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Moment Lens : The Perfect Accessory For the Casual Photographer In All Of Us

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Moment phone lens

Moment is aware of mobile photography’s significance in today’s world and has created what I think are some of the best mobile lens attachments on the market. The newest iterations of the Moment lens and case, dubbed the Moment 2.0 or V2 is what I’ve tested vigorously, almost cruelly (my phone died about 8 times during a city wide photo run), but with a great, guiltless pleasure. We live in a time where mobile photography has become an integral part of our daily lives. Personally, I can’t remember a day where I don’t stop to take a photo, which leads me to say that life is, well ironically, full of rare, snappable moments. Though professional cameras still have a dominating spot in the expanding world of photography, mobile cameras are rapidly improving. We carry phones everywhere we go, its versatility is unparalleled, and the fact that we can whip it out to take a picture or record with unprecedented speed makes me feel that mobile cameras might just be more important. The phone is the instrument of choice for the casual photographer in all of us.

Moment has done a fantastic job with these lenses. The size and quality makes it a perfect accessory for the traveler, but also for the everyday person stumbling onto or looking for any photo opportunity. Moment now has a battery case as well, also equipped with its new mounting system, because phones do deplete when you’re on a photo run. They also offer external shutter buttons, travel cases, and other accessories all on their website. As of this “moment” (get it), I’ve yet to see any other mobile lenses on the market that’s been made with such attention to detail, and really I have to say again, the craftsmanship on each Moment lens is masterful. If you’re looking to spice up your Instagram page, add to your repertoire, or get your feet wet in the glorious art of photography, these lenses are beautiful, valuable options.

We’ll take a look at all four of their lenses and compare photos I’ve taken using them. Please note, unless stated, all of these photos were taken with an iPhone 7 Plus, and are completely unaltered and unfiltered in any way. Results will vary depending on your mobile device.

First Impressions

During the unboxing, I picked up one of the microfiber pouches at random, and when I dropped the Moment lens onto my hand, I was immediately impressed. There is a solidness to them. The glass lens themselves were huge and attractive. The weight felt really nice and professional. Taking a few shots with the lens mounted were fine. The weight wasn’t noticeable at all. But, I felt they had to be removed once you put your phone away, lest you wanted a big ole glass eye protruding from your pocket. The rubber lens caps are sturdy and easy to keep clean. Cheap rubber attracts dust and hair, but these were stress free. Also, the pouches that the lenses come in doubles as a microfiber wipe for the lenses themselves. I thought that was really cool. It’s all in the details!

The Case and Mounting Surface

The new lenses have a completely redesigned mounting interface. Whereas the previous Moment lenses attached via a mounting clip, these new lenses twist 180 degrees onto Moment’s lens interface found only on their new (and gorgeous) photo cases. This allows a few things to happen. For one, there is zero chance of user error. There is no need to attach a mounting plate, like with the Olloclip or Insignia clip on lenses, nor is there the adjustment issue you find often with said clip ons. Personally, I find the clip on lenses to be a bit frustrating in getting them to sit right and still, and because they are universal, there is a noticeable lack in photo quality. But Moment’s mounting system is super thin, yet rigid, so there’s no lens movement or shifting, resulting in no distortion, vignetting or corner cropping. It is an airtight system, and also allows for easy lens swaps to fit the nature of your photo.

18mm Wide Lens

This is marketed as their bestseller. It allows the camera a wider angle without distorting the shapes. I found this to be the easiest and most versatile Moment lens to use, great for landscapes, narrow spaces, foodie photos, and everything in between. The wide angle gives it just enough of an edge to capture everything I wanted in a photo while retaining the same vision I had for the photo. This lens also underwent the most redesign for the 2.0 lineup, sporting new aspherical glass with the intent being to eliminate distortion and clipped corners. I realized very early on that this was going to be my daily driver, my bread and butter, my go-to for photos. I love that the Moment lens is so subtle, but it adds depth and power, traits of a well taken photo. A wise friend said in the simplest way, “I like the wide lens. It takes the same picture, but wide.” See for yourself!

Moment lens

Taken with the Moment 18mm Wide Lens of the historic Delancey St. in Society Hill, Philadelphia, PA.

Delancey St. in Philadelphia taken from an iPhone 7 Plus without a lens.

