the smartphone cases available are designed to protect the smartphone if you accidentally drop it and from the wear and tear caused by daily use, but only a few – like XTCase models – offer a solution to protect a key element of the device: the lens. It’s strange, if one considers smartphones are the most widely used camera around the world, that so little attention is given to the lenses. If you’re a photographer or videographer, you are fully aware of the need to keep your lenses safe, and the front element of any lens in pristine condition. Fortunately, there are solutions!
Owners of models like the iPhone 13 Pro and iPhone 13 Pro Max can buy tempered glass camera lens protectors designed for those smartphones. These ultra thin transparent camera lens covers protect the front element of the lens against finger smudges, grease, dirt, and moisture and can always be replaced if scratched. The lens cover is announced as working perfectly with the optical system, without degradation of the image, and the solution is available for different iPhone models beyond the iPhone 13 Pro and iPhone 13 Pro Max. When buying just make sure you’re buying one cover compatible with your smartphone.
One solution for owners of some cell phone models is to buy a protective cell phone case like those offered by XTCase, which are available for various Xiaomi, Samsung Galaxy, and iPhone models. The protective cover, made of hybrid PC + TPU non-slip shockproof scratch-resistant material, includes a sliding camera cover that protects the camera from dust and scratches. It’s like having a lens cap for the lens on a regular camera, with the advantage that this lens cap is never lost, as it it attached to the smartphone case!
The protective case from XTCase added to the Xiaomi Redmi Note 10 Pro I acquired recently fits the phone perfectly and the cover ensures that the large group of lenses this model features is protected. The case has a pleasant, non-slip texture to reduce the risk of dropping the phone, making your phone safer to use. The sliding cap moves easily between the open and closed positions, and emits an audible snap when closed, staying secure when moved to the open position. Even if you leave the lens unprotected, the 0.2mm raised bezel around the “camera island”, guarantees the lenses are protected from scratches when you put the phone down or it falls from a low height.
In fact, in my case, the lenses are doubly protected, because I purchased a tempered glass that is placed over the whole optical system as protection, a viable solution for those who do not want or cannot use this type of smartphone case. I am not sure about other models, but with the Xiaomi Redmi Note 10 Pro, the raised edge of the protective section of the camera leaves enough room for the cover to move without problems.
This type of protective cover is an excellent solution if you want to adequately protect the optical system of a cell phone, which makes sense, especially if you plan to use the camera creatively. The only problem might be finding a cover for your version of the phone. The price ranges between $13 and $19, and the XTCase protective case is available at various Amazon websites in Europe, although I could not find the brand in North America. But as usual with this type of accessory, you’ll find other brands offering the same product, which is also available from online shops as Etsy.