Vazen 135mm T2.8 1.8x Full-Frame Anamorphic Lens Introduced – 1.8x FF Set Now Complete

Lens NewsNAB 2022

by Olaf von VossApril 29^th, 2022

Vazen just announced the latest addition to its lineup of full-frame 1.8x anamorphic lenses: the Vazen 135mm T2.8 1.8x anamorphic lens completes the 3-lens set consisting of the already available 50mm T2.1, 85mm T2.8 and the new 135mm T2.8 lens. The price is $8,000 each or $19,999 for the entire set.

Anamorphic shooters, take note! The new Vazen 135mm T2.8 1.8x anamorphic cine lens not only offers a bunch of nice features for relatively little money but also matches its siblings, the already available 85mm (review here) and 50mm (article here) lenses.

So, if you want, you can now get a complete set of three anamorphic lenses for under $20,000 (this is usually how much one lens alone costs by brands like ARRI or Cooke – if you’re lucky, anyway).

The new 135mm lens comes in both EF and PL mount options. Just like the other two primes, the mount is user interchangeable, so you don’t have to take the lens in for service when you swap cameras.

Vazen 135mm T2.8 1.8x Anamorphic: overview

Although I have never worked with one of these Vazen full-frame anamorphic lenses, judging from some samples provided by Vazen (video below), I’d say that this lens and the other two family members can be described as quite characterful. Whether you like it or not is up to your taste and your particular projects, of course.

These Vazen anamorphics seem to flare quite a bit and produce very pronounced horizontal blue streaks when pointed at a strong light source. This is, of course, exactly what you want when shooting anamorphic, but it may be a bit too much for some.

According to Vazen, the new 135mm covers the sensors of large-format cinema cameras like RED Monstro and V-RAPTOR, ARRI ALEXA LF, Kinefinity MAVO LF, and Z-CAM E2-F8 fully.

It has the same focus and aperture position as the 85mm T2.8 lens for easy lens swapping on set. Moreover, its consistent 86mm front filter thread is handy for ND filters or diopters installation. The close focus distance is 5’ (1.52m), the focus throw is about 120º and the lens offers a wide 32.2° horizontal field of view.

The front diameter is a standard 95mm for matte box mounting. The entire lens is built up of aluminum and the aperture and focus rings offer 0.8 MOD cine gears, of course. The whole thing is pretty big: it’s 23.5 cm long (~9″) and weighs 2 kg (4.4 lbs). So make sure you bring proper lens support, otherwise, you run the risk of damaging your camera’s lens mount.

Pricing and availability

The new Vazen 135mm T2.8 1.8x anamorphic lens is available now, and you can get it from their website. Each of the three lenses (50mm, 85mm, 135mm) cost $8,000 but if you opt for the full set, you’ll save a cool $4,001 (price: $19,999) and also get a free hard case (usually $300).

According to the press release, Vazen is also working on a wider lens to further complement the set.

For more information, please visit Vazen’s website here.

What do you think? Do you have experience with the other two Vazen anamorphic lenses for full-frame sensors? Share your thoughts in the comments below!