With its latest announcement, Leica is furthering its focus on mobile photography, adding a new accessory to its lineup. The company designed the Leica Lux Grip specifically for iPhones, following up on the June release of the Leica Lux iPhone app. The grip is strictly for Leica lovers, as it will only work with Leica’s iPhone app; controls will not transfer to the default iPhone camera app or any other third-party options.

Leica says the Lux Grip is “similar to a classic Leica camera in terms of its handling and feel.” It goes even further and explains that all of the grip’s “physical controls consistently express Leica’s design philosophy and conjure up the familiar experience of using a professional camera.” Any grip will make for a more camera-like experience and make taking photographs with a phone a bit more ergonomic, so users who focus on mobile photography could certainly benefit from it.

Photo: Leica

The grip relies on a magnetic MagSafe connection rather than a case-like design, which is typical in other phone grips. The magnetic attachment makes switching between portrait and landscape orientations easy while maintaining a comfortable grip with easy controls. Plus, removing the grip when it’s not needed and returning to a traditional phone form factor is straightforward. That also means that when users purchase a new iPhone, there’s no need to buy an entirely new grip specific to that phone.

The Lux Grip uses Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) connectivity to communicate with a phone’s camera, allowing users to control camera functionality without digging into phone menus. That includes a two-stage shutter release that, like cameras, uses light pressure to focus and a full press to take a photo. There’s also a button to switch between shooting modes, two customizable buttons and a dial for adjusting settings.

Photo: Leica

For those who want to go all out, Leica also released a leather case designed just for the Lux Grip, which features an AirTag holder.

The Leica Lux Grip is available for $329 on Leica’s website and B&H. The purchase includes a year of the Leica LUX Pro subscription.

Buy now:

$329 at B&H

$329 at Leica

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Earlier this week, Nikon announced the Nikkor Z 35mm F1.2 S, a wide-angle lens with a fast aperture. We were able to spend a few hours on the streets of Seattle with a pre-production model, and got some shots that should give you an idea of what this lens is about.

A few caveats to keep in mind – given that the photos were shot with a pre-production lens, they may not be exactly indicative of how a production model would perform. Our standard lens gallery procedure also involves processing the images through Capture One, giving us precise control over what corrections are and are not applied. However, the images in this sample gallery are straight out of camera JPEGs, and thus may have corrections that wouldn’t usually be applied to images in our sample galleries.

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After a playful bit of marketing, Viltrox announced a new flavor of its ultra-thin AF 28mm F4.5 lens. It first made the lens available for Sony E-mount cameras last fall, and now it will also be available for X-mount cameras.

Viltrox calls this teeny offering a chip lens. That nickname is in reference to how thin it is, drawing similarities with potato chips, and does not pertain to any sort of technology inside the lens. To stay on theme, the company’s teaser for the announcement featured a bag of chips with AF 28mm F4.5 XF above it, much like the Lays potato chip flavor announcements.

Image: Viltrox

The Viltrox AF 28mm F4.5 is a unique lens because of its diminutive size. It weighs a measly 60g (2.1oz) and is only 15.3mm (0.6in) thick. To keep the size so minuscule, there are some compromises. Most notably, it uses a constant F4.5 aperture. That means no adjusting the aperture based on lighting conditions. Additionally, it lacks a manual focus ring, so you’ll be stuck entirely with autofocus. It also isn’t compatible with filters.

The optical design is made up of six elements in six groups, including two ED and two aspherical elements. Voltrox says it will deliver “sharp images, vibrant colors, and stunning starburst effects.” It uses a VCM for autofocus, which Viltrox promises will be “fast, precise, and silent.” Additionally, the lens features an integrated lens cap with a slide for opening and closing the cover and a USB-C port for firmware updates.

The AF 28mm F4.5 XF is available in black and white colorways for $99.

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