ExoLens and Zeiss have teamed up to create some high-quality lenses designed to take iPhone photography to the next level. At $200, the ExoLens PRO with Optics by Zeiss Wide-Angle Kit for the iPhone 7 and iPhone 7 Plus is almost the price you'd pay for a standalone camera, but the lens is distortion free, compact, and enhances the range of images you can capture with your iPhone.

exolensoniphone
There are dozens of inexpensive lenses on the market, but most of the cheaper options are unable to measure up to the quality you get with the $199 Zeiss/ExoLens combo.

Design

The ExoLens PRO comes in a padded box and ships alongside several mounts to fit different sized iPhones, including the iPhone 7, iPhone 6s, and iPhone 6s Plus.

Right out of the package, the ExoLens PRO stands apart from other lens options. It's over an inch tall and similar in circumference to a standard pill bottle, with a solid weight to it. The outside of the lens is made from aluminum, and the glass of the lens itself is protected with caps on each side when not in use. Zeiss branding is on the side of the lens, which looks more like a small DSLR lens than a standard iPhone lens.

exolens2
Inside the box, there are two carrying bags for the lens and any accessories, along with an aluminum lens hood and an installation guide.

The lens mount, which fits over the camera lens on the iPhone 7 Plus, features two pieces -- an aluminum outer mount and a softer gel liner. The two pieces are combined and then slipped over the camera side of the iPhone, a process that's quick and easy.

iphoneexolensback
Once the lens mount is in place, the ExoLens PRO can be screwed in place and it's ready to use. Despite its weight, the ExoLens PRO feels stable and secure on the back of the iPhone.

While the lens feels secure, it adds a lot of weight to the iPhone and changes the balance of the device. It's unwieldy to hold and I needed to use two hands when taking a photo. Even then, I was worried it would slip out of my hands.

exolenssize
The ExoLens PRO can't be used with a skin or a case on the iPhone, so there's no real way to add extra grip. The extra weight and bulk of the lens also makes it more difficult to carry -- it's not going to fit in a pocket, and it's awkward to use for other purposes with the lens attached.

It's not difficult to pull the lens off when it's not in use, but it's worth noting that this is a lens that you're only going to want to have on the camera for the express purpose of picture taking. There's a lot more on and off action needed than with smaller lenses like the Olloclip.

exolens
The ExoLens PRO lens mount covers up the telephoto lens, so the lens itself only works with the standard iPhone lens. Since this is a wide-angle lens, that's not a surprise, but it does prevent 2x zoom and Portrait mode from being used while the lens is attached. It does not work with the front-facing camera and it also prevents the flash and the microphone from working properly when attached.

ExoLens has other lens mounting solutions for the iPhone 7, including the newly released $50 ExoLens Case, but the lens mount is the only option for the iPhone 7 Plus at the moment.

Lens and Picture Quality

The lens is a Zeiss Mutar 0.6x Asph T* wide-angle lens, which is an 18mm equivalent. That's wider than the default iPhone camera, which Apple says is 28mm.

exolenscomparison

With ExoLens on right, without ExoLens on left

At 18mm, the Zeiss wide-angle lens is ideal for capturing landscape shots or more of an indoor area, and there's an anti-reflective coating on the lens that seems to improve image quality when it's bright outside.

exolensexample1

ExoLens example shot

Pictures captured with the lens are as sharp and clear as those taken without the lens, and there is no distortion at the edges, a common issue with wide-angle camera lenses designed for the iPhone. I also saw no artifacts or color aberrations.

exolensexample2

ExoLens example shot

Bottom Line

This is something of a niche product, and to be honest, I'm not sure who it's targeted at. The average iPhone user isn't going to want to shell out $200 for a wider-angle iPhone lens, nor should they, and photographers who need a wide-angle lens likely have better camera equipment.

It's a well-built lens that produces high-quality images, but it isn't a whole lot wider than what you get with the built-in camera (18mm vs 28mm) and it's bulky and heavy, so it's not a great solution for most iPhone users.

exolensiphone2
That said, it takes excellent photos, so if you're a person with $200 to spare and you take all of your photos on the iPhone and want to extend your range, this is a lens worth considering.

Pros:

  • Distortion free
  • Easy to put on/remove

Cons:

  • Expensive
  • Doesn't work with cases or screen protectors
  • Heavy
  • Adds a lot of bulk to the iPhone

How to Buy

The ExoLens PRO Wide-Angle Kit with a Zeiss Lens can be purchased from the ExoLens website for $199.95.

Note: ExoLens provided MacRumors with a ExoLens PRO with Optics by Zeiss Wide-Angle Kit for the purpose of this review. No other compensation was received.

Top Rated Comments

zorinlynx Avatar
103 months ago
Lenses last forever and don't become obsolete.

Phones quickly become obsolete after a few years.

Will they be selling mounting kits for future iPhones so you can keep using these expensive lenses into the future?
Score: 10 Votes (Like | Disagree)
ignatius345 Avatar
103 months ago
I know these take really high end photos and the results are that of DSLR. But That looks a little ridiculous attached to the iPhone.
No, not the results of a DSLR. A DSLR has a much much much larger sensor and way better optics. This little lens looks cool, but all the light is still getting funnelled through a tiny iPhone lens and a really tiny sensor. It's all OK in the daytime, but at night you really start to see the difference.

I'm not knocking smartphone photography -- it's absolutely amazing, but there's only so much you can do with that compact of a camera.
Score: 5 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Fzang Avatar
103 months ago
Can't get rid of the noise though, which is the biggest problem with smartphone photography.
Score: 3 Votes (Like | Disagree)
simonmet Avatar
103 months ago
It's misleading to say this is lens is distortion free. Not even the best lenses in the world claim that, especially wide-angle lenses. Lens distortion is not a check-box you tick either yes or no. There are different types and it varies from the centre point of an image. You simply cannot represent a spherical surface on a flat plane without some kind of compromise.

