UPDATE: We are giving away the iPhone Shutter Grip that we used for this review to a lucky Tiny Shutter fan, learn how on episode 9.

When I saw the iPhone Shutter Grip on Photojojo I did the same thing I often do when I see a neat or cool product, I get excited then I confuse want with need and I buy it with little or no research. Like I did with that stupid tiny digital camera 🙁 . Sometimes I will research it and still buy it, but in this case I bought the product without even reading the description. I mention this because listed as the last bullet point feature on the Photojojo product page is what makes this accessory nearly useless for me.

The Pros – Having a useable shutter but placed in a placed in the traditional location is a clear pro. The grip is pretty comfortable, though I think it could easily be next leveled ergonomically. Having dedicated buttons for camera and video independent of each other is very nice and useful. Having the Belkin LiveAction camera app start up automatically when the grip is installed is a nice quick step saved.

The Cons – This grip can only be used with the Belkin LiveAction Camera app, and this is a huge HUGE drawback. In retrospect it makes perfect sense that the grip wouldn’t be able to operate other camera apps, and I can be understanding of that. But the Belkin camera app is more basic then even the standard ‘Image Picker Camera’ that other apps default to. I will even go so far as to call the app an outright fail. Sadly a good product in the grip is completely marginalized by an app that seems like it could’ve been coded by a grade school kid. The app is glitchy, slow, and I’ve read reports of incessant crashing from some users.

Final Thoughts –  I would strongly recommend holding off on this product until the app has been updated to contain a feature set that should accompany such a product. Without an upgraded app all this grip does is turn your iPhone into a cheap $40 point and shoot.