$329 Leica Lux Grip Is a Premium MagSafe Camera Grip for iPhone

Feb 06, 2025

Jeremy Gray

A person holds a smartphone with a camera accessory while taking a selfie. They are wearing a beige coat and an orange top. The background features a blurred yellow and black building.

Last June, Leica announced Leica Lux, an iPhone camera app with a Leica-inspired user interface, carefully crafted Leica lens simulations, and unique Leica Looks photo styles. Today, Leica unveiled the Leica Lux Grip, a magnetic camera grip for iPhone that gives photographers Leica-inspired physical controls for their mobile photography.

Leica Camera AG says the Leica Lux Grip promises intuitive operation and Leica’s legendary high-quality manufacturing. The grip offers a similar look and feel to “a classic Leica camera” and attaches to the user’s iPhone via MagSafe. The grip, like many other iPhone camera grips on the market — including the Fjorden made by the eponymous company Leica bought to develop the Leica Lux app — promises to improve the overall mobile photography experience in terms of ergonomics and satisfaction. After all, pressing an actual shutter release is more engaging than tapping a screen.

A smartphone with a white back is placed on a blue surface. Attached to it is a black, cylindrical camera lens accessory with the Leica logo. The phone has a black circular attachment and a triple-camera setup.

A person wearing a textured jacket places a black object with a button into their pocket. They are wearing gold rings on their fingers. The jacket is light in color and the pocket has black trim. The person's hand is partially visible.

A person holds a smartphone taking a photo of a woman smiling, visible on the phone screen. The background features a modern building with yellow and black accents. The person wears a beige and orange sweater.

The Leica Lux Grip communicates with the connected iPhone via Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) and, as expected, is designed to work with the Leica Lux app. The physical controls include a two-stage shutter release that focuses with light pressure and captures an image with a full press, a control dial, and two buttons. The dial and buttons are customizable and can be assigned to perform specific functions, such as adjusting zoom, changing aperture, selecting a shutter speed, or setting exposure compensation values. There is also a tripod thread mount on the bottom of the Lux Grip.

The Leica Lux Grip weighs 130 grams (4.6 ounces), and Leica says it is comfortable for either left-handed or right-handed users thanks to its rotatable design. The grip has a built-in battery with enough juice for up to 1,000 photos and can be charged in two hours from empty via USB-C.

A smartphone is seen in a sleek, black adjustable stand. The stand features a cylindrical base with a button and a round logo. The phone has a triple-camera setup on its back. The background is plain and minimalistic.

Side view of a black cylindrical power bank with a magnetic attachment, connected to the back of a smartphone. The power bank features buttons, and the phone is partially visible, showing its edges and a port.

A black Leica attachment is positioned on a white smartphone with a triple camera system. The phone is lying flat, and the attachment is cylindrical and sleek, placed near the phone's camera area.

A person smiles while holding and using a smartphone to take a photo outdoors. They are wearing a light-colored coat and an orange top. A blurred background shows buildings and a metal structure.

Leica Lux App Update

The Leica Lux iPhone app itself is a significant part of the overall Leica Lux Grip experience, of course. The Lux app has been updated to version 1.4, which brings Leica’s 100th-anniversary goodness to the iPhone.

2025 marks 100 years of the legendary and influential Leica I, the world’s first mass-produced 35mm camera. Leica has been marking the occasion in various ways, including some fancy product collaborations. With Leica Lux version 1.4, the app gets a new “timeless” 50mm lens simulation paired with a retro-inspired Black White film preset “that evokes the elegance of early 20th-century photography.” For the first time, Lux users can add film grain to their iPhone photos.

Black and white portrait of a person with long hair, resting their chin on their hand. They wear a knit vest over a blouse. The camera settings and location details are shown at the bottom.

A grayscale photo of the Place de la République in Paris, featuring the central statue of Marianne atop the monument. A cyclist rides past in the foreground. The image details are displayed at the bottom.

Black and white portrait of a person with long hair, wearing a dark coat and white turtleneck, looking upwards with eyes closed. The image has a soft focus and includes camera settings and location text at the bottom.

Two people in winter coats lean against a stone railing, looking at the Eiffel Tower obscured by fog. The image is framed with a film strip border, adding a vintage feel.

The Leica Lux app is free to download, but users must pay a premium for complete access to all the app’s features. It is $6.99 per month or $69.99 annually. However, those who shell out for the new Leica Lux Grip will receive one free year of the Leica Lux app.