At SANDMARC, we offer lenses designed specifically for the tetraprism lens on iPhone. Our 48mm and 72mm lenses push the boundaries of zoom, enabling true optical magnification rather than digital zoom at higher focal lengths. In this guide, we’ll go over both lenses and how they can be used for iPhone photography and filmmaking.

Apple first introduced its Tetraprism Telephoto system with the iPhone 15 Pro Max, marking the debut of a folded lens design that enabled 5x optical zoom, avoiding a large camera bump. This design was a breakthrough that brought professional telephoto capability to a compact smartphone.

With the iPhone 17 Pro, Apple has advanced this technology even further. The new 48 MP Tetraprism Telephoto camera now offers up to 8x optical-quality zoom and a 200 mm equivalent focal length, providing greater reach and clarity for distant subjects. Improved stabilization, refined prism alignment, and Apple’s enhanced Photonic Engine help deliver sharper detail and more accurate color reproduction.

Complementing Apple’s innovation, third-party lenses like the SANDMARC Telephoto Tetraprism Lens extend that reach even further, maintaining full 48 MP resolution and detail integrity while giving creators more flexibility to compose cinematic, high-quality shots straight from their iPhone.

Both of our tetraprism lenses attach to the iPhone’s telephoto camera, enabling high-quality zoom. This is different than our other SANDMARC lenses, which attach to the main camera, shown in the comparison below:

The 48mm Lens and 72mm Lens are not designed for creators who want to capture wide or anamorphic-style content.

The 48mm lens offers up to 10x optical zoom, while the 72mm lens offers up to 15x optical zoom. Each lens is well-suited for capturing both photography and video, making it a versatile addition to your setup. Zoom capabilities vary depending on the iPhone model, as well as the ideal use cases for each lens, as shown below:

Best For: Travel, Mountain Landscapes, Street Portraits
Weight: 143g
Height: 57.3mm

Best For: Landscapes, City Scenes, Wildlife, Live Events, Travel
Weight: 180g
Height: 70mm

Whether you’re filming or capturing photography, SANDMARC’s Telephoto Tetraprism lenses are designed to extend the iPhone’s native zoom capabilities without sacrificing image quality. By building on Apple’s tetraprism system, the 48mm and 72mm lenses give creators greater reach, stronger optical compression, and more control over composition, unlocking professional-level results from a device that fits in your pocket.