Anamorphic lenses continue to get smaller and more affordable. However, few offer autofocus. The new Sirui 40mm T1.8 1.33x anamorphic lens checks all these boxes for Super35 and APS-C mirrorless cameras.
Weighing just 614 grams (1.35 pounds) and priced at $639 for backers on Indiegogo, the Sirui 40mm T1.8 1.33x anamorphic promises to be an ideal companion for filmmakers looking to get into the anamorphic look without breaking the bank or giving up certain amenities, like autofocus.
Since anamorphic lenses squeeze the frame, cinematographers can shoot in 16:9 and dequeeze 1.33 times to get 2.35:1 footage with the entire width of their image sensor. The “anamorphic look” is also increasingly popular for other aesthetic reasons, including distinct flare and interesting bokeh.
Sirui’s new 40mm T1.8 1.33x is the first compact-size anamorphic lens to include autofocus, and this focus is driven by an advanced STM motor. The lens promises swift, silent, and smooth autofocus. Users can swap between automatic and manual focus using a switch on the lens barrel, and the E and Z-mount versions feature an autofocus lock button. The lens’ minimum focusing distance is 0.6 meters (23.6 inches).
As a cinema prime, the lens features some design elements that are common across nearly every cine lens. These include standard gearing, a long 360-degree focus throw, and a front diameter size (80mm) with some other Sirui lenses.
The Sirui 40mm T1.8 promises strong image quality and good control over aberrations. The lens has 16 elements arranged across a dozen groups, including five cylindrical elements and one aspherical lens. The lens has an 11-bladed aperture, and the aperture control ring can be de-clicked for smooth aperture changes during video recording.
The Sirui 40mm autofocus anamorphic lens, the first of its kind, is available for a wide range of APS-C mirrorless cameras, although it can certainly be used on full-frame cameras in an APS-C or Super35 crop mode. The lens comes in E, X, and Z mounts, with a Micro Four Thirds version arriving slightly later, in January 2025.
Pricing and Availability
The Sirui 40mm T1.8 1.33x anamorphic autofocus lens is available now to backers for as little as $639. The E, X, and Z versions are shipping immediately, while the Micro Four Thirds version is slated to arrive next month. The eventual retail price will be $799, so the Indiegogo campaign offers prospective buyers a chance for a 20 percent discount. Considering that the lens is already available and exists, the Indiegogo campaign is, as is becoming increasingly common, a marketing campaign rather than a crowdfunding effort. It is a chance for people to adopt early at a lower price, but the lens’s existence is independent of the campaign’s success, although it did shatter its modest $10,000 goal by over 3,000 percent.
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Image credits: Sirui
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