Leica launches an expensive iPhone camera grip

Say you like photography, but not enough to buy a real camera. You like your iPhone, but wish it was easier to grip when taking photos. If you tick both of those boxes, and you have a cool €300 to spend, Leica has just the thing for you.

Meet the new Leica Lux Grip for iPhone. It's a camera grip. For your iPhone. And it's made by Leica, so it's automatically expensive and "Lux". Leica says the grip is "similar to a classic Leica camera in terms of its handling and feel" and we don't doubt that for a second. It weighs "just" 130g, and is "equally suitable for left- and right-handed users". The battery lasts up to 1,000 shots and charges in 2 hours via USB-C.

It has a "clear design", a "sophisticated operating concept", and it attaches via MagSafe. The grip communicates with the phone via Bluetooth LE and it comes with its own app: the Leica Lux app.

The grip has a two-stage shutter release, which focuses when lightly pressed and starts shooting when fully pressed. There's also a button on the grip for quickly switching between shooting modes. Two additional controls (a button and a dial) can be assigned and customized through the app. By default, the button gives you quick access to frequently used functions, and the dial "enables the precise selection of camera settings" like zoom, aperture, shutter speed, and exposure compensation.

So, with the Leica Lux Grip, "photographers have all the essential aspects of image composition in their own hands, even when using a smartphone". When you replace your iPhone, you can reuse the grip, you only need to replace the MagSafe base plate.

The app adds "the unmistakable image and color aesthetics of legendary Leica lenses" - think Summilux-M or Noctilux-M bokeh. You also get unique Leica looks like Vivid to classic Black & White to expand your artistic palette. With every Lux Grip registration, you get a subscription to the Pro version of the app for free for one year.

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