Is This the SECRET Weapon of Indie Filmmakers? (SIRUI 50mm Review)
SIRUI Venus 50mm T2.9 1.6x Full-Frame Anamorphic Lens
Today we're taking a look at the Sirui Venus 50mm T2.9 1.6x Full-Frame Anamorphic Lens.
This is the first anamorphic lens I've tried out on the channel and so I'm looking forward to seeing how well it performs, and if it can produce that cinematic look that a lot of people want to achive.
Disclaimer
This was very kindly sent to me by Sirui to try out but as always, all thoughts and opinions are my own.
Unboxing
So what do you get in the box?
Inside you'll find of course the 50mm lens itself
and a Pouch
(You'll also find a mounting bracket for the lens)
Focal Length
So as mentioned this is a 50mm lens, however, as this is an anamorphic lens, it features a 1.6 squeeze factor.
You will need to de-squeeze the footage in post and this gives you roughly a 32mm horizontal field of view
Crop and De-Squeeze
The 1.6 squeeze will change slightly the closer you get to the minimum focus, here you will have slightly less squeeze at roughly 1.51
In order to help you correctly frame and see your image during production, I'd recomend using an external monitor.
Now some cameras you're using may have an anamorphic desqueeze built in, however, it may not offer you a custom option for 1.6
If you are filming on a full-frame camera like me you will end up with a 2.84.1 aspect ratio
In post you will need to crop the frame slightly to bring it back with range of cinemascope.
Focus
Now this is quite a sharp lens from critical focus to even wide open.
If it's perhaps too sharp for you, maybe consider adding some filtration to soften up your image.
The minimum foucs distance is 0.75m/ 2.5 ft, so you're able to get relatively close to your subject but it's definitely not a macro lens.
If you'd like to get even closer, I'd recommend using a diopter.
Bokeh
This lens features 10 aperture blades which gives you that oval bokeh look.
One of the easiest ways to spot if something was shot on an anamorphic lens is by the shape of the bokeh.
This is often one of the reasons a lot of people choose these lenses, as they produce a nice oval shape.
Lens Flair
The other reason a lot of people like to shoot on anamorphic lenses is because of the flair they produce.
The flairs with this particular lens have a nice blue/teal tone.
This may not be perfect for every situation, so it's worth considering how you control this when filming.
Build quality and Specs
In terms of actual physical specs for this lens, it has an all-metal body but even so, it's not overly heavy at 1kg / 2.3 ibs
It has an 82mm filter thread and it comes in Sony E mount, L mount, canon rf and Nikon z mount
It has geared iris and focusing rings, which makes it incredibly easy if you want to attach a follow focus.
and markings are in feet and meters
Final Thoughts
This is a solid lens. If you're looking to try out shooting anamorphic for yourself without breaking the bank, I would definitely recommend considering this.
I think the 50mm focal length is a great choice because once it's de-squeezed and you get roughly 35mm. This gives you enough room for wide angle shots, at the same time you can get some great close ups as well. I would say it's a very versatile choice if you are just working with one prime lens.
As always if you have any questions let me know in the comments and if you'd like to see more videos like this, you can carry on watching one of these or subscribe here
Thanks for watching and I'll see you next time!
