As a rule, shooting anamorphic video has always been out of the reach for most indie filmmakers. Fortunately, with the SIRUI 50mm f1.8 1.33x anamorphic lens, this is about to change quickly.
With its pretty compact and leightweight design combined with full manual control, this extremely affordable lens delivers all special characteristics you’d normally expect from a proper anamorphic piece of glass. Unlike those ultra-expensive cinematic beasts from ARRI and Cooke costing 100x more, however, the SIRUI 50mm 1.8 will sell for just $699. What’s more, you can currently pre-order it for as low as $599 as a pledge while backing the ongoing SIRUI Indiegogo campaign.
Now, let’s take a closer look with seasoned filmmaker Tom Antos who has already had a chance to get his hands on a pre-production unit and capture some fantastic cinematic images along the way.
The SIRUI anamorphic lens should hit the market in early 2020 initially available in three versions including Sony E, Fujifilm X, and Micro Four Thirds (M4/3) mount. The optical design of the lens consists of 11 elements in 8 groups with 10 aperture rings perfectly covering most APS-C sensors out there.
Since the FOV of the SIRUI 50mm f1.8 is 33% wider than a traditional 50mm lens, you should expect an equivalent FOV to be roughly 37.5mm when mounted on your favorite APS-C mirrorless camera.
According to Antos, the SIRUI 50mm 1.8 can produce some extremely sharp images even when wide open. With a maximum aperture of f1.8, it can rival even some high-end spherical primes, not to mention the fact that it produces captivating oval bokeh along with those extremely appealing horizontal flares that add a special feel to your footage.
The 1.33x squeeze factor of the SIRUI 50mm f1.8 seems to be ideal when shooting in 16:9 aspect ratio on most APS-C mirrorless cameras like the Z Cam E2, BMPCC 4K, Sony A6600, or A7III. All versions of the lens sport virtually the same optical design, so you shouldn’t expect any differences regarding the captured image regardless of the mount option you opt for.
SIRUI 50mm f1.8 Anamorphic Lens Specifications
- Lens structure: 11 elements in 8 groups
- Aperture blades: 10
- Aperture: f/1.8-f/16
- Sensor coverage: up to APS-C
- Shooting distance: 0.85m to infinity
- Focus method: manual focus only
- Maximum magnification: 1:15.38(V), 1:20.17(H)
- Filter spec: M67 x 0.75
- Rotation angle of the focus ring: 143.6°
- Max. diameter: 68.2mm (2.69″)
- Diameter of the focus ring: 61.7mm (2.43″)
- Total length (without lens caps): approx. 106.6mm (4.2″)
- Weight: approx. 553-562g (1.22-1.24 lbs)
- Lens mount: Sony E-mount, FUJIFILM X-mount, M4/3 mount
Considering the already successfully funded IndieGoGo campaign along with the buzz that this extremely affordable anamorphic lens has created in the filmmaking community thus far, it won’t be an overstatement to say that the SIRUI 50mm f1.8 is about to change irreversibly the way no-budget filmmakers are shooting anamorphic video, which is something that we are about to witness pretty soon once the lens hits the shelves in February 2020.
[source: IndieGoGo]
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