Smartphone snappers get serious zoom boost

For years, professional photographers have scoffed at the idea of using a smartphone to take “real” pictures. Those trained lens-lovers argue that no matter how many megapixels you cram into a diminutive camera module, you’ll never match the flexibility and quality of a proper DSLR or mirrorless rig.

But a plucky American firm is fighting back against such snobbery with a new super-powerful accessory lens that could convince even the most ardent camera snobs to think again about pocketable photography.

Sandmarc’s just-unveiled 6x telephoto lens for iPhones promises to be a game-changer for mobile picture-takers. Not only does it massively boost your smartphone’s zoom reach – adding an extra 6x to the latest iPhone’s already impressive 3x optical zoom – it also introduces an adjustable focus wheel, a very un-smartphone-like feature that brings manual focusing capabilities to your handheld computer.

This novel combo of brawn and precision aims to bridge the yawning divide between convenience-driven iPhone snapping and the pursuits of discerning photographers who demand ultimate creative control over their images.

With its high-quality, multi-coated glass optics, Sandmarc pledges superior image quality to basic digital zoom, capturing enhanced detail and low-light performance that the company claims will reveal “noticeably sharper images.”

Perhaps just as crucially for those who enjoy the aesthetic charms of pro-grade glass, the accessory promises to deliver dreamily shallow depth-of-field effects and realistic bokeh blurring, rather than the artificial computational trickery smartphone cameras rely on.

It’s a bold pitch from the Silicon Valley start-up, who will surely face scepticism from dyed-in-the-wool photographers unwilling to take phoneography seriously, no matter how clever the attachments.

At $159.99, this is no mere toy either – the cost alone may raise eyebrows among casual Instagrammers content with their phone’s built-in cam. But for the growing ranks of serious shooters prizing portability and convenience, it could represent the mobile photography solution they’ve been waiting for.