Patent ID: 8704944

Claim:
A handheld modular digital photography system, comprising: a lens assembly comprising a plurality of lens elements aligned on an optical axis to form an optical image on a plane of a digital image sensor, both the lens elements and image sensor fixedly mounted within a lens barrel, the image sensor electrically-interfaced to a controller with a wireless transceiver, the lens barrel provided with a mechanical lens coupling on an outer proximal end; and a modular chassis, comprising: a structural frame comprising a cradle shaped to securely hold a handheld mobile device and an electrical coupler provided on an interior surface of the cradle into which the mobile device can be electronically interfaced; a lens mount on an outer surface of the modular chassis opposite the cradle disposed to receive and securely couple the lens coupling; and a shutter control provided on the structural frame and configured to electrically signal the mobile device via the electrical coupler, the mobile device wirelessly sending the signal to the controller through the wireless transceiver, which triggers capture of the optical image by the image sensor and wireless relay of the captured image through the wireless transceiver back to the mobile device.