Microscope LensUpdated a month ago

Microscope Lens – Getting Started | SANDMARC

Everything you need to set up and start shooting with the SANDMARC Microscope Lens — 40× magnification with a built-in USB-C rechargeable ring light for extreme close-up photography on iPhone.

40× Magnification

0mm Focus distance

68° Field of view

42mm Diameter

USB-C Ring light charging

▶ Video Tutorial

Watch the full getting started video for a guided walkthrough of the SANDMARC Microscope Lens, including the Macro Control setting and 5× mode setup.

1 Compatibility

The Microscope Lens is compatible with iPhone 12 and later. It mounts over the rear wide-angle (1×) camera via the SANDMARC case or the included clip mount. It is not designed for use on the front-facing camera or Android devices.

⚠️ iPhone 13 Pro and later: The Microscope Lens requires Macro Control to be disabled in Settings → Camera before use. If left enabled, the iPhone will switch to the ultrawide camera automatically when you get close, preventing the lens from working correctly. See Section 3 for step-by-step instructions.

⚠️ Using on 5× mode (iPhone 15 Pro / 16 Pro / 17 Pro): A third-party camera app is required to use the Microscope Lens at 5× optical zoom. SANDMARC recommends ProCamera (available on the App Store). The standard Camera app will not allow 5× mode to be locked in a way that works with this lens.

2 Camera Location Guide

The Microscope Lens mounts over the wide-angle (1×) camera. Select your iPhone model below to find exactly which camera to align it with.

Model	Cameras	Wide Camera (1×) — Mount Here
iPhone 17 Pro Max	3 rear cameras	Bottom Camera
iPhone 17 Pro	3 rear cameras	Bottom Camera
iPhone 17 Air	1 rear camera	Bottom Camera
iPhone 17	2 rear cameras	Bottom Camera

Model	Cameras	Wide Camera (1×) — Mount Here
iPhone 16 Pro Max	3 rear cameras	Bottom Camera
iPhone 16 Pro	3 rear cameras	Bottom Camera
iPhone 16 Plus	2 rear cameras	Bottom Camera
iPhone 16	2 rear cameras	Bottom Camera

Model	Cameras	Wide Camera (1×) — Mount Here
iPhone 15 Pro Max	3 rear cameras	Bottom Camera
iPhone 15 Pro	3 rear cameras	Bottom Camera
iPhone 15 Plus	2 rear cameras	Bottom Camera
iPhone 15	2 rear cameras	Bottom Camera

Model	Cameras	Wide Camera (1×) — Mount Here
iPhone 14 Pro Max	3 rear cameras	Bottom Camera
iPhone 14 Pro	3 rear cameras	Bottom Camera
iPhone 14 Plus	2 rear cameras	Bottom Camera
iPhone 14	2 rear cameras	Bottom Camera

Model	Cameras	Wide Camera (1×) — Mount Here
iPhone 13 Pro Max	3 rear cameras	Bottom Camera
iPhone 13 Pro	3 rear cameras	Bottom Camera
iPhone 13 Mini	2 rear cameras	Bottom Camera
iPhone 13	2 rear cameras	Bottom Camera

Model	Cameras	Wide Camera (1×) — Mount Here
iPhone 12 Pro Max	3 rear cameras	Middle Camera
iPhone 12 Pro	3 rear cameras	Middle Camera
iPhone 12 Mini	2 rear cameras	Bottom Camera
iPhone 12	2 rear cameras	Bottom Camera

ℹ️ Quick check: Open Camera and tap 1× — that's your wide-angle camera. That's where the Microscope Lens goes. At 0mm focus distance, the lens front element will be touching or nearly touching your subject.

3 First Time Setup

Follow these steps before your first shoot. The Macro Control setting is the most important — skipping it will prevent the lens from working correctly on iPhone 13 Pro and later.

Charge the ring light

Before your first shoot, charge the built-in LED ring light using the included USB-C cable. A full charge provides several hours of use. The light is essential — at 0mm focus distance, there is no room for ambient light to reach your subject.

Disable Macro Control (iPhone 13 Pro and later)

Go to Settings → Camera and turn off Macro Control. This prevents iPhone from automatically switching to the ultrawide camera when detecting a close subject — which would bypass the Microscope Lens entirely.

⚠️ If you skip this step, the image will go blurry or switch cameras as soon as you get close to your subject.

Attach the lens to the correct camera

Mount the Microscope Lens over the wide-angle (1×) camera using the SANDMARC case or the included clip mount. Refer to the Camera Location Guide above for your specific iPhone model.

Open Camera and set to 1×

Open the iPhone Camera app and make sure it is set to 1× (the wide-angle camera). Do not tap the 0.5× or any telephoto option.

Turn on the ring light

Press the power button on the Microscope Lens to activate the ring light. Position the lens so the front element is flush against or just touching the surface of your subject.

