The Reeflex Ultra Telephoto Powers Up Photography on iPhone and Galaxy

Apr 28, 2026

Jeremy Gray

A close-up of a person holding an orange camera next to a scene of several vibrant pink flamingos standing together outdoors.

Reeflex has launched a new ultra-telephoto lens for Apple and Samsung’s latest flagship smartphones on Kickstarter, promising mobile photographers significantly more reach and improved image quality versus using their built-in lenses with digital zoom.

The Reeflex Ultra Telephoto 300-600mm features a multi-element optical system designed specifically for modern smartphone image sensors. The lens features four elements, including Lanthanum glass to improve performance, inside an “aerospace-grade” aluminum barrel.

The “300-600mm” designation warrants a closer look. The name suggests zooming, but that’s not what’s happening. It is a 3x lens, meaning it triples the effective focal length of the camera it is used alongside The Reeflex Ultra lens works with iPhone 15 Pro/Pro Max, iPhone 16 Pro/Pro Max, and the latest iPhone 17 Pro and Pro Max models. It also works with Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra, S24 Ultra, S25 Ultra, and the latest S26 Ultra. Since the Reeflex Ultra Telephoto lens goes in front of the telephoto camera on compatible smartphones, and different models have varying telephoto camera systems, the equivalent reach varies dramatically by device.

A young woman with long, light brown hair and a black sweater stands outdoors on sandy terrain with grasses and trees, looking to her left with a thoughtful expression.

A vibrant scarlet macaw with red, yellow, and blue feathers perches on a tree branch, holding food in its claw against a blurred green forest background.

A motorcyclist wearing a yellow helmet and orange vest speeds on a black racing motorcycle with the number 606 on a curving racetrack, the background blurred to show motion.

For example, in the iPhone Pro family, the 15 Pro has the shortest telephoto lens of the bunch (77mm equivalent), so the Reeflex Ultra extends the reach to 231mm, a three-times improvement. This same 3x improvement applies across the board, so the iPhone 15 Pro Max and its longer telephoto lens offer 360mm equivalent reach, as do the iPhone 16 Pro and iPhone 16 Pro Max. The new iPhone 17 Pro family has an added wrinkle. When using the 48MP capture mode, the Reeflex Ultra is a 300mm lens. However, when pixel binning for a 12-megapixel capture, reach doubles to 600mm, hence the Reeflex Ultra’s name.

A woman holds a smartphone with an attached external lens, aiming it upwards outdoors. She stands near a modern building with a blue sky and clouds in the background.

On Samsung’s side, the situation is thankfully a little simpler. The Galaxy S23 Ultra offers 330mm of reach in one mode and 660mm in another, both with 10-megapixel capture. The S24 Ultra, S25 Ultra, and S26 Ultra have 330mm of reach in their 50-megapixel telephoto mode and 660mm at 12 megapixels.

“The Ultra Telephoto [is] not just an accessory, but a creative tool for a new era of mobile-first photographers,” Reeflex says.

As expected, the add-on lens works alongside a special phone case that includes mounting points. It threads onto the case, ensuring a secure connection. The lens itself weighs 308 grams (10.9 ounces) and is 70.5 millimeters (just under 2.8 inches) long.

A woman with long curly hair stands in the snow, smiling and holding a pair of skis upright. She wears a black winter jacket and gloves, with snowy mountains and a bright sky in the background.

A young woman with long, light brown hair sits outdoors in front of a cloudy sky, wearing a black sweater and looking thoughtfully at the camera, with grass softly blurred in the foreground.

A lioness lies on the ground in a shaded forest area, her golden fur illuminated by sunlight as she gazes attentively to the left. Lush green plants and shadows surround her.

A colorful hot air balloon with orange, yellow, black, and gray patterns floats in the sky above scattered clouds.

The company says its add-on telephoto lens is a good choice for wildlife, long-range landscape, travel, sports, portraiture, and more. It could also work well for taking close-up shots of the Moon, a popular target for many photographers.

Pricing and Availability

The Reeflex Ultra Telephoto 300-600mm starts at €239, or about $280, for early backers. Backers will receive the lens and the phone case of their choice. Reeflex says shipping will begin in June 2026.

Image credits: Reeflex

Disclaimer: Make sure you do your own research into any crowdfunding project you’re considering backing. While we aim to only share legitimate and trustworthy campaigns, there’s always a real chance that you can lose your money when backing any crowdfunded project. PetaPixel does not participate in any crowdfunding affiliate programs. Coverage of a Kickstarter campaign is not an endorsement of any campaign, company, or product.

To hold projects accountable, all crowdfunding campaigns on which PetaPixel reports are financially backed with the lowest tier option in order to give the publication visibility into all backer-only communications. If a campaign owner acts in a manner inconsistent with its promises, PetaPixel will share that information publicly.