SG-image’s New 75mm f/1.2 Medium Format Portrait Prime Is Under $500

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A black camera lens with engraved focus and aperture markings, including a yellow "75" for the focal length, sits upright against a gradient dark background. The lens features a textured grip and metallic mounting ring.

SG-image is a relatively new Chinese lens company making a wide range of lenses, including autofocus and manual lenses for photography and video across many different camera systems and lens mounts. The company’s latest, a 75mm f/1.2 prime, is designed for Fujifilm GFX and Hasselblad XCD-series medium-format cameras.

As reported by Fuji Rumors, the SG-image 75mm f/1.2 is slated to launch in the next week for under 3,000 yuan, which is around $430, making it an affordable option for medium-format mirrorless camera owners.

The 75mm f/1.2 lens on a Fujifilm or Hasselblad medium-format camera is equivalent to around 60mm, slotting it between typical 50mm and 85mm portrait prime lenses. SG-image notes that an f/1.2 aperture on a medium-format camera produces a depth-of-field appearance similar to that of an f/0.95 lens on a full-frame camera.

Two children crouch by the water's edge at sunset, silhouetted against the shining reflection of the sun on the calm surface, with a bridge visible in the background.

A ginger cat sits on a dark stone path at dusk, looking upward with one paw raised. The background is blurred with greenery and a glowing light.

A city skyline at sunset with tall skyscrapers on both sides and a busy street filled with car headlights stretching into the distance under an orange-pink sky.

The manual focus lens sports an all-metal construction and promises a smooth, consistent focusing experience. Based on the teaser video SG-image shared on social media, seen below, the focusing ring appears to deliver good damping, and the lens also has a dedicated aperture control ring near the front element.

SG-image has not yet shared full details or specifications, including how many lens elements its new fast prime has, but the company does promise excellent sharpness and “smooth, natural background blur.”

SG-image has published some sample photos, and they look pretty good, with decent detail and mostly clean, pleasing bokeh. There appear to be some longitudinal chromatic aberrations in some of the sample shots, which is not unusual for a fast prime lens at this aggressive price point. There are bound to be compromises somewhere.

Colorful modern apartment building facade with geometric, three-dimensional window frames in shades of orange, yellow, pink, and white, arranged in a repeating pattern across multiple floors.

A young woman in a long, layered dress and sweater leans against a tree, holding a book. She stands on grassy terrain with sunlight casting soft shadows, and power lines are visible in the background.

Sunlight filters through tall, green bamboo leaves, creating a soft, natural bokeh effect in a lush, outdoor setting.

Two trimmed tree branches stick out of a black trash bin on a city street, with cars and blurred buildings visible in the background.

Importantly, a lens like this offers medium-format photographers an affordable fast prime lens. Both Fujifilm and Hasselblad make fast prime lenses for their respective camera systems, complete with exceptional image quality and reliable autofocus, but they are pricey. Fujifilm has a GF 80mm f/1.7 R WR lens that is currently on sale for $2,099, while Hasselblad’s XCD 80mm f/1.9 and XCD 90mm f/2.5 V lenses are phenomenal, they are $4,845 and $4,299, respectively.

A row of empty wooden chairs and tables in a warmly lit restaurant or bar, with the background out of focus, showing blurred lights and a TV screen.

A city street is viewed through a large pane of cracked glass. The cracks create an intricate web-like pattern, partially obscuring the blurred urban lights and buildings visible in the background.

A young woman with long black hair and a white sweater sits alone in a row of blue patterned seats on a bus or train, looking back over the seat in front of her. The background is softly blurred.

A young woman with long dark hair sits by a bright window, resting her head on her arm and gazing thoughtfully into the distance, wearing a soft, light-colored sweater.

The SG-image 75mm f/1.2 medium format lens is expected to arrive very soon, and based on Chinese pricing, which puts the lens at about $427, it’s a safe bet it’ll arrive for under $500.

 Image credits: SG-image

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