Unless you’re the most minimal of minimalists, and you travel into the natural world with nothing but the clothes on your back, a knife at your hip and a set of matches stuffed into your beanie, odds are you own some camping equipment you simply must pack for any camping trip. A stove, sleeping bag (or quilt) and tent come to mind.
Read More
Other accessories aren’t quite so crucial for survival, but wow do they up the ante when it comes to fun. The Nocs Provisions Smartphone Adapter falls into this second, ahem, camp. And despite my initial reservations, I’m kind of obsessed with it. Here’s why.
The Fix for Photo Fails
Have you ever seen a really beautiful bird, or far-off peak, or distant tree that you wanted to photograph?
If you only have your smartphone on you, taking a quality photo of something far away can quickly turn into a challenge. Should you zoom in as much as possible, only to be left with a grainy and unsatisfying image? Or should you keep the zoom standard, and take a photo with little detail or visibility of your subject? The choice is yours, and neither is good.
There is a solution, though. And it costs less than 40 bucks (assuming you already own a pair of binoculars).
Nocs Photo Rig Smartphone Adapter
I’d been a fan of Nocs since I discovered its affordable, style-driven and lightweight binos – so when the brand came out with an adapter that promised to combine the visual acuity of the binos with the accessibility of my phone’s camera, I was skeptical but also intrigued. Why lug around a heavy DSLR when I could easily stuff the adapter into a small pack, and my phone into my pocket?
This combo is by no means a replacement for high-end cameras, but it is a fun workaround that can entertain and delight campers of all ages — and results in some pretty cool images.
Using the Photo Rig Smartphone Adapter
Setting up the Adapter is easy. The spring-loaded mechanism allows for a variety of smartphones to fit, and capturing zoomed-in and clear images is as simple as snapping in your phone, lining up the camera, and dialing in the focus and zoom on the binoculars themselves. Decide on the object you’re going to capture, adjust the binos and voilà: You’ll be able to capture the photos and videos you’d always hoped you could.
To be fair, there are some drawbacks to using the Photo Rig Smartphone Adapter. When my phone is strapped in, I can’t access the lock button; that means it’s easy to drain my phone battery as I’m walking or hiking, looking for nice things to photograph. If you don’t have an extra battery bank on you and head out for a long hike, be prepared to fiddle with the Adapter to keep your phone from dying.
Taking video with the Photo Rig Smartphone Adapter is also tricky: The image stabilization in the iPhone is outstanding, but once the phone is locked into the adapter, that goes out the window. I’d recommend having a stable surface to balance the rig on, or being OK with shaky videos. (Hey, it worked for Sam Raimi.)
Photo by Hayley HelmsA New Camping Mainstay
I’ve used the Photo Rig Smartphone Adapter on local hikes, camping in the Anza Borrego State Desert and around the house, watching the birds and native creatures pass through our land. The durable high-impact ABS frame can handle long hikes or being tossed around in my duffel, and while taking videos can be tricky, taking photos is a cinch. (I can go on and on about that point, but I like to think the above photos kinda speak for themselves.)
Overall, having the Photo Rig Adapter in my camping kit has brought a level of entertainment to my family and me that was missing before. We still pack our DSLR for long trips, but now, we always make sure we have our Photo Rig Smartphone Adapter and binoculars, too.
