It ruins the rep of (historically excellent creators of truly epic lenses) companies like Zeiss and Leica when they lend their branding to such rubbish
Hmm, not sure about that. If you start with not so fantastic basics, anything you can improve helps. Although you shouldn't expect the performance of a proper camera with several pounds of precision manufactured glass, a large image sensor and processing that can use the output of that sensor properly, smartphone cameras have their use - just the range of deployment possibilities is less due to sheer physical limitations.
Most importantly, it's always around. Lugging full picture gear kit is not a fun exercise, but a pro will do just that. In addition, it's content and talent that matters first, then tech. I know people who can shoot great pictures even with a smartphone because they know composition and the story telling of a picture, I have seen overpaid city louts make crap pictures with the best of kit..
In short, anything you can do to improve the image is worth it, so getting Leica and Zeiss involved is IMHO not bad. It's a fully separate market IMHO.
Biting the hand that feeds IT
