GEAR MINI TESTS
In this issue, we take a look at an affordable anamorphic lens, the new LaCie Rugged SSD Pro, Blackmagic’s Video Assist monitor and much more
WORDS ADAM DUCKWORTH
SIRUI 50MM F/1.8 ANAMORPHIC 1.33X LENS £660/$821 mtfservices.com
SPECIFICATIONS Mount: Sony E, MFT, FujifilmX Aperture range: F/1.8-16 Optical construction: 11 elements in 8 groups Image stabilisation: No Focus: Manual Coverage: APS-C Aperture blades: 10 Close focus: 850mm/33.46in Filter size: 67mm Dimension (lxd): 106.6x68.2mm/ 4.15x2.72in Weight: 560g/1.29lb Cinemascope-style footage, bright blue horizontal flare streaks and ovalised bokeh, just like a lens costing significantly more. Of course, it was never going to be as sharp as a 50 grand Arri Master, 30-odd grand Cooke, or a ‘budget’ anamorphic like an Atlas Orion at a meagre five large. There isn’t a ‘set’ of lenses in different focal lengths, all matched for colour accuracy like those brands have. It doesn’t come in PL mount and doesn’t cover full-frame sensors, just APS-C. And it’s not a 2x anamorphic squeeze, which gives a true Cinemascope effect, but a 1.33x. The next Star Wars film isn’t going to be shot on a Sirui 50mm anamorphic, you can be certain of that. But for the price, it’s stunning and really does open up the world of real super-widescreen shooting to the masses, with no fuss. No adapters needed. It simply bayonets on to your camera and you use it like any normal lens. Of course, you have to use an APS-C sensor camera or set your full- frame camera to APS-C crop mode, or else there is significant vignetting. The 1.33x factor basically enlarges your field of view to an equivalent of using as 37.5mm lens on an APS-C
focusing mechanisms and can be very fiddly, can cost almost as much. So when Sirui announced it was going to make a real 50mm f/1.8 anamorphic lens to fit Sony E, MFT and Fujifilm X Mounts for less than half of even the cheapest rivals, the world took notice. A crowdfunding campaign to get it into production quickly raised over £1 million, and now the lens is in production for a meagre £660/$821. Surely it can’t be of decent quality or produce the real cinematic look for that sort of money, many argued. But we have tested one, and can confirm it really does: the super-widescreen
The unmistakable cinematic look of a true anamorphic lens has always remained well out of the grasp of independent filmmakers, and that’s partly what makes is so desirable. Even renting a real anamorphic is hideously expensive, and of course buying one is in the realms of fantasy for all but the Hollywood elite. A 50mm f/1.9 Arri Master Anamorphic costs 50 grand, for example. There are more affordable options coming on to the market, such as those fromAtlas, Vazen or SLRMagic, but these are still in the thousands. Even anamorphic adapters, which sometimes require two different
BELOW The production of the Sirui 50mm f/1.8 lens was crowdfunded
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PRO MOVIEMAKER SUMMER 2020
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