Weird, wonderful world of smartphone camera accessories

Most people use their smartphone as their only camera because it's always with them and they don't have to carry a second device.

Camera accessories for smartphones may seem a little backward for that reason, since you're actually carrying around more things. At some point you might as well just get an actual camera, right?

But if you love shooting pictures or movies, and are in favor of anything that allows you to do more with the tech you have or push it beyond what it was intended for, this roundup is for you.

Several of them are specifically for the iPhone, most of which started as Kickstarter projects and are now available from BiteMyApple.co. But, as an Android user myself, there are ones here that will work with other smartphones as well.

Also, I know the idea of these accessories seems very silly to some people (I certainly feel that way about some of the accessories out there). So, if that's you, I have included a few accessories in here that will turn your smartphone into a tool to use with your digital SLR.

Olloclip

There are plenty of add-on lenses for the iPhone's camera. But for Olloclip, its lenses are all about high-quality optics and ease of use.

The company started from a Kickstarter project a couple years ago with its three-in-one lens that combines wide-angle, macro, and fish-eye lenses into one, tiny slide-on accessory.

This year, it expanded the product lineup with a quick-connect lens system that has a 2x telephoto lens on one side and a circular polarizer lens on the other, and a case with two tripod mounts, a cold shoe for attaching a mic or panel light, and a corner that flips around so you can mount a lens and use it as a shutter release.

Triggertrap Mobile

The $29.99 Triggertrap Mobile Dongle lets you use your smartphone as a remote shutter release for digital SLR or advanced compact cameras.

Though it can be used as a simple shutter release, its true strength is painless setup of time-lapse and HDR photography. It also will allow you to trigger the shutter release with sound, which comes in particularly handy when paired with its Flash Adapter for high-speed photography.

The dongle is compatible with more than 280 cameras and the apps, which recently got a complete redesign and new features, are available for iOS and Android.