Sirui Venus 35mm t/2.9 Anamorphic Lens Review

Sirui’s 35mm full-frame anamorphic lens is a really fascinating piece of kit. Whereas anamorphic lenses have been beforehand the area of cinema-focused lenses, Sirui’s Venus collection blurs the road between cinema and nonetheless pictures, partly due to the nice collection of appropriate mounts. Is it price utilizing an anamorphic in your mirrorless camera? How does the Sirui 35mm t/2.9 maintain as much as 45 megapixels and 8K footage? That’s what I’ll cowl on this evaluate.

Why Anamorphic?

A very powerful factor to know when contemplating any anamorphic lens, for both nonetheless or video seize, is that there are inherent tradeoffs made by the lens design. I’ve written a full information to what anamorphic lenses can do, however the important thing level is that anamorphic lenses have a “squeeze issue.” They help you seize pictures with a distinct side ratio from the camera sensor itself.

On the Sirui 35mm t/2.8 (and on the entire Venus line lenses) the squeeze issue is 1.6x. After de-squeezing the photograph in put up manufacturing, your pictures and movies may have extra of a panoramic side ratio. For instance, with a regular full-frame sensor with a 3:2 side ratio, your de-squeezed pictures may have a 2.4:1 side ratio. (In the meantime, capturing 16:9 video offers you 2.8:1 side ratio footage.) It additionally signifies that this lens captures a wider horizontal area of view than a typical 35mm lens – as should you had a 22mm lens as an alternative.

There are some good advantages to anamorphic lenses consequently. For one factor, the lenses help you seize distinctive side ratios with out cropping the photograph, thereby preserving extra of your pixels, each in nonetheless photos and videography. Past that, anamorphic lenses have distinctive bokeh and flare results that look very cinematic. Lastly, they’re merely enjoyable to work with if you’re used to conventional lenses, and may increase your creativity.

Why Not Anamorphic?

One issue with anamorphic lenses is that they make it more durable to compose your pictures. The whole lot you see within the viewfinder and/or LCD will likely be squished from left to proper. It may be powerful to find out the place every part will likely be in your closing composition. Some exterior displays assist de-squeezing this view, however in any other case, it’s a matter of follow.

One other concern with anamorphic lenses is that it is advisable take the time to de-squeeze your pictures or movies after the actual fact. That is simple in Photoshop and nearly all video editors, but it surely does add a bit of labor earlier than you possibly can see your photos correctly.

Lastly, for picture high quality, anamorphic lenses have distinctive traits like totally different flare and bokeh. These traits are sometimes fascinating for video work, however they’re not for everybody. When it comes to sharpness, the Sirui 35mm delivers glorious outcomes, in order that’s not a lot of a priority.

Lens Specs

• Focal Size: 35mm Anamorphic (22mm horizontal FOV equal)
• Protection: Full Body
• Max Aperture: t/2.9
• Minimal Aperture: t/16
• Minimal Focus Distance: 3 ft / 90cm
• Component Rely: 18 parts in 13 teams
• Aperture Blades: 10
• Entrance Filter Diameter: 82mm
• Weight: 2.1 lbs / 930 grams

Construct High quality

Cinema lenses are constructed in another way than photography-focused lenses, and the Sirui 35mm isn’t any exception. The whole physique is made out of metallic, and it feels utterly strong. It’s compact and dense, with a clear and trendy design language. The ring on the entrance of the lens has helpful lens data that makes it simple and fast to seek out the Sirui 35mm T2.9 in your bag.

One instantly noticeable side of this lens is that the focusing ring and aperture ring are tough and geared (.8 MOD/32 pitch). There’s completely nothing stopping you from manually turning these rings, as they’re not sharp – however that is the primary trace that the lens is admittedly designed to be shot as a part of a video rig with a devoted focus pulling setup. That impression is additional confirmed by the truth that focus and aperture marking are all on the edges of the lens! For cine use, this places them in place to be learn by camera assistants or focus pullers, but it surely’s odd for pictures, the place you’d be trying down on the lens more often than not.

The main focus ring on the Sirui 35mm FF Anamorphic lens has a beneficiant 120 diploma throw – which is kind of extensive contemplating that the lens doesn’t focus notably shut. Aperture is managed by the rear, clickless ring. It’s a full-manual lens with no digital connections to your camera, together with for EXIF information.

