Get a Grip: iPhone plus Fjorden in the Baltic

Smartphones have largely displaced simple point-and-shoot cameras. With their high quality sensors and range of lenses, they are capable of delivering superb images. What they do not possess are the ergonomics that make more conventional cameras easy to use. A Norwegian company called Fjorden is in the vanguard of innovators aiming to change that. Read on to hear of my experience with the Fjorden iPhone grip.

A switch to iPhone photography

My previous contributions to Macfilos were as someone who had used Nikon and Canon cameras. I then moved on with Fuji  and their XT-2 and XT-4 cameras. For a decade, I had enjoyed this commitment to Fuji mirrorless innovation, colour technology leadership and lightweight photographic excellence. I therefore faced a serious moment at the end of 2022. It was time to sell my Fuji cameras and all my Fuji lenses because a back problem made carrying this gear increasingly bothersome.

I decided to move entirely to iPhone photography. But my dated iPhone 6 with its limited camera, slippery form factor and unhelpful touch screen could not be that solution. I had never used the touch screens on my Fuji cameras. So, just updating to the iPhone 14 Pro Max would still have left me facing a steep touch-screen learning curve. Fortunately, it was just at this time that I became aware that some of the serious deficiencies of iPhones as cameras were being addressed by the Norwegian company Fjorden.

The Fjorden Grip greatly improves the ergonomics of an iPhone camera

The Fjorden iPhone Grip offered real, physical camera controls in a slim, add-on unit for iPhones. Fjorden seemed to be addressing just the deficiencies of the iPhone which I found so upsetting. Their product seemed to offer an ingenious solution to those problems. The iPhone is a technological marvel but constitutes a truly abysmal form factor for dedicated photography. At this stage, I must however salute all those great iPhone photographers who take stellar images. I take my hat off to them. How do they do it? Perhaps my age and background have something to do with the answer to this conundrum.

Making the jump, with the help of the Fjorden iPhone Grip

I went ahead and purchased an iPhone 14 Pro Max. I put a suitably-sized Fjorden Grip on order so that I could dip my toes into these new waters. Consider me a latecomer to iPhone photography and a newcomer to the Fjorden Grip.  A forthcoming Baltic cruise in May seemed an ideal opportunity to learn how to use my new camera. I would also be examining whether the Fjorden Grip truly addressed the iPhone’s shortcomings as a camera body/platform. 

I took these iPhone photographs on a trip to the Baltic with the help of the Fjorden Grip

There is no need for me to review my iPhone 14 Pro Max in detail as countless professional reviewers have already done the job for me. What was of interest to me about this model specifically was the latest improvements to the sensors and cameras. In particular, the 48 megapixel sensor available on its f1.8 “normal”lens which compares favourably with the 24 megapixel sensor on my Fujis, even after allowance has been made for the very different sensor size, architecture and light handling characteristics.

I also have access to two other two forward-facing lenses, a wide angle and a telephoto, which are limited to 12 megapixels. One can within these limits choose to take Apple Pro Raw images at either 12 or 48 megapixel sizes and also take advantage of Apple image processing if desired. Alternatively, one can choose to shoot in straight RAW and make all adjustments in post. JPG, HEIF and TIF formats are also available. The telephoto lens has a X 3 optical zoom. I can use higher digital zooms of course, but these are limited in utility due to image degradation. I have 512 GB storage on the iPhone bearing in mind each RAW image on the lens using 48 Megapixels can equate to 75 MB or more.

Origins of the Fjorden iPhone Grip

Fjorden’s founder and CEO is Dr Victor Henning who previously created Mendeley, one of the world’s largest platforms for scientific collaboration. The company was launched on Kickstarter in 2021 raising more than $500,000 from thousands of photographers. The Fjorden Grip is a superbly designed Norwegian product which extends the capabilities of the iPhone format to make it much more like a real camera. After all, a ‘naked” iPhone is not always easy to hold or to hold steady for sharp images even before the touch screen shutter has to be pressed. On the other hand, clothe the iPhone in a slender Fjorden Grip and you have a camera in your hand with physical controls for shutter, zoom, exposure and more. For clarity, I have the Fjorden Pro Bundle at £199.99 but the Fjorden Basic starts at £139.99.

