Anamorphic tele on a finances, the SIRUI Venus 150mm T2.9 1.6x

If you’re looking out for a finances anamorphic lens, it is best to positively take a look at the SIRUI Venus 150mm T2.9 1.6x. Okay, okay, that is an extremely lengthy title; how about we name it the SIRUI 150mm x1.6 anamorphic any longer?

Because the title suggests, that is an x1.6 anamorphic lens that SIRUI has not too long ago began promoting, and after taking part in with this lens for a bit, I’m fairly impressed with what it may do, particularly for the low price tag.

The case for anamorphic lenses

Since that is the primary time I’m reviewing an anamorphic lens, I wished to take a couple of minutes and plead the case for utilizing anamorphic lenses. If you’re already conversant in the idea, jump over to the following part. If not, here’s a quick introduction to Anamorphic lenses.

On the base, anamorphic lenses squeeze a large body right into a not-so-wide sensor. You may later de-squeeze the footage into a large side ratio. That is very typical for films, so footage taken with anamorphic lenses robotically seems extra cinematic.

The SIRUI 150mm x1.6 anamorphic makes use of an x1.6 squeeze ratio. That implies that the movies you seize along with your 3:2 (1.5:1), or 16:9 (1.78:1) sensor will stretch to a ratio of two.4:1 or 2.8:1. Prompt cinematic. And all the things seems cinematic at 2.8:1.

(SIRUI additionally sells an x1.25 adapter to get to a full x2 anamorphic ratio which MFT shooters will admire).

The SIRUI 150mm x1.6 anamorphic lens

The SIRUI 150mm x1.6 anamorphic is a beast of a lens. It’s 180mm in size and weighs about 1.4 kilos. It has a filter thread of 82mm. It is a lot of lens, which is sensible as a result of it packs loads of glass – 16 parts in 11 teams. It is usually thought-about a large aperture for an anamorphic lens at T2.9.

All this glass produces a powerful picture. And an much more spectacular picture when you think about the value tag of $1,199 (when you get in on the early hen, $1,499 after).

For a Sony FX3 shooter like me, this lens would get me from a 16:9 side ratio to a really cinematic 2.75:1. After all, you may also get this side ratio with a daily (a.ok.a spherical lens) by slapping two black bars on the highest and backside, however then you definately’d be throwing away a few third of your decision into the black-bar abys. (or, you may drop the footage, and get the identical outcomes). That is why the SIRUI 150mm x1.6 anamorphic lens is so nice. You get to eat your side ratio cake and hold your whole decision too. You additionally get these extremely cinematic halos, however extra about that later.

The SIRUI 150mm x1.6 construct

As with something that I examined from Sirui (see the SIRUI Nightwaker assessment right here), this lens may be very well-built. It’s made totally of steel (which contributed to the burden). As a steel lens deserves, it has clear engraved markings for meters (white) and ft (pink) on each left and proper, in addition to aperture markings on either side.

To help all this glass and steel, SIRUI added a steel bracket on the backside of the lens, the place you may connect a tripod. This may take away the heavy lifting out of your digicam’s bayonet. (No Pun supposed). Or, if you’re mounting this on a rig, you should use some lens help.

The lens has two commonplace rings: focus and iris, with the iris ring being declicked (clean). Each function commonplace gears for follow-focus. One factor I did discover is that these rings have completely different stress to them. The main target ring is extremely clean with a 153 levels rotation. The Aperture ring has a few quarter of a flip and is considerably extra tensed. With the SmallRig MagicFiz, I used to be typically having points getting a clean flip. (I did get a pre-production lens, so hopefully, that is fastened in the true run).

There’s another slight irritation with the lens, and it’s the lens cap. For some purpose, it’s barely curved, which implies that while you place the lens on its large facet (i.e. the entrance), it’s not 100% secure. That is simply fastened by changing the lens cap, although.

SIRUI 150mm x1.6 anamorphic lens optics

Utilizing the SIRUI 150mm x1.6 anamorphic was an actual deal with. Whereas you may get a cinematic side ratio by cropping most of your picture, getting these cinematic flares is an entire different factor.

Prompt Cinematic

As you’d anticipate from an anamorphic lens, the SIRUI 150mm x1.6 gives attractive flares when hit with the proper gentle. And the proper gentle generally is a automobile, a flashlight, or a COB LED (the Colbor CL60 on this case).

The lens offers out a stunning Bokeh even at T2.9, and the lengthy focal actually brings essentially the most out of the optics right here. Sadly, there’s a little bit of respiratory with the main focus, which can or will not be a difficulty for you.

I did discover some bizarre habits with a number of the flares, like a duplication of the flare in sure angles. This isn’t a deal breaker for me, and I’m wondering if it may be higher managed with a correct set of matte field or French flags.

The advantages of being part of a set

The 150mm x1.6 anamorphic is an addition to an ever-growing set of x1.6 anamorphic full-frame lenses from SIRUI. Thus far, it has the next lenses: 35mm, 50mm, 75mm, 100mm, and the lens on this assessment, the 150mm.

You get all the advantages you get from a typical cine set: matching gears, the identical filter thread, and so forth. However right here you might be additionally getting similarity along with your flares which give a constant look to your footage.

When it comes to obtainable mount, you will have a selection of RF, L, E, and Z. The completely different mounts have barely completely different specs, so here’s a desk for reference.

I’m going to speak value later, however SIRUI does provide a set of all 5 lenses in a tough case.

The SIRUI 150mm x1.6 anamorphic desires buddies

Capturing with an anamorphic lens could be difficult when you don’t have the proper buddies. As I discussed, the picture is squeezed, so composing could be fairly difficult. And much more so, when you plan to crop the body for altering the side ratio in put up.

The newest firmware for the Sony FX3 introduced de-squeezing to the digicam menu. Sadly, it solely has x1.3 and x2. however x2. Another choice is to make use of an exterior monitor, just like the Atomos Ninja 5. Sadly, you might be additionally restricted to x1.5 or x1.8 right here, nevertheless it’s shut sufficient to compose, and you may add grids when you intend to crop the footage later.

If you happen to do decide to make use of the Ninja to document the footage internally, remember that the footage is saved within the sensor side ratio, and you’ll nonetheless must de-squeeze in put up.

That stated, most enhancing suites don’t actually have a built-in x1.6 de-squeezer, so here’s a quick video that explains the way it’s carried out.