What the article probably means to say is that it has rectilinear correction (straight lines appear straight) and relatively low spherical distortion compared with other iPhone add-on lenses of its width. In other words, it's a premium version of this type of product. Even well rectilinear-corrected lenses still get volumetric distortion and perspective effects.

Saying "distortion-free" is market bollocks. It's misleading and incorrect and the author should clarify this for the benefit of readers who may not understand.
Score: 3 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Westside guy Avatar
103 months ago
I know these take really high end photos and the results are that of DSLR. But That looks a little ridiculous attached to the iPhone.
Well, no, since there are innate physical limitations related to having a very small sensor.

Today's phones do take awesome photos, given what they are. But if one feels the need to add that kind of bulk to improve the quality of one's photos, a DLSR or mirrorless makes more sense.
Score: 2 Votes (Like | Disagree)
macduke Avatar
103 months ago
Cheap and mirrorless don't go in the same sentence anymore. Prices for SLRs have been going back up.
Yeah maybe if you get something like the new pro sports 20fps A9 that costs $4499 but the A6000 has one of the best price/performance ratios out there and can often be found on sale around $399 body only. Personally I'm waiting for the A7III which will likely be in the $1799-1999 range and wreck the 5DMkIV. I'm switching from Canon for my personal work but will still be using a 5DMkIII at work.
Score: 2 Votes (Like | Disagree)

Popular Stories

iPhone 17 Pro 34ths Perspective

iPhone 17 Pro Launching Later This Year With These 10 New Features

Sunday March 23, 2025 10:00 am PDT by
While the iPhone 17 Pro and iPhone 17 Pro Max are not expected to launch until September, there are already plenty of rumors about the devices. Below, we recap key changes rumored for the iPhone 17 Pro models as of March 2025: Aluminum frame: iPhone 17 Pro models are rumored to have an aluminum frame, whereas the iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 16 Pro models have a titanium frame, and the iPhone ...
maxresdefault

Apple Releases iOS 18.4 With Priority Notifications, Ambient Music, New Emoji and More

Monday March 31, 2025 10:03 am PDT by
Apple today released iOS 18.4 and iPadOS 18.4, the fourth major updates to the iOS 18 and iPadOS 18 operating system updates that came out last year. iOS 18.4 and iPadOS 18.4 come two months after Apple released iOS 18.3 and iPadOS 18.3. Subscribe to the MacRumors YouTube channel for more videos. The new software can be downloaded on eligible iPhones and iPads over-the-air by going to...
top stories 2025 03 29

Top Stories: WWDC 2025 Announced, iPhone 17 Pro and iOS 19 Rumors, and More

Saturday March 29, 2025 6:00 am PDT by
Apple's big developer event is a little over two months away, and rumors about what we can expect to see in Apple's next major operating system updates are becoming increasingly frequent. A public release of iOS 18.4 is also imminent with a number of updates and improvements, although we won't be getting the major Apple Intelligence Siri upgrades that had reportedly been planned for this...
Magic Mouse Green

What to Expect From the Magic Mouse 3

Saturday March 29, 2025 10:15 am PDT by
Apple is reportedly working on a new Magic Mouse. Below, we recap what to expect. The two key rumors for the Magic Mouse 3 so far include a relocated charging port, along with a more ergonomic design. It was briefly rumored that the Magic Mouse 3 would also feature voice control, but that was misinterpreted information. Relocated Charging Port While the Magic Mouse switched from...
iOS 18

iOS 18.4 Expected Next Week - Here Are the Release Notes

Friday March 28, 2025 2:01 pm PDT by
With the second release candidate of iOS 18.4 that Apple seeded out today, the company finally provided us with release notes that give a full rundown on what to expect. There's an Apple Vision Pro app, new Apple Intelligence features for notifications and additional language support, plus an Apple News Food feature for Apple News+ subscribers, and several updates that should improve the...
Foldable iPhone 2023 Feature Homescreen

Six Things to Know About Apple's Upcoming Foldable iPhone

Friday March 28, 2025 3:54 pm PDT by
We've been hearing rumors about a foldable iPhone for almost a decade now, but it looks like we might finally see the device come to fruition in 2026. We're going to be waiting many more months for the foldable iPhone, but so far we're hearing good things. Apple wants to make it creaseless. It's taken Apple multiple years to design a foldable iPhone that it's satisfied with because Apple ...
iOS 19 visionOS UI Elements

Apple Codename Provides Clue About iOS 19's Rumored New Design

Sunday March 30, 2025 6:40 am PDT by
Multiple sources have claimed that iOS 19 will introduce a new design with more translucent buttons, menus, notification banners, and more, and there is now another clue that points towards this glass-like appearance. Bloomberg's Mark Gurman today said the new design project is codenamed "Solarium" internally. A solarium is a room with glass walls that allow in plenty of sunlight, so this...
macOS Sequoia Feature

Apple Releases macOS Sequoia 15.4 With Mail Categorization and More

Monday March 31, 2025 10:04 am PDT by
Apple today released macOS Sequoia 15.4, the fourth major update to the macOS Sequoia operating system that launched in September. macOS Sequoia 15.4 comes two months after the launch of macOS Sequoia 15.3. Mac users can download the ‌‌macOS Sequoia‌‌ update through the Software Update section of System Settings. It is available for free on all Macs able to run macOS 15. With...