No lens shot of a shelf of pickled tomatoes at The Twisted Tail, Philadelphia, PA

Moment lens

Taken with the Wide Lens 18mm. Notice that it is at the same position and distance, but there is an extra jar. I thought it was a subtle, but demonstrative nod to what the lens does.

 

Philadelphia

No lens shot of The Twisted Tail, Philadelphia, PA

Moment wide lens shot

Taken from the same position with the Moment Wide Lens 18mm

25mm Macro Lens

Moment’s Macro lens 25mm definitely has the most limitations, and is the hardest to use, but it is my personal favorite. This Moment lens lets you take photos of small objects with amazing clarity and with an almost artistic result. But, because the lens has to be so close to the subject that it’s touching, its usability is mostly limited to stationary objects under good lighting. But the results are fantastic. As pictured, the details captured, unseen by the naked eye, adds great texture to these photos. It isn’t a lens I’d use every day, but it’s one that’s just quirky enough that I always have fun when I do.

Moment lens

Get up close and personal with the Macro 25mm lens! This is a super close up of a morning glory flower, which was about the size of a nickel.

60mm Tele Photo Lens

This lens is used mainly for portrait photos. It provides a natural 2x zoom without any loss of picture quality, which is important for phones because they operate on digital zooms (as opposed to the more powerful optical zooms found on many professional cameras). Similar to the portrait mode function on the iPhone 7 Plus, the Telephoto is used for focusing onto a subject while leaving the background soft. If you have an iPhone 7 Plus, you could choose to forego the Telephoto Lens, but what the lens does is it allows you to further zoom in, while portrait mode does not, and you can record videos. If those are important to you, then this is a good lens to have! If you don’t own a phone with a portrait mode, then the Tele Photo lens is a great lens to have!

moment lens

The Twisted Tail, Philadelphia, PA taken with a 60mm Moment Lens

No lens shot of the entrance to the Centre Square in City Hall, Philadelphia, PA

Same shot with the Moment Telephoto 2x Lens

170 degree Superfish Lens

The Superfish lens is perfect for capturing a lot of detail in small spaces due to its unique distortion quality, granting it a 170 degree field of vision. What I found to be most impressive about this particular fisheye lens is that it completely eliminates vignetting, which occurred on virtually every other fisheye lens I’ve tried to date. Also, because of the new mounting system, photo quality remains constant throughout the entire photo. On other lenses, there would be blurring as it gets closer to the edges. The Superfish lens really stands out in these aspects, so snap one on and take those big group selfies and sunsets! Photos taken by Vu Do.

national wildlife refuge

Marshes at the John Heinz National Wildlife Refuge without the Superfish lens.

Moment Superfish lens shot

Marshes at the John Heinz National Wildlife Refuge taken with the Superfish lens

 

Daniel Vo was not born, he was created. One night, during a full moon, lightning struck, and from the charred cosmic ashes he emerged, fully formed and uttering the words “I wish to write an article.” To this day, he has never been seen, yet he travels the world searching for the truth.

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1 Comment

1 Comment

  1. art

    September 21, 2017 at 5:24 pm

    Cool stuff man! Keep it coming!

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Business

What’s the Best Graphic Design Service for Fast Turnaround

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Best Graphic Design Service for Fast Turnaround

TL;DR: Penji offers the fastest professional design turnarounds at 24-48 hours with unlimited revisions. Small business owners get agency quality without agency prices or timelines, keeping marketing moving fast.

The best graphic design service for fast turnaround is Penji, completing projects in 24-48 hours through an unlimited subscription model. Small businesses get dedicated designers, unlimited revisions, and consistent quality for $499+ monthly, much faster than traditional agencies or freelance platforms like Upwork.

What’s the Best Graphic Design Service for Fast Turnaround?

Your to-do list doesn’t shrink just because your designer is slow. Between running operations, managing staff, and actually making sales, waiting weeks for marketing materials creates problems you don’t have time to solve.

Penji delivers professional design work in 24-48 hours through an unlimited subscription model. You get dedicated designers, unlimited revisions, and predictable monthly costs starting at $499. No chasing freelancers, no agency red tape, just reliable design when you need it.