Tap the screen to focus and shoot

Tap the subject on screen to lock focus, then take your shot. At 40× magnification, even a tiny movement of your hand will blur the image — hold the phone steady, use a tripod, or use the volume button as a shutter.

ℹ️ Using 5× mode (iPhone 15 Pro / 16 Pro / 17 Pro): To use the Microscope Lens at 5× optical zoom, download ProCamera from the App Store. The standard Camera app does not support locking the 5× lens in a way compatible with this accessory.

4 Mounting Options

Two mounting options are available for the Microscope Lens.

Recommended

Case Mount

The SANDMARC case features a precision-threaded aluminum insert aligned directly over the wide-angle camera. This is the most stable mount for microscope work — at 40× magnification, any lens wobble will ruin the shot.

Best for: Daily use, stable shots, scientific or professional capture

Included

Clip Mount

Clips directly over the rear camera without requiring a case. Suitable for quick use, but the SANDMARC case is strongly recommended for the Microscope Lens — clip alignment at 40× is significantly more challenging.

Best for: Caseless setups, occasional use

💡 At 40× magnification, even a fraction of a millimetre of misalignment will shift the subject out of the frame entirely. The SANDMARC case provides a fixed, repeatable mount position — making it far easier to locate and frame your subject every time.

5 Shooting Tips

At 40× magnification, the rules of normal photography change significantly. These tips will help you get sharp, well-lit results.

Always use the ring light

With the lens touching your subject, no ambient light reaches the camera. The built-in ring light is not optional — it's the only light source available at this distance. Keep it charged before every shoot.

Eliminate all movement

At 40×, a movement of less than a millimetre will throw the subject completely out of frame. Rest your phone on a flat surface or use a small tripod. Use the volume button or a Bluetooth shutter to fire the shot without touching the screen.

Place the subject flat

The depth of field at 40× is extremely shallow — fractions of a millimetre. Lay your subject on a flat surface and lower the phone straight down onto it. Anything at an angle will be partially out of focus.

Use a plain background

Place your subject on a white card, black fabric, or a plain contrasting surface. At this magnification, any texture in the background becomes a major visual element — a clean background keeps the focus entirely on your subject.

Tap to lock focus and exposure

Tap directly on your subject to set focus and exposure, then tap and hold to lock them (AE/AF lock). This prevents the camera from re-evaluating focus when you press the shutter, which is a common cause of blurry shots at high magnification.

Keep the glass spotless

At this magnification, a single fingerprint or dust particle on the front element will appear as a large blurry smear across the entire frame. Wipe the lens with the included lens pouch before every use.

6 Microscope vs Macro Lenses

SANDMARC makes three close-up lenses: the Microscope (40×), the Macro 100mm (12×), and the Macro 25mm (10×). They serve very different purposes and produce completely different results.

The Macro 25mm and Macro 100mm are designed for traditional close-up photography — flowers, insects, textures, food, jewellery. They work at a comfortable working distance from your subject (10–53mm), allow natural light to fall on the scene, and produce the kind of sharp, detailed shots you'd see in editorial or product photography. The 100mm's greater distance makes it ideal for subjects that would be disturbed by getting too close — insects, fragile flowers, small animals.

The Microscope Lens is in a completely different category. At 40×, it doesn't just photograph small things — it reveals structures invisible to the naked eye. Circuit board traces, fabric weave, mineral crystals, skin texture, seeds, insect compound eyes. The lens physically touches the subject at 0mm, the ring light provides the only illumination, and the result looks like an image taken through a laboratory microscope. It requires a fundamentally different technique from any other smartphone lens.

	Macro 25mm	Macro 100mm	Microscope 40×
Magnification	10×	12×	40×
Focus distance	10–25mm	53mm	0mm (touching)
Lighting	Natural / ambient	Natural / ambient	Built-in ring light required
Depth of field	Shallow (mm range)	Shallow (mm range)	Extremely shallow (fractions of mm)
Best subjects	Flowers, insects, food, jewellery, textures	Insects, fragile flowers, small animals (at safe distance)	Circuit boards, minerals, fabric, skin, seeds, microscopic detail
Technique required	Standard handheld	Standard handheld	Flat surface or tripod strongly recommended
Special setup needed	Disable Auto Macro (iPhone 13 Pro+)	Disable Auto Macro (iPhone 13 Pro+)	Disable Macro Control; ProCamera for 5× mode

ℹ️ Not sure which to choose? If you want to photograph nature, food, or everyday objects in beautiful close-up detail — choose the Macro 25mm or 100mm. If you want to see the invisible structure of surfaces and materials — things that look like flat colour to the naked eye — choose the Microscope.

7 What's Included

Everything needed to start shooting is in the box.

1 Microscope Lens (40×) with built-in USB-C rechargeable ring light
2 Clip-on Mount
3 Lens Pouch (doubles as microfiber cleaning cloth)
4 Front & Rear Lens Caps

💡 The SANDMARC case is not included with the lens and is sold separately. The case is strongly recommended for microscope work due to the precision alignment required at 40× magnification.

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