On September 6, Huawei will debut the Mate 50 smartphone series and full-scenario new items, one day before Apple’s presentation. Huawei’s new Mate 50/Pro series will have six-blade variable aperture cameras.
Huawei promoted this camera as having “variable aperture and hard core control” How to alter aperture is unclear. If it supports many tweaks, it’s a smartphone camera advance.
A Chinese online user revealed the Mate 50 series’ rear camera module. The phone’s upper right corner contains a six-bladed variable aperture lens that controls light input. Huawei patented “Aperture, Camera Module, and Electronic Equipment” last year. The patent pictures show six aperture-adjusting blades. Users are anticipating this design in the Mate 50 series.
A major tech blogger with the Weibo alias “Digital Chat Station” revealed that the Huawei Mate 50 series will employ a 50MP 1/1.5 inch sensor as the main camera, likely the IMX766. The Mate 50 Pro has variable-aperture cameras. 3X, 3.5X, 5X telephoto, IMX766, IMX688 and OV64B sensors will also be introduced.
The Mate 50 Pro’s variable aperture cameras can be changed between F1.4 and F4, according to another blogger.
Smartphones with variable aperture lenses aren’t uncommon. Samsung’s Galaxy S9 can modify its 12MP main camera lens to F1.5 or F2.4, however it has only two C-shaped blades.
Sony Xperia PRO-1-inch I’s sensor is only adjustable at F2.0 and F4.0.
Is Variable Aperture Worth having?
Variable aperture lets you alter your phone’s camera’s light capture. Nighttime photo? Wider apertures let in more light for better photos. In bright daylight, you can use a smaller aperture.
Aperture size also affects depth of field. A larger aperture produces a shallower depth of field, blurring backdrop and crisp foreground. With a narrower aperture, everything (even the backdrop) is in focus.
In 2018 and 2019, Samsung and Oppo announced phones with variable aperture cameras (f/1.5 and f/2.4). Huawei hasn’t said if the Mate 50 series will have a freely adjustable aperture. The discovery comes a year after a Huawei patent for a variable aperture camera system surfaced online.
This could be useful for cellphones with large sensors. Large-sensor smartphones have a short depth of view, so you’ll need to step back to get everything in focus. Adjusting the aperture might be helpful.