The Hidden Cost of Design Delays

Every day your promotion sits in a designer’s queue is potential revenue walking out the door. That seasonal sale you planned? The event driving traffic to your store? The website refresh that’s been “almost done” for months? Delays add up.

Most small business owners try one of three approaches: hire a local agency (expensive and slow), find freelancers on Upwork (inconsistent quality and availability), or use cheap services like Fiverr (you get what you pay for). None solve the real problem of getting quality work done quickly.

Why Penji Works for Growing Businesses

Penji operates on a simple premise: businesses need ongoing design support, not occasional big projects. Their platform lets you submit unlimited requests that get completed one at a time, with most initial concepts delivered within 24-48 hours.

The subscription model changes the economics completely. Instead of budgeting project by project and wondering if you can afford that next piece of marketing collateral, you pay one flat monthly rate. Submit as much work as you need without invoice anxiety.

Your dedicated design team learns your business over time. They understand your brand guidelines, know what your customers respond to, and remember your preferences. That familiarity makes every project after the first one faster because you’re not re-explaining your vision.

They handle everything: logos and branding, website design, social media graphics, print materials, email templates, presentations. Whatever your marketing needs, it’s covered under one subscription.

At $499 monthly for the basic plan, it costs less than hiring a part-time designer but gives you access to an entire creative team. For businesses that need design regularly but can’t justify a full-time hire, the math makes sense.

Upwork: Managing Freelancers Takes Time

Upwork connects you with thousands of freelancers globally. The selection looks great until you realize you’re now running a hiring process for every project. Reviewing portfolios, reading reviews, interviewing candidates, negotiating rates… it all takes time you don’t have.

Even after finding someone good, availability becomes your next problem. Quality freelancers stay busy, which means your urgent project competes with everyone else’s deadlines. You might wait days or weeks depending on their schedule.

Then there’s the management work. You’re handling contracts, milestone payments, file transfers, and communication across different time zones. Penji takes care of all that so you can focus on running your business.

Fiverr: False Economy

Fiverr advertises cheap design work, which sounds good when you’re watching every dollar. The reality disappoints more often than not. Decent designers charge $100+ per project and take 3-5 days minimum. Want revisions? That costs extra. Need something more than basic? Quality rarely matches the low prices.

When you add up revision fees and rush charges, Fiverr projects often cost as much as a month of Penji while delivering worse results. Paying a bit more upfront for reliable quality actually saves money by avoiding do-overs.

Making the Right Investment

Your marketing either drives growth or wastes money. Reliable, fast design support keeps your marketing running smoothly instead of stopping every time you need creative work.

Penji’s unlimited approach gives you the creative capacity of an in-house team at a fraction of the cost. Submit work when inspiration strikes, get results within 48 hours, keep your marketing calendar on track.

Test Drive Professional Design

See how much faster your marketing moves with reliable design support. Try Penji and stop letting design delays hold your business back.

Frequently Asked Questions

What happens if my designer is working on someone else’s project?

Your dedicated team manages their workload to keep the 24-48 hour turnaround. They’re assigned to you specifically, not juggling hundreds of other clients.

Can I pause my subscription during slow months?

Check with Penji about their current pause policies. Many businesses find they use it more than expected once they have it.

How do revisions work if I need them fast too?

Revisions follow the same 24-48 hour turnaround. Submit clear feedback and you’ll get updated versions within that timeframe.

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What’s the Best Graphic Design Service for Brochures & Flyers?

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TLDR: For speed and affordabilities Penji is the best scalable design service that matches agency-quality results. Alternative niche options can be Kimp, LogoCent, and Design Spinners.

Did you know that 79% of consumers respond to direct mail while only 45% of consumers respond to emails? In a digital world, physical brochures and flyers reign supreme. But such creations take a learned talent. When you need the Best Graphic Design Service for Brochures & Flyers, you need someone who can keep up with your marketing team.

Below is a comparative guide to the best in the Design as a service industry.

Penji

Penji: Graphic design services

Need some stunning brochures and flyers to create a beautiful vision? Penji is the artistic mind for you. Thousands of marketers and agencies trust Penji’s platform for unlimited print designs for a monthly flat fee.

