I had an hour to visit Changdeokgung Palace, and was it ever a worthwhile stop. Rather than fumbling with my DSLR, I saved time by only taking photos with my iPhone.

Built in the 15th century during the Joseon Dynasty, Changdeokgung Palace was explicitly designed to blend in with the surrounding mountain range according to pungsu principles (the Korean equivalent of feng shui).

This distinguishes Changdeokgung from other palaces in Seoul and earns it a well-deserved UNESCO World Heritage Site designation.

Changdeokgung Palace, a major Seoul attraction.

As you can see, it was an overcast December day with lots of low fog. The brighter/more natural light you can shoot in, the better. The closer you can get to the detail, too, the better.

Is the Moment wide angle lens one of the best iPhone lenses? I tried it at Changdeokgung Palace in Seoul.
A review of my Moment wide angle iPhone lens after shooting Changdeokgung Palace in Seoul.

A view of the Changdeokgung Palace show with a Moment wide angle lens.

Changdeokgung Palace in Seoul as shot using one of the best iPhone lenses - a Moment 18mm wide angle lens.
Moment iPhone lens review: Changdeokgung Palace in Seoul

By the way, if you find yourself in the South Korean capital, one of the best things to do in Seoul is by far a stop at Changdeokgung Palace. I couldn’t tour the famous gardens due to time constraints but I highly suggest that you time a visit according to the garden tour schedule (the only way to see them) as they are supposed to be absolutely stunning.

Have an opinion about the best iPhone lenses? Please share.

Katie Dillon is the managing editor of La Jolla Mom. She helps readers plan San Diego vacations through her hotel expertise (that stems from living in a Four Seasons hotel) and local connections. Readers have access to exclusive discounts on theme park tickets (like Disneyland and San Diego Zoo) and perks at luxury hotels worldwide through her. She also shares insider tips for visiting major cities worldwide, like Hong Kong, London, Paris, and Shanghai, that her family has either lived in or visits regularly (or both).

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3 Comments

  1. What a great idea, i wish i knew about this before! We just purchased a wide angle lens for our SLR camera. Can you leave the lens on the camera even when your not using it? Or is it better to take it off each time due to damage? Just wondering how sensitive it is.

    Thanks for the suggestion!

    Reply

    1. Hi! If you have a cap, you could leave it on but it would be bulky. I’ll leave it on for as long as I know I’m going to use the lens and then take it off. It’s easy to keep the case on and the lenses in a pocket in my handbag to screw them on and off as need be, too. They weigh almost nothing.

      Reply

  2. Thank you for the review! I’m not an iPhone user, but have observed some of my friends tinkering with these add on lenses for the same reason as you – they’re just tired of lugging around their big DSLR.

    The darkening in the corners you observed in some of your photos, when using the wide angle lens attachment, is called vignetting. It’s caused when the lens edge sticks out beyond the the image sensor frame. If this creeps into your photos, it can be easily corrected and removed in Photoshop Elements 14, Photoshop version CS6 to CC, or Lightroom 4 and above.

    I am surprised there are so few people in your images of this important landmark. Were you on a private tour before or after the Palace grounds public hours of operation?

    Cheers,
    Frederic Hore,
    Montreal

    Reply