At IBC 2024 in Amsterdam, Viltrox announced its 135mm T2.4 1.33X and 65mm T2.8 Macro 1.33X anamorphic lenses.
The 135mm T2.4 1.33X and 65mm T2.8 Macro join the following focal lengths in the set:
- 25mm T2
- 35mm T2
- 50mm T2
- 75mm T2
- 100mm T2
It is good to see Viltrox expand the EPIC series and having lenses that range from 25mm up to 135mm makes it a very comprehensive set.
I have previously reviewed the other focal lengths in the series.
The Viltrox 1.33x Full Frame Anamorphic Lenses were designed to deliver a 2.39:1 aspect ratio from 16:9 cameras. This is useful if you want to shoot anamorphic with cameras that don’t have the ability to shoot in a 4:3 aspect ratio or open gate.
What sets the Viltrox lenses apart is that, at least to my knowledge, they are the only set of 1.33x anamorphic lenses that cover full frame on the market. Yes, the SLR Magic 1.33x Anamorphot-CINE 50mm T2.8 and 70mm T4 cover full frame, but the 35mm T2.4 doesn’t.
We have seen a lot of budget anamorphic lenses flood the market in the last year or so from companies such as Laowa, Vazen, and Great Joy (Blazar). This increased competition has certainly brought prices down and made anamorphic lenses more accessible to a wider audience.
Companies such as Laowa and Great Joy (Blazar) chose to adopt various squeeze ratios ranging from 1.5x up to 2x. A 1.5x squeeze design, for instance, balances the anamorphic characters as well as the resolution of the image. The 1.5x squeeze can produce a widescreen 2.39:1 aspect when paired up with 4:3 sensors. When paired up with 16:9 sensors, much less data (than 1.8x or 2x anamorphic lens) is needed to be cropped away to create the desired 2.39:1 ratio.
1.33x is less popular than 1.5x, 1.8x, or 2x as a lot of people feel that it doesn’t produce an image that they would categorize as having a strong anamorphic look.
In a lot of ways, particularly for lenses at this price, Viltrox’s decision to go with a 1.33x anamorphic arguably makes a lot more sense than going with a 1.8x or 2x. I say this because 1.33x is more versatile and it allows the lens to be used on more cameras, although you could make that argument for 1.5x as well. Making a 1.33x anamorphic is also a lot easier than creating a 1.8x or 2x anamorphic and you don’t have to make as many optical compromises when designing a lens.
The Viltrox EPIC 1.33x Full Frame Anamorphic Lenses are going to have a lot cleaner look with far fewer optical abnormalities than most anamorphic lenses. There is absolutely nothing wrong with choosing cleaner lenses because sometimes you don’t want all of the associated characteristics that come with using vintage or certain anamorphic lenses.
When we usually think about anamorphic lenses we think of lenses that are 1.5x, 1.8x or 2x, and not 1.33x. There are very few 1.33x anamorphic lenses on the market, except for the SIRUI 1.33x, SLR Magic 1.33x Anamorphot-CINE, and the Hawk 1.3x (which are very expensive), but none of those options completely cover full frame. The SLR Magic 1.33x Anamorphot-CINE 50 and 75mm do cover full frame, but the 35 does not.
As you can use the Viltrox EPIC 1.33x Full Frame Anamorphic Lenses on any 16:9 sensor camera regardless of whether it is full frame or S35 they are a very versatile solution.
Unlike spherical lenses that project images onto the sensor without affecting the aspect ratio, anamorphic lenses project a version of the image that is compressed along the longer dimension (by a factor of 2, or in the case of the Viltrox, a factor of 1.33). This means that the image requires stretching, later on, to be displayed correctly. A lot of today’s monitors and EVFs have the ability to de-squeeze an anamorphic image, so you can view it correctly when you are shooting. There are also more and more cameras that also have dedicated anamorphic recording modes.
Price & Availability
The Viltrox 1.33x Full Frame anamorphic lenses are priced at between $3,299 USD and $3,999 USD each (PL mount). The 25mm T2 is $3,999 USD, as is the 100mm T2. The new 65mm and 135mm should be a similar price.
You can also buy the 3-lens set (35, 50 & 75mm) for $9,600 USD or 5-lens set (25, 35, 50, 75 & 100mm) for $17,299 USD. If you already own the 35,50, and 75mm T2 set you can buy the 25mm and 100mm in a 2-lens set for $7,759 USD.
