SIRUI ANAMORPHIC LENSES

Hey there, folks! Just wanted to share a little milestone with you all: I recently took the plunge and tried my hand at writing, directing, and shooting my very own short monologue. And let me tell you, it was quite the adventure! 🎬

I had the chance to test out some seriously cool anamorphic lenses, and boy, did they add a whole new dimension to the storytelling. So, I thought I'd give you a sneak peek behind the scenes with some photos from the process. Trust me, you won't want to miss the final result!

Stay tuned, because the video is coming your way real soon. Can't wait to share it with you all! 🌟 #BehindTheScenes #AnamorphicAdventure

Spent the morning getting acquainted with the Sirui Saturn 35mm Anamorphic lens. After much trial and error, decided to share this 20 second video from the test shoot.

Shot on Sony a7S III and Sirui Saturn 35mm 1.6x anamorphic.

Let's talk about the Saturn lenses for a sec. They pack a punch with a 1.6 times anamorphic squeeze factor, and get this, they won't break the bank! At under 1200 dollars, they're a real steal. It's crazy to think how far we've come in terms of pricing for anamorphic lenses. Back in the day, you'd have to cough up three to four grand just for the cheapest option. And don't even get me started on those lenses that cost ten to thirty thousand dollars a pop. Thankfully, times have changed, and now we've got these sweet, reasonably priced options at our fingertips. Talk about a game-changer!

Some of my favourite films of all time were shot with anamorphic lenses, like Pulp Fiction, Blade Runner, Inception, and The Creator.

Now, what makes anamorphic lenses stand out is that they give you this oval-shaped bokeh, which is super distinctive. It's all thanks to these anamorphic elements tucked away inside the lens, kind of like magic cylinders that compress everything around them. And with a squeeze factor of 1.6, you're in for a treat.

To really put it to the test, I took the Sirui 35-millimeter anamorphic lens out for a spin, and let me tell you, the results were stunning. Daytime shots, nighttime shots—they all came out looking gorgeous.

But hey, if you're new to the whole anamorphic lens scene, there are a few things to keep in mind. First off, aspect ratios. These lenses give you that wider-than-wide look, so you gotta adjust how you frame your shots to make the most of that extra width.

Planning is key too. With that wider aspect ratio, you need to be intentional about your compositions. And let's not forget about that beautiful bokeh effect. It's all about playing with depth of field to make your shots pop.

Now, here's the thing: to really unlock the full potential of your anamorphic lens, you'll want to pair it with an external monitor like the Atomos Ninja 5. That way, you can see your footage in all its desqueezed glory, right there on the screen.

But, I do have one gripe with this lens—the minimum focus distance. It's set at a pretty far 1 meter or (3 feet). Now, cutting that in half would make a world of difference in usability. Good news though, you can work around it with close focus diopter filters. Sure, it's a bit of a hassle, but trust me, it's worth it.

Speaking of filters, I've dropped a link in the description below to a set of affordable diopters that I've found handy. They'll give you that flexibility to nail those close-up shots while keeping everything else in focus.

Now, focusing with anamorphic lenses can be a bit trickier because of their unique distortion. You'll want to take your time and double-check your focus, especially if you're shooting wide open. And yeah, that external monitor will come in clutch once again.

Oh, and don't forget about lighting. Anamorphic lenses tend to crave a bit more light, so you might need to beef up your setup with some external lighting. Or, if you're rocking a Sony FX3 or A7S3, you're in luck—their low-light capabilities are a match made in heaven for this lens.

Last but not least, post-production. You'll need to de-squeeze your footage to get that desired look, but don't sweat it. There are plenty of software tools out there to help you out. Just do a bit of digging to find the one that suits your workflow best.

Alright, so here's the deal: most editing software won't give you the option to automatically de-squeeze your footage to that sweet 1.6 ratio. But no worries, you can do it manually.

Let's say you're working with a 4K 16:9 timeline. First things first, add your footage to the timeline. Then, head over to the scale options. Now, this part's important: make sure to untick any uniform scale controls.

Next up, adjust the scale height to 63.5, while keeping the scale width at 100. Boom, there you have it—your 1.6 footage is now properly de-squeezed.

Now, if you're rocking a 16:9 timeline, you might notice some letterboxing with black bars above and below your footage. Not the end of the world, but if you wanna clean it up, here's how:

Navigate to your sequence settings and tweak your frame size. Pump up that horizontal frame size to 3840 pixels and the vertical to 1368 pixels. Voilà, say goodbye to those pesky black bars and hello to a clean, de-squeezed timeline.

alright, I know these lens are exactly cheap but overall these Saturn lenses. are the perfect match for folks, like us, who love shooting with that expansive view without spending thousands upon thousands. With options ranging from 35, 50 and 75mm focal lengths, these lenses hit the sweet spot for anamorphic shooting. I’d really love to see a 135mm in this range but that might be pushing the boundries too much. fingers crossed on that one.

Seriously, if you're on a budget but still craving that anamorphic magic for your projects—whether it's a short film or even a feature-length movie—these lenses are where it's at.

Personally, I'm over the moon with my purchase of these two anamorphic beauties. With a bit of planning and a keen eye for detail, you can whip up visuals that'll make jaws drop. And hey, if you're new to the world of anamorphic lenses, I hope these tips and tricks I've shared will give you a leg up.

Thanks a bunch for tuning in, folks! And hey, don't forget to hit that subscribe button for more filmmaking shenanigans on my channel. Until next time, happy shooting!

Oh, and one more thing worth mentioning: I opted for the natural flare anamorphic version of these lenses. You see, while those blue flares can look pretty cool, I found them a tad distracting for my taste. So, if you're like me and prefer a more subtle, natural flare effect in your shots, you might want to consider going that route too. Just a little tidbit for ya!