The future of cinematic anamorphic lenses ?

2022-04-06

298

Sirui has announced the next addition to their full frame anamorphic line up. The Sirui 75mm T2.9 1.6x anamorphic lens. This has got to be the most cinematic lens you can buy for its price.

There is a quick hands on review which you can see by DSLR Video Shooter:

Key Features

Aperture Range: T2.9 to T16
2.4:1 & 2.8:1 De-Squeezed
Blue Streak Effects
Front Filter Diameter: 82mm
Minimum Focus: 85cm / 2.78′

The 75mm T2.9 1.6x anamorphic will go alongside the current 50mm T2.9. When shooting people and portraits the 75mm anamorphic is arguably a better option than the 50mm. The 75mm T2.9 1.6x acts like a 46mm horizontally, but still keeps a vertical FOV of a 75mm lens.

When shooting 3:2, this lens offers a 2.4:1 aspect ratio. When using this lens on a sensor with a 16:9 aspect ratio you get a significantly wider 2.8:1 aspect ratio.

Mirrorless shooting

Like the 50mm T2.9, the 75mm T2.9 has been optimized for shooting with mirrorless cameras. It comes in a variety of different mounts, including Canon RF, Leica L, Sony FE and Nikon Z. Not only will the lens be a great option for cinema cameras that have dedicated anamorphic modes but it will be a great pair with something like the Canon R5C, Sony a7S iii, Sony FX3, Panasonic S5 or Nikon Z9.

The 1.6x squeeze factor is an improvement on Sirui’s APS-C 1.33x, but still not up to speed as the desired 1.8x or 2x of more expensive anamorphic lenses. It’s worth while noting that not all external monitors have been optimized for a 1.6x anamorphic de-squeeze. So if you are looking at using these lenses take note of that.

Build quality

The Sirui 75mm anamorphic has a full metal housing which feels great in the hand and feels like a really well built sturdy lens. There is also an 82mm front filter thread for those who use screw on filters. A very welcomed feature for many!

There’s a 1/4″ thread on the bottom of the lens for mounting lens supports. The focus and iris ring are in the same position on the 75mm as on the 50mm. This can be handy for videographers who swap out the lenses on set and don’t have to spend time repositioning their gears.