Professional Quality Lenses Now Available for the iPhone’s Camera

The new ExoLens kit for the iPhone 6 has just taken iphonegraphy to the next level. For just $129.95, iPhone users can get a pair of professional lenses — a three-time telephoto lens and a wide-angle lens — that attach to the device via a sturdy, tripod-compatible, lattice mount.

Basically, the new ExoLens kit can turn an iPhone into a professional-quality camera.

According to John Willenborg, the CEO of ExoLens, “Apple came to us two years ago looking for a higher-end lens system for their upcoming devices. The goal was to engineer something that reflected the quality and precision of the iPhone 6 with the power of a mini DSLR.”

Of course, it’s a bit of a stretch to say that the iPhone 6 is a mini DSLR, but it is, in fact, one of the best cameras in the history of iPhones, which ExoLens leverages with its optics. The telephoto lens extends the smartphone’s focal length to three times what it can normally shoot, allowing users to zoom in without sacrificing quality or the camera’s features, like autofocus. The 165-degree wide angle is an action camera-style fisheye lens, which allows iPhone users to take in more of a scene.

However, the ExoLens will not kill the digital camera industry. Though it does make the smartphone’s camera all the better, it is still just a smartphone camera.

“While smartphones have made remarkable strides toward improving image quality and are perfectly acceptable for posting pictures online from a nightclub or highlighting a meal at a local restaurant, there is no substitute for a DSLR camera when trying to capture the most important events and experiences like a sunset, a child’s first steps, or a wedding,” says Jonathan Davis, Marketing Director, 42nd Street Photo.

That being said, the ExoLens is still an impressive smartphone accessory, if an expensive one, and has a lot of potential for professional and advanced amateur photographers.

The Mac Observer notes in a review that the new ExoLens system is all pros and no cons, and that its large lenses offer greater design freedom

The newly released setup only works with the iPhone 6, but a version for the iPhone 6 Plus is being planned for release in May 2015. The exact date and pricing has not yet been released.