DZOFILM has announced its new PAVO 2x Anamorphic Prime Lenses. The lenses are all T2.1 and come in the following focal lengths:
- 28mm T2.1
- 32mm T2.1
- 40mm T2.1
- 55mm T2.1
- 75mm T2.1
- 100mm T2.1
The lenses are available in two versions. One produces a traditional blue steak, while the other one has a gold streak. The lenses are available in Canon EF or PL mount and they cover S35 sensors. They feature a mid anamorphic design that is located right behind the focussing group, and they looked reasonably sharp from my quick play with them. They don’t seem to flare too heavily. It is too hard to make any definitive evaluation of a lens on a show floor in a short period of time so I will withhold my judgment until I get to try out a production version.
DZOFilm has plans to add more focal lengths in the future.
There is no current indication about pricing, but DZOFilm did tell us that they would be available in June.
Competition
The DZOFILM PAVO 2x Anamorphic Prime Lenses seem to be direct competition for the Laowa Proteus 2x Anamorphic series and the Atlas Orion series.
The Laowa Proteus 2x Anamorphic series lenses are available in focal lengths of 35mm, 45mm, 60mm, and 85mm and they will cover Super 35 sensors. All the lenses are T2.
We first saw a prototype of one of the lenses at Interbee 2022 in Japan.
According to Laowa, the Proteus 2X Anamorphic Series was designed to be the most accessible professional anamorphic lens for Super35 sensors that features a constant 2X squeeze ratio. The Proteus Series is said to exhibit classic anamorphic characters with modern image quality.
The lenses will cover an image circle diameter of 25.92mm x 21.6mm.
The 35 and 45mm have a minimum focusing distance of 21.6″ / 54.9cm. They are claimed to feature smooth elliptical bokeh and signature flares including blue, amber, and silver options.
The lenses are available in PL mount, but they also come with a user interchangeable EF mount.
The Proteus lenses are not lightweight and compact lenses. They have the following weights:
| WEIGHT | |
| 35mm | 2.4kg / 5.29 lbs |
| 45mm | 2.4kg / 5.29 lbs |
| 60mm | 2.3kg / 5.07 lbs |
| 85mm | 2.95 kg / 6.5 lbs |
Laowa Proteus 2X Anamorphic Series adapted a front anamorphic design for a robust optical composition. It can deliver the image sharpness of modern quality while retaining the vintage look of anamorphic characteristics including elliptical bokeh and signature flares.
The Proteus 2x anamorphic lenses retail for $4,999 USD each and a 2-lens set is $9,499 USD. Eligible customers can join their #ProteusOnSet program to enjoy a cash rebate of $1,200 USD for each set order.
Other competition comes in the form of the Atlas Lens Co. Orion series which has been around for many years now. They also have a lot more focal lengths available.
