Laowa 65mm/85mm T2.4 Anamorphic Lenses are Coming This Month
Venus Optics will launch a crowdfunding campaign for a set of Laowa Nanomorph anamorphic lenses alongside a 1.33x anamorphic adapter at the end of August.
The 65mm and 80mm T2.4 lenses will maintain a constant 1.5x squeeze ratio and have three flare color options: blue, amber, and neutral. The two longer lenses will join the 27mm, 35mm, and 50mm lenses that are already in the Laowa Nanomorph series and will remain just as compact as those, which Venus Optics says means that a filmmaker will be able to use the entire series of lenses without having to change their rigs in a substantial way.
The original series of Nanomorph lenses were launched in August 2022 and were billed as the world’s smallest anamorphic optics.
According to the company, most lower-cost anamorphic lenses sacrifice a constant squeeze ratio because they use anamorphic blocks as part of the synchro focus design, which allows for the production of an anamorphic lens within a lower price bracket. While cheaper, Venus Optics says they can create what are known as “anamorphic mumps” — when the center of an image receives less horizontal squeeze when the lens is focused at short distances — along the focal length which means they can’t maintain a constant squeeze ratio.
The Nanomorph series doesn’t use an anamorphic block design and instead Venus Optics patented a unique lens array that can guarantee a uniform squeeze ratio and ensure optical quality without increasing the size of the optic or its price.
In addition to the two new Nanomorph lenses, Venus Optics will also launch a 1.33x front anamorphic adapter that can turn any lens in the Nanomorph series into a 3x anamorphic. The company says that it can be paired with standard spherical lenses to give them a “cinematic look,” which expands its usability.
Venus Optics did not state the cost of the two new additions to the Nanomorph line, likely saving those details for when the IndieGoGo crowdfunding campaign goes live on August 29. However, the last three lenses were priced at $1,000 for mirrorless mounts and $1,500 for EF and PL mounts, so it stands to reason that Venus Optics will try and keep that pricing or at least stay close to it.
The 65mm and 80mm Nanomorph campaign is currently in pre-launch mode and interested parties can sign up to receive an email to be alerted when it begins.
