ExoLens the iPhone case company that is known for its protective cases that are compatible with their range of Zeiss lenses, have just announced a new case for the iPhone 7 at C.E.S. Bringing professional-grade lenses to the iPhone, and now even more protection. The new protective case for the iPhone 7 will be available for purchase during the first quarter of 2017, though a price is not yet released. Exolens sells a range of Zeiss telephoto, macro, and wide-angle lenses, which range in price from $150 to $200. Not only has it been designed to keep the iPhone 7 safe from bumps and scratches, it will also be compatible with all Pro Zeiss lenses and upcoming ExoLens Prime lenses made for the iPhone 7.
The ExoLens is a bracket designed for the iPhone that will allows the user to attach a Zeiss lens to it with out having to take the case off. For those of us who are looking for a quality boost in our iPhone cameras, this is a great investment. An ExoLens representitive says the new accessory is an "ultra-durable dual layer case" created with impact-resistant materials and designed to be slim and low-profile.
"After launching our line of ZEISS ExoLens mobile photography solutions earlier this year, consumers told us that they loved the mobile photography lenses, but also expressed a desire for a solution that protected their iPhone, while still providing the lens attachment capability... The new ExoLens Case will provide the ability for users to seamlessly utilize our visually enhancing lenses, but the case will also shield the individuals iPhone from everyday drops and scratches at the same time."
- John Fellowes, Chief Executive Officer of Fellowes Brands.
ExoLens sells the brackets and lenses separately or as a kit for $199.95 through Apple.
Time to bin our DSLRs...
why not?
to you maybe. I for one love shooting with my iphone. Having a tele lens made by one of the best lens makers in the world for it sounds pretty awesome. Am I going to use it for professional work? no probably not but I love the idea of doing personal shoots on a cellphone. If it's for web use like instagram or something that doesn't need to printed it's completely acceptable.
seems like maybe you get too hung up on the technology and are not seeing the creative possibilities. Correct me if I'm wrong but the iphone/cell phone cameras are the most popular cameras in the world. It's pretty easy to see that a tele lens for it is not useless at all.
I shoot with the moment lenses all the time. Don't ever notice a quality loss. I'm sure the Zeiss lens will produce the same quality of images.
There are already some fantastic lenses out for the iPhone. Moment makes great lenses. I shoot with two of them on my iPhone 6 and I use them professionally in my work as a photojournalist. The sensor size is a meaningless argument. The technology keeps improving the photos coming out of these. The RAW files from the iPhone 7 are great.
The sensor size of crop sensor cameras hasn't changed, but the difference between the new Nikon D500 and the old D7000 is amazing. Go to a smaller sensor on the Fuji X cameras and some would argue they blow away some full frame cameras.
I'm constantly amazed by what the cameras in these phones can do. Throw some great glass on them and you've opened it up to some new options.
It all comes down to what and how you're shooting. For me as a photojournalist it has opened up more possibilities than the way I used to shoot and I'm more than happy to embrace this new tool.
There are some really bad lenses out there. Search on Amazon and you can get three lenses for $15.00. They're never sharp and you'll get vignetting. They're also hard to mount. I've tried several.
The lenses from MomentLens.co are fantastic. Sharp, no distortion or vignetting. They're also $90 a lens. I'm assuming the lenses mentioned in this article will produce equally great results.
I think its for folks that want a wide lens, a zoom lens, and a macro lens for whatever they are shooting. I find the wide angle quite handy, can't exactly create that with editing. Maybe cropping, but still not the same. Not trying to be obnoxious, just seriously answering the why part.
The issue for me is that in 9 months or so the IPhone 8 will be out and these lenses will be obsolescent, i.e., useful as long as you keep your IPhone 7 but incompatible with the next version, as lenses for the 8 will likely be incompatible with the IPhone 9. If you're OK with that then they maybe an interesting accessory.
That may not be the case, but it depends on the lens manufacturer. Moment Lenses are compatible with the iPhone 4 through iPhone 7. They have a mounting plate for each phone, but the lenses are the same. Time will tell as to what Apple will do with 8 & 9.