This $70 telescopic lens can up your mobile photography game

Taking quality photos was once the domain of serious shutter bugs, but now many smartphones have cameras that are on par with the DSLR cameras used by the pros. The main difference is the lack of interchangeable lenses. Well, good news: there’s a great little gadget that lets you attach a telescope (!) to your phone to take pictures of things much, much further away without losing any detail. Even better news: it’s currently $130 off. Say “cheese” and read on….

Pankoo

This telescope comes with 12x magnification and a 60mm lens, perfect for capturing things from a distance.

$70 on Amazon

If you (or someone you know) like to watch birds (or people), the Pankoo Monocular Telescope is a fantastic accessory. You can capture great pictures of all kinds of creatures without scaring or warning them, not to mention distorting the image with your phone’s zoom feature. It will zoom up to 12 times while maintaining a 6.5 inch field of view. Translation? You can take pictures of animals and objects as far as 1,200 yards far.

The telescope comes with a high quality phone holder and tripod with adjustable angles and three length options. It’s easy to attach and detach your phone, and the tripod provides extra stability to ensure there’s no blurring. How’s that for a fun hack? Pair it with a smartwatch to press the picture button remotely for even better photos.

With Mother’s Day this weekend, this can make a great gift, but you’ll need to act fast if you want it to arrive in time!

This pint-sized telescope takes your phone photography to the next level. (Photo: Amazon) — If James Stewart had one (and, yes, a smartphone) in “Rear Window,” he might have been able to stop Raymond Burr from murdering his poor wife. Just to say… (Photo: Amazon)

“Optional for my binoculars and telescope, my Pankoo monocular telescope is convenient for its compact size and portability for travel, walks or other excursions when I want to see nature, sports, sky and other objects or events. It’s extremely practical and offers exceptional, crystal-clear magnification!” declared a five-star reviewer.

“I bought this monocular telescope as a gift for my husband. He really loves her. It works very well! It’s easy to set the best focus and it gives you a good view. says another. “I would recommend this telescope to birdwatchers or anyone who just wants to see distant objects.”

This telescopic lens can up your mobile photography game

Pankoo

Keep your lens clean with the included cleaning cloth and let the tripod stabilize your shots so no stray blur creeps into the shot.

$70 on Amazon

The reviews quoted above reflect the most current versions at the time of publication.

If you have Amazon Prime, you will of course get free shipping. Not a member yet? No problem. You can sign up for your 30-day free trial here. (And by the way, those without Prime still get free shipping on orders of $25 or more.)