Features:

  • Unlimited Brochures & Flyer Designs: As many as you want, whenever you want
  • Fast Turnaround: Your first draft brochure or flyer could be in your hands in as little as 24 hours.
  • Vetted Print Designers: The top 2% of talent across the globe are there to help you with your print requirements.
  • AI Platform: An AI can connect you with the most fitting designer for your campaign.

Benefits:

There’s no need to hire an agency and pay agency fees. Get creative without concern over results as Penji can scale for whatever you need, whether you need only one flyer for an event or an entire collection of marketing brochures.

Kimp

Graphic design services

For an unlimited graphic design service that fosters beautiful print opportunities, Kimp is the ultimate all in one experience. Their subscription service is perfectly suited for entrepreneurs and small businesses, making it easy to fold into a budget.

Features:

  • Dedicated Teams: You will be placed with a dedicated team to ensure your branding efforts remain consistent.
  • Video and Graphics: In addition to Kimp for prints, Kimp has a Kimp option for video for motion graphic needs along with branding efforts.
  • Source Files: You own all source files acquired through the process.

Benefits:

You don’t have to worry about your branding efforts being funneled through multiple freelancers – Kimp is an all-in-one solution for motion graphics and print assets like brochures for company cohesion without the stress of managing multiple freelancers.

LogoCent

Don’t let the name fool you; LogoCent makes more than just logos but high quality design pieces and more! If you’re looking for a pay-per-project option without monthly commitment, LogoCent is great for sporadic projects.

Features:

  • Custom Packages: Pricing that matches your necessary project.
  • Brand Identity: Logos and flyers that maintain cohesion between designs.
  • Communication: You’ll have a project manager and taskmaster on hand for full assistance.

Benefits:

You won’t have to create contracts with anyone else monthly, just pay per project with LogoCent when your business needs a one-off flyer for a specific event or an annual brochure type.

Design Spinners

Design spinners: Graphic design services

Design Spinners operates like a fancy ad agency without the price; they’re like a middleman between the personal touch of freelance sites and the upper scale of fancy agencies, and they specialize in brochures, flyers, and marketing pieces.

Features:

  • Specialty Offers: Pitch decks, trade show materials and more!
  • Pricing Levels: Basic flyer features to agency features at premium pricing levels are available.
  • Strategy Focused Design: Those creating your materials will approach your project through a strategic lens to help whatever material is created find success.

Benefits:

It’s more than just a design – whatever project you seek with Design Spinners will provide you with facilitated guidance and tiered levels of service depending on what you’re looking to get most out of it.

Credit for Cover Image: Ron Lach on Pexels

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What’s the Best Graphic Design Service for Infographics Today?

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Best Graphic Design Service for Infographics

Infographics are an effective tool for explaining complex ideas and making them easier to understand. Thus, many businesses use them in their content marketing efforts. If you need to incorporate this powerful tool into your business, here are the five best graphic design services for infographics:

Penji

Best Graphic Design Service for Infographics

For fast, high-quality infographics, Penji is your best bet. It offers unlimited graphic design services for fixed monthly fees. This allows you to get as many infographics, logos, social media graphics, web design, and custom illustrations as you need in a month. Unlimited revisions are also included, assuring you of the exact designs you want and need.

Visme

Best Graphic Design Service for Infographics

Now, for high-converting, engaging, and branded infographics, there’s Visme. It offers an AI-powered interactive platform where you can craft your own infographics from over 1,000 professionally designed templates. Its drag-and-drop tools let you publish your designs in minutes.

Kimp

Best Graphic Design Service for Infographics

Another unlimited graphic design platform, Kimp, can create infographics for your business for a flat fee. Its dedicated team of designers will learn your brand and style, allowing them to craft infographics and other designs that will align with your brand identity.

Canva

Best Graphic Design Service for Infographics

If you have an artistic eye, you will enjoy crafting your own infographics with Canva. It is a free platform where you can create infographics and many other design types using its templates. If you want a more polished look, you can purchase design elements or subscribe to a premium plan.

Flocksy

Best Graphic Design Service for Infographics

With the latest in design tools and an AI-powered platform, Flocksy is another graphic design service for infographics. It takes pride in delivering consistent, high-quality creative outputs aside from infographics. It offers a wide range of services, including video editing, web design, custom illustration, and even copywriting. Its simple, flat-rate pricing makes it a cost-effective design solution.

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