academy | Perspective
Anamorphics for the people
circle and contains up to 18 elements arranged in 13 or 14 groups. The 50mm uses 11 aperture blades, while the longer focal lengths feature 13-blade diaphragms. Close focusing performance is another strength, with minimum focus distances of 50, 60 and 70cm respectively – closer than many traditional anamorphic designs. Perhaps the greatest advantage is simplicity. Mount the lens, start shooting and capture true anamorphic footage without resorting to heavy cropping. Autofocus makes handheld operation a realistic option, although there is no stabilisation built into the lenses. Simple workflow Image quality is impressive. Autofocus is dependable, colour rendition remains consistent throughout the range and the centre sharpness is excellent even wide open. Edge sharpness softens slightly, contributing to the characterful rendering and 100mm focal lengths, the lenses work with Zeiss metadata workflows and are ideal for emerging technologies such as virtual production and CGI integration. Prices will certainly be high when they are revealed! option, the Horizon Anamorphic series. It’s a family of full-frame 2x T1.9 cinema lenses designed with a lightweight, fully integrated motorised system that eliminates the need for external focus or iris motors. Initially launching with 28, 35, 50, 75 As well as Sirui’s wide range of anamorphic options, check out manual focus versions from SLR Magic, Laowa, Viltrox and Xeen. Schneider-Kreuznach also offers a set of conventional lenses with anamorphic adapters called Iscorama. Spend more and you can buy glass from Atlas Lens, DZOFilm and Blazar. And at the top end are legendary names like Zeiss, Cooke, Arri and Angénieux. As well as its high-end range, British brand Cooke has recently released a more affordable and lightweight anamorphic lens set for mirrorless cameras. Available in 35, 50 and 85mm focal lengths with a fast T2.4 aperture and 1.5x squeeze factor, the AP3 lenses deliver classic anamorphic flares and smooth focus transitions, as well as cinematic bokeh. The set costs £19,200/$22,250. Zeiss has just unveiled its latest
Legendary brands Cooke has its new AP3 anamorphic lenses for mirrorless (top), but the Zeiss Horizons are top-end only (above)
Autofocus makes handheld operation a realistic option, but there is no stabilisation
many filmmakers seek. Cameras that have built-in anamorphic de-squeeze functions make shooting straightforward. If your camera lacks this, as with the Sony A7S III used for testing, an external monitor such as the Atomos Ninja TX is recommended to preview the corrected image. In post, the workflow is also simple. Set your timeline resolution to 5107x2160 for 4K delivery and adjust the horizontal scale to 133% to achieve the correct de- squeezed image. The result is a cinematic look with minimal effort. The flare characteristics are tastefully restrained, producing elegant horizontal streaks with natural colour reproduction
rather than exaggerated blue lines. Meanwhile, the smooth oval bokeh delivers the unmistakable anamorphic aesthetic. The effect is subtler than on higher-squeeze lenses, but it remains highly attractive and cinematic. For solo shooters looking for the easiest and most affordable route into anamorphic filmmaking, the Sirui Astra series represents a genuine breakthrough. There are now plenty of manual focus anamorphic options, but Sirui’s autofocus implementation is still unique. The only real limitation is the lack of a wider focal length, though given Sirui’s track record that may not be the case for long.
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July/August 2026
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