In the event you’re utilizing a number of anamorphic lenses from Sirui’s Venus line, you’ll be happy to know that each one these rings and mounting factors line up with one another. That makes it far simpler to swap between lenses whereas capturing, with out having to re-rig your camera.

Total, the construct high quality is superb, with my solely criticism being the shortage of a gasket on the rear of the mount. In any other case, this can be a effectively built-lens. It seems like it might be equally able to standing up to make use of on set or in an lively photographer’s bag.

Optical Options

Whereas at first look, a 35mm t/2.9 doesn’t appear to be a very difficult optic to design, that modifications when you make it anamorphic and get the picture high quality excessive sufficient to make use of on an 8K camra. Happily, Sirui rose to the problem and the 35mm delivers glorious ends in each high-resolution stills and movies.

The middle of the body could be very sharp, resolving nice element on a 45MP physique, with surprisingly few points with aberrations. Sharpness is nice extensive open, however stopping right down to f/5.6 brings a bit extra chew to the middle of the body. Midframe outcomes are superb even extensive open, whereas solely the intense corners are a bit softer.

It’s powerful to evaluate pattern variation from a single lens, however my copy was moderately well-centered. The highest proper nook was barely weaker than different corners, but it surely doesn’t rise to the extent of being a problem. For the reason that de-squeezed photos from a forty five MP sensor are pushing over 65 megapixels, it’s necessary for the lens to carry out effectively, and the Sirui 35mm T2.9 positively does.

Opposite to many lenses, anamorphic lens customers are sometimes trying for flares quite than making an attempt to keep away from them! Many anamorphic lenses promote their particular coloration flare as a advertising function. The Sirui Venus 35mm T2.9 has blue flares, which aren’t onerous to impress, however not often get overwhelming. Even capturing proper into the solar and boosting shadows produced solely a faint lack of sharpness – that is near the best consequence for an anamorphic lens.

Whereas the Sirui Venus 35mm T2.9 just isn’t totally optimized for sunstars, the 10-blade aperture can nonetheless produce some good 10-pointed stars round gentle sources. Together with the anamorphic flares, this positively lends the pictures a strongly cinematic look proper out of camera. Stopping down actually provokes these sunstars, nearly to a distracting extent – should you’re working with lots of level gentle sources, limiting your aperture to f/5.6 or wider can preserve the look extra restrained.

Total, optical efficiency is kind of good for this lens. Masking a full-frame picture circle with an anamorphic look, whereas with the ability to sustain with 45MP stills and 8K video, is spectacular. Whether or not you’re capturing pictures or movies, this lens isn’t going to carry again your picture high quality.

Is it Value It?

The Sirui Venus 35mm T2.9 positively has a singular look, and I actually loved testing it out. In the event you’re on the lookout for a fairly reasonably priced anamorphic choice that also delivers good picture high quality, the sector is nearly empty – this household of lenses from Sirui is likely one of the few good decisions. Cine-grade anamorphics can value as a lot as a brand new automobile, so a value level at round $1,500 is game-changing for smaller productions. I’d extremely advocate this lens for any videographer on a finances who needs the traits of an anamorphic lens.

For nonetheless photographers, it’s a much less apparent worth. From the physique design, to the dimensions and value, this lens is supposed for cine use – although it capabilities simply superb for nonetheless pictures, too. The anamorphic look is certainly under-explored for nonetheless pictures, and it provides a singular feeling paying homage to XPan movie photos. In the event you’re on the lookout for one thing new to strive, it might nonetheless be worthwhile, however I wouldn’t advocate that also photographers purchase it on a whim. At $1500, this actually isn’t a gimmicky/enjoyable Holga lens.

Sirui’s 35mm t/2.9 anamorphic lens is available now from B&H in Canon R mount, Leica L, Nikon Z, and Sony E mount. Different focal lengths from this lens household are additionally accessible, together with 50mm, 75mm, 100mm, and 135mm. Lastly, Sirui additionally produces anamorphic lenses particularly for APS-C sensors.

Have you ever thought of capturing anamorphic stills or video earlier than? I actually assume it has a singular look. Let me know what you assume within the feedback!