The Best Anamorphic Options for Budget Filmmakers

From adapters to small lenses, here are the best options for an affordable anamorphic look. 

In this filmmaking gear roundup, we’re going to look at a few affordable anamorphic options that will give you a timeless, cinematic-looking image without completely blowing your budget. These lenses and adapters are becoming more and more common among the beginner- to intermediate-level filmmakers. These tools are great for helping filmmakers who are just starting out to find their cinematic voices and visual tastes for filmmaking.

So all that being said, let’s talk about “anamorphic” means and what this footage can do for your upcoming project. 

What Is Anamorphic?

Anamorphic lenses are lenses that optically squeeze the image horizontally onto your recording medium (whether it’s a digital sensor or film) in order to be de-squeezed later in post-production. The act of de-squeezing is something that you might be able to do in-camera or on your external monitor, or you’ll wait until you bring the footage into your non-linear editing program.

The reason affordable anamorphic lens and adapter options are so important is because traditional cinema anamorphic lenses are incredibly expensive. We’re talking price tags in the hundreds of thousands of dollars!

So, let’s talk about some of the cheaper options that will give you that anamorphic flare and classic cinematic look with your footage.  

Laowa Nanomorph 1.5x Anamorphic Lens

In one of the most exciting crowdfunding campaigns in a long time, Laowa announced the impending production and distribution of their first anamorphic lens. The price was low, and the example photos and video were stunning. Could this be true? Could there actually be an affordable anamorphic option that gives you that real anamorphic look? Never count Laowa out!

Offering three different focal lengths for almost every mount, the 1.5x squeeze factor was promised to be the consumer shooter’s dream lens. While the shipments for the first round of lenses are still being delivered, we’ll have to wait to see just how popular these lenses become.

I should say that I own this lens. I ordered it back in the summer of 2022 and only just received it in the mail six months later. So I expect to take this thing out with my Blackmagic Pocket Cinema Camera 6K this winter to shoot some test footage. But I will say that after spending a few hours shooting around my neighborhood, this thing rules. 

Sirui Anamorphic 35mm 1.33x Lens

Perhaps the most popular and affordable anamorphic option on this list is the Sirui Anamorphic 35mm lens. This will be your new favorite go-to for almost any B-roll you’d ever need to shoot. You get the anamorphic look; you get the flares; and you also just get a well-made, sharp lens that still provides some warmth and texture to your images. It’s also the cheapest option for what you’re getting.

It’s not an adapter, and it’s not a gimmick. Coming in at just under $400, the Sirui Anamorphic Lens is a steal for anybody trying to drastically increase their production value while staying under budget. 

To make the Sirui Anamorphic lineup even better, they recently released a 50mm focal length anamorphic lens with a 1.6x squeeze factor. The difference between a 1.33x and 1.6x is actually pretty apparent. The only catch is that the lens is significantly more expensive than the 1.33x models — you get what you pay for!

1.33x Anamorphic Adapter from Moment

This past summer, Moment announced their new anamorphic adapter that screws right onto the front of your lens, no matter the mount. 

So the 1.33x squeeze will take 16:9 footage and bring it to 2.35:1, which you can see in the test footage below. This width is aspect ratio, along with the subtle roll-off of the sharpness and the classic lens flares you’ve come to love and associate with anamorphic lenses.

Overall, the test footage looks pretty good considering the 1.33x squeeze factor. These types of adapters will never give you that full-on anamorphic look? But they’ll certainly make your footage look better if you’re going for a more traditional, wide, “filmic” look.

My only hesitation with this adapter is the price tag. While it won’t completely break the bank, it’s not exactly the cheapest option around — especially considering the price of an actual lens from companies like Laowa and Sirui. 

Atlas Mercury Anamorphic Series

While these lenses aren’t “cheap” they are affordable when compared to some of the big cinema anamorphic glass that has traditionally been available. Atlas Lens Co has been continuously pushing the boundaries of what cost-effective anamorphic glass can be, and I think they’ve really cracked something with this new release. I mean, just look at the footage in the reel above! I consider this lineup of lenses as the second tier that you’ll probably land on after trying anamorphic options like the Sirui’s and Laowa’s of the world. 

The Atlas Orion (the step up from the Mercury series) has exploded in a huge way, appearing behind-the-scenes in big-budget films like last years Don’t Look Up from Adam McKay (as you can see above). I expect as more and more directors of photography and directors discover the Atlas ecosystem that we’ll see more and more of these making their way to major productions. 

Videvo’s Lens Flare Library

Let’s say you don’t quite have the budget for any of these anamorphic options. Well, never fear! We offer tons of lens flare clips in our library. All you have to do is place these clips above your footage and voila! This will give your footage that extra pop with a lens flare that looks straight out of the cinema. Check out our lens flare library here. This is a great way to appease a client that is asking for an extra bit of “flare” to the project. Your client will be happy, and your budget remains intact. 

Cover Image via Atlas Lens Co.

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