Every time you see “Shot on iPhone” superimposed over a stunning image, ask yourself what’s just outside the frame. Chances are good there’s a telephoto adapter screwed onto the phone, a stabilizing rig keeping it steady, professional lighting bouncing off reflectors, and maybe even an external monitor for the director to watch. Apple loves to showcase the iPhone’s camera prowess, but conveniently omits the ecosystem of professional gear that makes those shots possible. The phone is capable, sure, but it’s getting significant help from its friends.
That’s exactly the gap PGYTECH’s RetroVa Vintage Imaging Kit fills, except it doesn’t hide what it’s doing. The system gives your iPhone 16 or 17 Pro a camera-inspired grip with actual tactile controls, a 13-element optical telephoto system that brings you to 235mm equivalent focal length, external storage support via microSD, and a companion app that offers film-style rendering straight out of camera. Sandmarc and Moment have been in the iPhone lens game for years, but RetroVa takes a more holistic approach by addressing not just optics, but the entire shooting experience.
Designer: PGYTECH
Click Here to Buy Now: $72 $89.95 (20% off) Hurry! Only 192 left of 300. Raised over $157,000
PGYTECH have played this game before. They’re the same company that builds the telephoto extenders for Vivo and Oppo’s flagship phones in China, smartphones that rank second and third in that market behind Apple. The 2.35X telephoto uses a professional 13-element, 3-group optical system crafted from premium ED glass, optimized specifically for the iPhone’s F2.8 aperture. Distortion sits at just 2%, which is impressive for a clip-on system. The optical design delivers razor-sharp clarity and organic bokeh without the digital noise that comes from cranking up your phone’s native zoom. Real glass doing real optical work makes a difference you can see in the final image, especially when you’re shooting wildlife, concerts, or anything else where you need serious reach without turning your photo into a pixelated mess.
The grip changes everything about how you hold and shoot with your iPhone… way more than the ‘Camera Control’ does. Physical buttons include a shutter release that half-presses to focus, just like a real camera. Control dials let you adjust ISO, white balance, and exposure value without tapping through menus on a touchscreen. A zoom lever switches focal lengths in the companion app’s vintage mode, letting you freely adjust zoom in standard shooting. There’s a multi-function button that handles power, quick start, mode switching, camera flips, and Bluetooth pairing. The whole thing weighs between 63 and 65.4 grams depending on your iPhone model, wrapped in classic black pebbled leather with a premium grip that feels like you’re holding a vintage Leica instead of a slab of glass and aluminum.
The grip also packs a built-in microSD slot to offset any storage woes you’d have from saving everything to your iPhone’s camera roll. Imagine this – you’re shooting 4K ProRes video and suddenly your phone throws up a “Storage Almost Full” warning, forcing you to stop everything and start deleting apps or old photos. An independent microSD slot avoids this problem entirely. You can record high-bitrate ProRes and RAW files directly to the card, completely bypassing your iPhone’s internal storage. The USB 3.1 connectivity delivers transfer speeds up to 312MB/s, so offloading footage to your tablet or computer takes seconds instead of the eternity you spend waiting for wireless transfers or slow card readers. The system supports external recording for ProRes, HEVC, and more formats, though 4K60+ ProRes external recording isn’t supported yet.
RetroVa’s companion app delivers film camera texture and mood straight out of the sensor. You get full manual control over shutter speed, ISO, and white balance, creating with the precision of a dedicated camera. The app suppresses iPhone’s built-in sharpening and algorithm processing for a more natural look, avoiding those over-sharpened phone images that scream “shot on smartphone.” You can stamp shots with instant-style watermarks and custom frames for each creation, adding your personal mark before the image even leaves the camera. Vintage film presets give you that classic camera aesthetic without needing to run everything through post-processing filters later.
PGYTECH offers the RetroVa in two distinct tiers to cover different photography styles. The Grip Kit runs $72 for street and everyday shooters who want mechanical controls and external recording support. The Ultimate Kit at $184 adds the 2.35X telephoto extender, tripod collar, lens adapter ring, photography strap, and lens pouch, building a complete creator ecosystem for street, travel, portraits, and long-distance photography. Both kits work with iPhone 16 Pro, 16 Pro Max, 17 Pro, and 17 Pro Max. First units ship globally starting this month, with future iPhone 18 Pro compatibility requiring only a case swap while the grip continues working.
Click Here to Buy Now: $72 $89.95 (20% off) Hurry! Only 192 left of 300. Raised over $157,000
The post The “Shot On iPhone” Lifehack: This 235mm Telephoto Case Packs Manual Controls + MicroSD Storage first appeared on Yanko Design.