At The Phoblographer, we have often said that camera manufacturers have to try something innovative or different that will excite the user base. While Canon, Nikon, and Sony are running the megapixel and sharp image race, the third-party lens creators are working on optics that truly appear to be one of a kind. As I write this, I am quite impressed with a new lens that has been launched by a new Chinese lens maker, SG-image. What makes their latest product so interesting is that it could be the world’s first variable aperture lens.
All images in the article are screenshots taken from E&I Creation Inc.’s website.
A Third-Party Lens That Achieved the Impossible
The lens, a 50mm f1.8 Phantom lens, could really excite some of you. It is designed for full-frame cameras and will work with Canon, Sony, Nikon, and even Leica. SG-image is a Chinese brand that is now being handled by E&I Creation Inc., which also has AstrHori under its wide-ranging portfolio. The company was launched in 2023, and as per the English translation on Google, SG stands for “deep light.”
Speaking about the third-party lens, the 50mm is pretty unique. As the world’s first variable-shape aperture (I haven’t found any other lens that shares the same feature at the time of writing this article), the third-party lens features four built-in aperture plates: heart, snow, oval, and star. In the video embedded on the company’s website, one can see how the bokeh changes shapes. However, the snowflake-shaped aperture leads to a drop-down in light. Perhaps that can be better used with ample light sources around you. The video also doesn’t share a clear understanding or tutorial on how the lens can do this. Furthermore, the design consists of seven elements in five groups, which incorporate three high-refractive lenses. It also comes with a lens barrel and a focus ring.
The third-party lens, which costs $168, is currently out of stock. This could be due to the brand’s immense popularity among content creators in China and Japan.
Why Others Should Take a Page From SG-image
In all honesty, I quite like what the lens does. It will make a great addition to portraits and weddings, and maybe even a few events. However, for its price, I don’t really expect it to have an MTF chart-appealing performance or clinical sharpness, and that is okay. The lens is clearly targeted at people who want to have fun and move away from the seriousness of perfect (albeit costly) lenses. That also does not mean you will get poor-quality images, as third-party lens makers have repeatedly proven they can create topics that give you pleasing results. Below are the screenshots from the video of the 50mm lens posted by SG-image.
With a good preset, you can certainly achieve truly unique results. Sure, one can get similar effects with a lens filter, but if you plan to invest in a new lens, then $168 is not exactly an exorbitant amount. It is always handy to have a lens that gives you district results in one go rather than going through the challenges of changing the lens filter for a new effect.
This is also why Canon, Sony, Fujifilm, and Nikon should take a leave out of SG-image’s book and work on creating lenses that can allow photographers to have a little fun. Let’s see whether they actually manage to achieve something similar in the next few years.
50mm f1.8 Phantom Specs
| Focal Length | : 50mm (35mm format equivalent) |
| Focus Mode: | : Manual focus |
| Lens Construction | : 7 elements in 5 groups including 3 high-refractive lenses |
| Aperture Blades | : 4 (variable shape aperture) |
| Minimum Focusing Distance | : 7 elements in 5 groups, including 3 high-refractive lenses |
| Filter Diameter: | : 58mm |
| Size | : 69mm x 48mm (excluding mount) |
| Weight | : 310g |
| Manufacturer’s Warranty | : 2 years |
| Accessories | : Lens cap, rear cap |