(Fast note: Sodacase, listed below is doing a 50% off sale this week!)

Chase Jarvis talks about the” best camera is the one that’s with you”

And today, that would be your smartphone. You shoot, you post, it’s shared.

But now you can dress it up, give it protection and add Apps that gives it powers you didn’t even imagine.

Favorite iPhone Lens set

Olloclip has come onto the scene with a series of lenses that easily slip over your phone, and transform the built in lens to a telephoto, wide angle, fish-eye, macro, and now has an available polarizer.

All of that fits in small drawstring bags . check out this affordable 4 lens unit:

Protective cases

After dropping my phone twice last week, and paying the consequences (new phone) let’s look at 3 great options for gifting.

LifeProof :

you buy into a whole system with this company. They’ve been in the space for a few years and have proven themselves to be a high quality product. For the adventurer on your list.

About $90.

Then we have HitCase. Has a built in wide angle lens, currently unique for this category.

Designed for the hardcore GoPro action folks, this company designed an App that will overlay all of your death defying details onto your vid.

The lens and app separates this unit from the rest. $129.

Let’s get off the mountain and out of the water and have a look at the Otter Box Defender.

This unit gives you basic, everyday, protection. About $50

Or you can go the personal route with Sodacase.

Personalize your gift with a matching screen cleaning cloth.

here is a shot I made at Museum of Modern Art of the Rain Room exhibit:

 this will run you about $37, all in.

Continuing with the iPhone mode, one of our favorite items this year has been the Grip&Shoot.

This set up come with a phone case, handle, and a kit case to keep it all in.

At this writing the zoom function only worked on the still portion, but the beta test is in for it on video. It’ll get there.

I used it in a club where a buddy was playing, and it helped make a shaky, crappy video into a smooth, controlled memory. $100.

There are a million accessories for smart phones these days. The above list is just what I felt was useful, giftable, and affordable.

Do you know someone who has a split analog/digital life?

Then perhaps the Luxi, which slips on your phone, will be the perfect gift:

$35.00

There we have the smartphone gift ideas. This is the kind of stuff that goes on sale during the holidays, so just wanted to get it out quick.

More cool stuff coming up in the next gift guide parts.

One more note:

What I haven’t touched on is all of the apps available to run your life.

As more things can get controlled by you smartphone, can I make a suggestion? The phone is probably your only phone, less hard lines these days, and if you use it like I do, battery life is already dodgy.

Start using it to run things and what happens when someone calls? The app stops?

So this Black Friday, consider buying an iPod Touch, or an iPad. And maybe when the next iPhone comes out, use your old one as an app running device.

Just an idea.