The system works in both portrait and landscape mode

A well thought out design

The top ten features of a Fjorden Grip which appeal to me are:

1. I can grip the iPhone securely in one hand when necessary and steadily in two hands for the great majority of shots.
2. The Fjorden Grip itself adds only 1.1 cm (0.4 in) to the thickness of the iPhone, keeping the setup slimmer than an AirPods case.
3. It has a dust and waterproofing rating of IP54, exceeding the performance of class leading cameras.
4. Additionally, its secure palm rest is much steadier than using the thin end of the naked iPhone
5. There is also a superb thumb rest on top of the grip just where the thumb needs to be.
6. I can grip, carry and use my iPhone in a way very close to the experience of using a normal camera. In fact it is recognisably similar in important ways to using my Fuji cameras.
7. I find it much easier to hold the camera still, thereby improving shot quality.
8. The Fjorden has a real physical shutter button in the right place. This is an immense improvement on the iPhone touch screen shutter. It is far superior to deploying the awkwardly placed iPhone volume buttons as shutter releases. 
9. The Fjorden shutter release is a two stage shutter button. A half press focuses, and a full press captures the image. What could be more reassuring to a man who has recently lost his Fujis? This is very similar to the front button focus I prefer.
10. The Fjorden customisable Control Dial enables one to easily adjust exposure, shutter speed, ISO, portrait mode aperture, manual focus and other parameters, without changing your hand position

Easy to use and store

A smooth pairing with the iPhone

The way the grip is linked to the iPhone brings yet more advantages:

1. The Fjorden Multi-Function Button allows you to choose what it does. I can set it to trigger portrait mode or selfie mode, select flash mode or switch between other custom settings.
2. Its Zoom Lever enables quick switching between iPhone lenses or to zoom swiftly in and out.
3. The Fjorden Grip communicates with the iPhone by Bluetooth. I can pair it with the iPhone just like any other Bluetooth device. The connection switches off after five minutes of inaction but is swiftly re-established by depressing the shutter button. This feature can render the camera unresponsive just at the critical moment. I have therefore accustomed myself to regular re-establishing of Bluetooth communication by an anticipatory dab at the shutter button.
4. Remote shooting on a tripod is enabled via Bluetooth for long exposure night shooting or astrophotography.
5. Power for the Fjorden Grip is provided by one circular CR 2032 Lithium battery. It is claimed to last about a year depending upon usage. This has worked very well so far and has the great advantage of requiring no bulky charger or cable. I can easily carry a replacement battery when away on trips.
6. The wrist strap in my Pro Bundle has proved a useful additional means of providing stability when shooting. It also reduces the risk of costly accidents.
7. Modular Design: Fjorden is designed to be modular, enabling upgrading. When upgrading your iPhone, you only need to upgrade the Fjorden phone case, not the Fjorden Grip itself. The company is already working on cases for the impending iPhone 15 series.

And there is more

It is also worth stressing that the team at Fjorden are unfailing courteous and helpful. They have provided speedy responses to questions about their product. A development program is underway for improvements and features driven by customer’s evolving needs.  

Other Grips are of course available for iPhones but I was immediately attracted to the Fjorden Grip. I liked its focus on providing physical controls like a camera. Having abandoned cameras with detachable lenses, I was not attracted to solutions allowing attachment of other lenses to iPhones. For my needs, the iPhone lenses are already sufficient. The Fjorden Grip is slim, pocketable and a real enhancement for the camera I now always have with me.

The grip works in conjunction with the Fjorden Camera App on the iPhone, enabling firmware updates. I have also used the App Camera Pro which also works smoothly with the Fjorden Grip. For my holiday, I used Camera Pro because initially the Fjorden App only handled still photography. It has just been updated to handle video, enabling me to return gracefully to the Fjorden App. Thank you, Fjorden!

Easy to use one-handed

Conclusions

I can so far confirm that the Fjorden Grip converts the iPhone 14 Pro Max into a real camera with proper physical controls which are a delight to use. I rarely need to use the touch screen, which no longer gets in the way of taking photographs. At last for me, the formidable camera technology within the iPhone is accessible and I can enjoy the new phase of my photography. Fjorden are to be congratulated on a first class product, which takes iPhone photography to another level.

The Output

The images included in the article are some impressions of my first proving trial with the new camera and grip. They assuredly do not provide evidence of mastery of either, which is currently a work in progress! I took all images in Apple ProRAW and processed them in Affinity Photo 2, which I have used exclusively since switching from Adobe Photoshop. I am very satisfied with Apple ProRaw files, (Apple DNG files) but I also have the option of using plain RAW (DNG ) files.

Have you considered switching exclusively to a smartphone camera? Do you have any experience with accessories that improve the ergonomics of smartphone cameras? Let us know in the comments below.

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