Phone-o-Chrome Colour Filter Review

Features
Handling
Performance
Verdict

Creative filters, be it those built into a camera or accessed via an app such as Instagram, are still popular and if you're someone who's joined the retro revolution, adding colour filters to your portraits, foodie shots or landscapes, you'll probably be interested in the Phone-o-Chrome from Photojojo.



The Phone-o-Chrome is a  full-spectrum colour filter for your phone that's small enough to fit in a wallet or even between your phone and its case if you use one. It's housed in a slide frame and is priced at $15. 

 Phone-o-Chrome Features

The Phone-o-Chrome Colour Filter features a full spectrum gradient and the colour can be shifted with the slightest of adjustments. Its small size means it's easy to transport and using it is as straight-forward as taking it out of its packet and holding it in front of your lens. 

Phone-o-Chrome Key Features

• Add a touch of colour to your photos
• Shoot stills and videos with the filter
• Flexible gradient - move the filter to get the shade you want
• Small size - fits in a wallet

Phone-o-Chrome Handling

As all you have to do is hold the filter over your phone's lens it sounds like it would be simple to use, which it is, just not straight away. As you have to position the filter with one hand, we found it quite tricky to put the filter over the lens to start with but once lined up, it was easy enough to work with. As you'll be holding the filter as well as the phone you may want to consider using a support to minimise the chances of blur spoiling your shot but this isn't essential and we didn't have any problems shooting without one. 

Phone-o-Chrome Performance

The filter does exactly what its designed for and that's to give the user a wide spectrum of gradients to play with so they can add interesting colour shifts to their shots. The intensity of the colours change depending where on the filter you are shooting through and it can be used to add mood to video as well as stills.

Photojojo says it works great with the iPhone (used for testing), iPad, iPod and Android devices but we also tried it out on a rather old clam-shell styled Samsung phone and even though the camera quality isn't great, the filter still performed well, adding a colour tint to the shots. 

Here are some example photos taken with the Phone-o-Chrome Colour Filter and also a shot which was taken without it in-place: 

Phone-o-Chrome Verdict

The Phone-o-Chrome is a quirky item that gives those who take photos with their phones the ability to add gradients / colours to their shots actually out in the field rather than having to wait to edit them via an app. The filter allows users to experiment and have fun with phone photography, plus as the filter features a full spectrum gradient, you're actually getting several coloured filters in one. It's not too expensive and would make a great gift for someone who likes to shoot with a variety of lenses, filters and other interesting accessories with their camera phone. 

Phone-o-Chrome Pros

Fun to use 
Interesting effects 
Multiple colour options in one filter

Phone-o-Chrome Cons

Tricky to line up to start with 
Some may find it a little expensive 

FEATURES
HANDLING
PERFORMANCE
VALUE FOR MONEY
VERDICT

We'd like to thank Photojojo for loaning us the Phone-o-Chrome used in the review.