- Leica has announced the LUX Grip — a detachable handle that aims to elevate the photography skills of anyone with an iPhone.
- Connected via MagSafe and Bluetooth, it also features a mechanical two-stage shutter release, a dial for precise settings, and two individually assignable function buttons.
- The LUX Grip is now available from Leica boutiques and online for $495.
Leica‘s a name that simultaneously conjures images of hardened photojournalists in warzones and cashed-up inner-city types who love post about graffiti. And its latest release is firmly aimed at the latter.
In a move that’s either pure genius or the artistic equivalent of gluing fake carbon air intakes onto a minivan, the legendary camera manufacturer has decided to democratise its equally legendary photography with the all-new LUX Grip — a way to simulate shooting on a real Leica without spending nearly as much.
The Leica LUX Grip is essentially a bolt-on contraption designed to give your iPhone the ergonomics of a proper camera; offering users a mechanical two-stage shutter release, a finely tuned setting dial, as well as two customisable function buttons.
Transforming the iPhone from an otherwise soulless slab of glass and metal into an artistic tool is a noble goal, but it’s no small feat replicating the feeling of a proper camera when your boundary conditions are as tactile as poking the touchscreen menu at a fast-food kiosk.
Unsurprisingly, Leica wasn’t going to make it as easy as attaching the LUX Grip to your iPhone before you let it rip, either — this beautifully engineered device doesn’t work with your standard iPhone camera app. Instead, it’ll require you to fire up the Leica LUX app which, in fairness, lets you mimic the look/feel of their Summilux-M or Noctilux-M lenses.
Of course, in today’s world, where entire fashion campaigns and Hollywood productions are shot on iPhones, the idea of making your phone even more powerful isn’t exactly a silly one. If anything, the LUX Grip is proof that we’ve reached a point where professional photography no longer requires a camera — just an app, an attachment such as this, and a credit card you haven’t maxed out.
Yes, this bad boy will set you back $495. And do note this doesn’t include the sexy leather travel pouch (which costs an additional $95). But considering what the real deal currently retails for, it’s still one of the more affordable options in a Leica store.
The Leica LUX Grip is now available from both brand boutiques and online.
