Leica Lux Grip review: an extravagant grip for iPhoneographers

If you're like me and are a little sick of carrying a camera around when your phone is perfectly serviceable, but then you miss that feeling of "proper" camera controls, then a phone grip might just be the next best thing!

What is a phone grip? Phone grips are purpose-built extensions that clamp to or around your handset, adding a sculpted, DSLR-style handgrip – and the best also add a physical shutter button, dials, cold shoe, or tripod thread. By giving your fingers a little more support, a grip also reduces hand fatigue, steadies the phone for sharper images, and minimizes accidental screen touches.

We have seen a range of phone grips from companies like Snapgrip, as well as Android device makers like Xiaomi make its camera case a big selling point of its latest camera-focused 15 Ultra.

Perhaps inspired by its partner Xiaomi, Leica is getting into the grip game. Leica actually purchased grip company Fjorden last year, but this is the first foray into phone grips from Leica directly. However, rather than a slight redesign that Leica often favours (*cough* Leica D-Lux 8 *cough*), this is an entirely new and unique design.

Fjordens grip is a small MagSafe-compatible bump that adds manual controls and just enough depth to get your fingers around. Meanwhile, the Leica Lux Grip goes in the opposite direction with a sizeable aluminium handle, designed more for control than slipping into a pocket – it's big, it's bold, but is it any good?

Leica Lux Grip: Specifications

Leica Lux Grip: Price

Launching for $329 / £260 / AU$495, but now reaching a post-tariff price of $395 in the US (it briefly was $625), the Leica Lux Grip is likely the most expensive grip you're going to find for an iPhone.

You are paying for a premium quality build, and of course, for Leica's logo, but with a lot of much much cheaper alternatives out there like the Snapgrip ($69.99), PGYTech MagCam Grip ($59.99), Telesin Fun Shot ($34.99) or even the Fjorden Grip ($139.99) that all basically do the same thing (and more) – I struggle to find the cost of the Lux Grip justifiable for anyone except a die-hard Leica fanboy.

Leica Lux Grip: Design & Handling

The Lux Grip is the model of premium quality you’d expect from Leica – beautifully designed with a solid aluminum body, and an engraved Leica logo – although in white, rather than Leica’s more iconic red dot. The grip houses two customizable function buttons, along with a two-stage shutter release and a command dial, and at the bottom is a standard ¼-inch thread for mounting to a tripod. The Lux Grip also comes in a very nice tan leather case with a felt interior to keep the grip snug and protected when not in use. As a design piece, the whole package is absolutely lovely.

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Thanks to the MagSafe array of magnets built into all iPhones from the iPhone 12 and up, the Leica Lux Grip can snap on and off in a second, which is incredibly convenient, but I found the magnets just aren't quite strong enough for me to be fully confident in my phone staying attached.

Several times when using the grip I felt my iPhone slip out of alignment, and a couple of times, I managed to knock my iPhone against something, which knocked it off the grip entirely. This isn’t specifically a Lieca issue, and I have experienced the same thing with gimbals like the Insta360 Flow Pro 2 – but I am reluctant to trust magnets alone to prevent my $1000+ iPhone from taking a trip to the ground.

The grip is also not the most comfortable to hold. It is just a flush cylinder rather than moulded to the shape of a grip, it doesn’t quite sit right in the hand as you reach up to use the buttons and dials. The metal material is smooth with no additional grippy texture or material; the grip could have really benefited from a leatherette or patterned finish on the underside at least. The cold metal also just feels a bit sterile in the hand.

Unlike the more svelte Fjorden grip, the Lux Grip also just sticks out too far, making it near impossible to slip into all but the biggest of pockets, which, when I did get it in there, it then caused an odd-shaped bulge.

But for those shooting video, the design of the Lux Grip does leave the USB-C/Lightning port free for other accessories like a microphone when in landscape. However, there is no cold shoe attachment on the grip, so wireless receivers connected via a cable will just have to dangle. However, there is just enough room behind the grip to squeeze in small receivers that plug directly into the USB port, like the DJI Mic Mini or Rode Wireless Micro.

Leica Lux Grip: Performance

Overall, the Leica Lux Grip is good to use, the buttons and dials have a nice click to them, and add that tactile control you’re likely after if you’re in the market for a camera grip.

Battery life is also excellent, with the grip lasting for around 1000 exposures, and in my time with the grip, taking around a hundred shots using the grip barely made a dint in the battery.

However, the massive downside to this is that the grip is only compatible with the Leica Lux app, so if you were hoping to use this with the native iPhone camera app, a specialist camera app like Halide, or even Instagram – you’re out of luck.

This also means that since Leica has chosen not to make its app for Android phones (despite a major partnership with Xiaomi), even with a MagSafe case, the Lux Grip will not work on your Android device.

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The saving grace here though, is that the Leica Lux app is actually very good. The app offers a number of Leica “looks” for your phone images, either through emulating some classic Leica lenses, or tuning images to some of Leica’s classic color science or monochrome profiles. These vary from image to image – no filter is going to turn a bad image into a masterpiece – but they do a great job of styling phone images with a little more pizazz for sharing on social media.

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However, don’t rush out to buy the grip just to use the Leica Lux app – you don’t need the Lux Grip to access any of the features in the app; you can use the app standalone with just the touchscreen of your iPhone. You do get a 12-month free trial of the app with all the pro features unlocked with the purchase of the Lux Grip. After that, the app will cost $6.99 per month, but compared to some other subscriptions, it seems like reasonable value if it becomes your default camera app.

Leica Lux Grip in 1 Minute

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Leica Lux Grip: Verdict

I can't deny that the Leica Lux Grip is beautiful. Made from machined aluminium, with minimalist style and a smart leather case, it all screams premium. The controls themselves are lovely – buttons click nicely, and the built-in battery powers roughly a thousand frames.

But unfortunately, beauty only runs skin-deep. In use, the cylindrical handle never quite sits comfortably, its smooth metal without any grip or moulding is too slippery, and I don't have full confidence in the MagSafe holding up my expensive phone alone.

The biggest letdown of the grip is its compatibility. It is locked to the Leica Lux app and won't work with any other camera apps, including the default iPhone one. The Leica Lux app is really very good, but as you don't actually need the grip to access it, the images you capture are no better than those you’d shoot with the Leica Lux app alone.

Factor in the current eye-watering price tag, and the fact that rivals costing a fraction of that work with any camera app. Unless you’re a Leica devotee, it's hard to justify the Leica grip as the best option.

Alternatives

Shiftcam Snapgrip
This might not add the same level of control with fewer buttons and no command dial – but if you are just looking for some extra grip for your iPhone with a substantially cheaper price tag, and that works with any iPhone camera app, then look no further.

PGYTECH MagCam Grip
A modular grip with lots of controls, works with all camera apps, and can even wirelessly charge your phone while you use it – although it is lacking in the cool factor of the Lux Grip.