BLAZAR APEX is a new line of anamorphic lenses with a new trick up its sleeve – autofocus. The new APEX line starts with both a 35mm T1.8 and a 50mm T1.8 1.33x full-frame anamorphic. These are claimed to be the world’s first autofocus anamorphic lenses on the market. The lenses are available in Canon RF, Sony E, Nikon Z, and FUJIFILM X mounts. As anamorphic filmmaking becomes more popular, it’s nice to see manufacturers rising up to the challenge, making it more accessible and easy to use. BLAZAR, previously known as Great Joy, hasn’t been around for as long as some other lens manufacturers, but they’ve made every second count. Over the last year, the company churned out an impressive set of anamorphic lenses with the Remus series, and now they’re taking a significant step forward by launching what they claim to be the world’s first autofocus anamorphic lenses. Why aren’t there any other autofocus anamorphic lenses? First things first – we should acknowledge the complexity of autofocusing an anamorphic lens. Autofocus systems were never built to cope with the extreme distortions created by these lenses, so bear in mind we’re all treading on somewhat untouched soil here. As of now, for example, some cameras disable autofocus when the de-squeeze function is engaged. BLAZAR APEX 35mm T1.8 1.33x full-frame autofocus anamorphic lens. Image credit: CineD Another challenge comes from the cine nature of the BLAZAR APEX. The geared focus ring doesn’t seem to have a direct mechanical link to...
Published By: CineD - Sunday, 15 September