The Indiegogo campaign of the SIRUI 50mm full-frame anamorphic lens was launched a week ago and has managed to accumulate more than $1,000,000. This anamorphic glass for large-format sensors is truly special and very affordable. However, reviewers are not pleased with the flare.

SIRUI 50mm T2.9 1.6x FF anamorphic

SIRUI says that the company has long been dedicated to bringing to the market compact yet high-quality anamorphic lenses without having its user’s wallet suffer. Indeed, SIRUI anamorphic lenses are affordable and robust and are being used by many filmmakers, from sole operation indie shooters to high-end commercials. So far SIRUI has offered two types of lenses for different users. They are optional 1.33x anamorphic lenses for shutterbugs and MARS 1.33x anamorphic lenses set for more experienced videographers. However, the new 50mm full-frame anamorphic is booming, and I mean regarding its Indiegogo campaign which was launched 8 days ago. Till now, backers have invested more than $1,000,000 on the SIRUI 50mm T2.9 1.6x FF anamorphic glass.

Anamorphic for large format and high resolution

Seeing the increasing demand for affordable high-quality full-frame anamorphic, SIRUI responds to the market with its 50mm T2.9 1.6x full-frame anamorphic lens. 1.6x squeeze, two optional aspect ratios (2.4:1 and 2.8:1) and support 8K resolution are going to reinvent your perception of cinematic storytelling. This model comes in native mount for RF, L, E, Z mount camera systems, compatible with such full-frame cameras as Panasonic S1H, S5, RED Komodo, Canon R5, R6, C70, Sony FX3, Nikon Z6, Z7. It must be noted that the 50mm focal length is actually wider, because of the anamorphic’s increased field of view. It feels more like 35mm or 40mm in spherical lens terms, which is a very useful focal length for filming people in medium and close-up shots. The 50mm grants you a beautiful natural look, and when using a full-frame camera, the limitation of a narrower field of view is reduced, and that’s a good thing.

What do reviewers say?

Well, reviewers are pretty happy with the results, claiming that the SIRUI 50mm full-frame anamorphic truly delivers. Overall, the lens is sharp and has great contrast and color. The bokeh is noticeably oval, though of course, it’s not the full 2x stretch. The focus ring is smooth in operation and not too tight for small follow focus gears to operate. Regarding the build quality, it’s very well built and extremely robust, like other lenses by SIRUI.

What about the flare?

Now let’s talk about one of the most important components, or should I say artifacts regarding anamorphic glass – The flare. From what I’ve seen, it’s too much flaring going on. Let’s read the opinion of filmmaker Brandon Li: “So let’s go ahead and talk about that crazy flare. Yeah, there’s way too much of it. It looks ok to me when there’s just one strong light source light like the sun, but it looks awful when there are many light sources. Sirui told me the production version of this lens will have different coatings for reduced flare, so we’ll see. I do wish they could also give the flare a more neutral color. I prefer the flare to be more subtle and natural overall because I’m not shooting sci-fi”. Check out his review below:

Other footage

Footage with SIRUI 50mm T2.9 1.6x Anamorphic Lens + RED Komodo

Footage with SIRUI 50mm T2.9 1.6x Anamorphic Lens+MOVO LF

Price and availability

According to SIRUI’s plan, the lens will launch in September and will ship in October. The price for Super Early Birds is $1,200. The regular price is $1,500. Be aware that this is an Indiegogo campaign so the investment is made with a risk. We suggest waiting for the official launch and paying a bit more ($1,500) – that’s an ultra-affordable price tag for a full-frame anamorphic lens.

What’s next?

SIRUI says that the 50mm T2.9 1.6x full-frame anamorphic is the first lens in SIRUI 1.6x FF anamorphic lineup. The body of the SIRUI 1.6x FF anamorphic lineup will be engineered the same with unified focus and iris position as well as consistent T-stops and 82mm filter threads.  The next focal lengths are 75mm, 35mm, and 100mm.

Closing thoughts

The SIRUI 50mm full-frame anamorphic lens is the most affordable anamorphic glass for large sensors. SIRUI tries to break the market, and offer extremely affordable anamorphic lenses for full-frame cameras. However, personally, I have to say that I was not impressed with the rendered imagery from that lens. Anamorphic glass is not just about flaring, but about art. If all you want is a noticeable flare, you can just drop a dedicated filter on a spherical lens. For me, the SIRUI 50mm presents too many artifacts. Nevertheless, let’s wait until the final model of that lens just to be sure that the flaring is more artistic and delicate.