The Black Eye Pro Kit G4 Aims For Versatile Smartphone Photography

With three lenses, the Black Eye Pro Kit G4 aims for versatile portability

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black eye pro kit g4 prokit 7 — Black Eye

black eye pro kit g4 prokit 5 — Black Eye

black eye pro kit g4 prokit5 1 — Black Eye

Some adventures need more than one lens to capture it all — Black Eye Pro Kit G4 is a new smartphone lens kit designed for versatility and portability. Including three lenses and a carrying case, the new kit uses a clip-style mount that allows the lenses to be used with most smartphones, including both iOS and Android, along with dual-lens options and the front and rear-facing camera on many devices.

The kit includes the Pro Cinema Wide G4, the Pro Portrait Tele G4, and the Pro Fisheye G4. The Pro Cinema Wide G4 extends the camera’s angle of view to 120 degrees. Black Eye says that, despite the wide angle, the lens still allows for straight lines and distortion-free images. Made for capturing wider scenes, the company says the lens is ideal for travel, landscapes, video, and more.

With a 2.5x optical boost, the Pro Portrait Tele G4 both helps mobile photographers get up close to the subject while creating the softer background telephotos are known for. Early users say the lens is similar to shooting with a 50mm on a full-frame camera. The lens covers a 40-degree angle of view.

“The Pro Tele G4 feels like shooting with a 50mm lens on a full-frame DSLR camera,” photographer Damon Beckford said in a press release. “The lens is great for getting more depth of field in portraits, getting tighter framed landscape shots and even for some close wildlife photography.”

The Pro Fisheye G4 captures a 175-degree view. Black Eye suggests the lens is ideal for shooting sports, architecture, road trips, parties, and point-of-view video.

black eye pro kit g4 6 profisheye — 1. Fisheye
2. Cinema Wide
3. Portrait Telephoto

black eye pro kit g4 5 procinemawide — 1. Fisheye
2. Cinema Wide
3. Portrait Telephoto

All three lenses use double-coated glass, a design that the company says helps keep colors natural. Anti-reflection coatings are also part of the design, along with nano-ground optics for better sharpness. While the universal clip allows the lenses to adapt to most devices, the company says the lenses are optimized for the latest smartphones, released in 2018 and later.

Black Eye is a mobile photography accessory company started by a professional snowboarder, Eero Ettala, and a photographer, Arto Ekman. The company hand assembles the lenses.

Black Eye says the Pro Kit G4 is about a tenth of both the cost and weight of a DSLR. The kit retails for $250, a $50 discount from buying individual lenses.

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