A year after launch, you can finally buy Laowa Proteus Flex 2x Anamorphic Lenses

Laowa’s latest announcement is going to make a lot of people very happy. The Laowa Proteus Flex 2x Anamorphic series announced a year ago is now available to buy. Previously, it had only been available to rent through Keslow Camera.

It was originally hoped they’d be available to actually buy at the beginning of this year, but that didn’t happen. Now, though, that’s changed. All six lenses, with interchangeable flare modules, are available to buy. Well, pre-order.

Laowa Proteus Flex 2x Anamorphic Series Lenses

The Proteus Flex lenses are essentially the same as Laowa’s Proteus series lenses but with one big difference. That difference is that the Flex models have interchangeable flare modules. This means you don’t need to buy multiple copies of a lens to get different colours.

The individual lens specifications haven’t really changed since their initial launch last year. There have been some updates to the flare modules, though. They appear to have had a slight design refinement, and a fourth one has been added to the pack.

The series initially launched with 35mm, 45mm, 60mm and 85mm lenses with a maximum T2 aperture. A short time later, two more focal lengths of 28mm and 100mm, also both with T2 apertures were added to the lineup. All six are now available to pre-order.

Interchangeable Flare Modules

The flare modules allow you to change the colour of the flare seen through the lens when filming. Sure, many people will want that classic blue, although amber is equally as popular. For those who want to go a bit more neutral, there’s a silver version.

Not everyone who shoots with anamorphic lenses wants to pretend they’re J.J. Abrams, though, so the new module is clear. Laowa says that the new module includes a coating that minimises lens flare, letting you focus on the actual scene you’re trying to record.

The whole concept of modular anamorphic lenses like this is still fascinating to me, even though they’ve already been out for a while. Unfortunately, my budget won’t allow me to actually buy a set and play with them. They’re certainly not lenses you buy for casual use.

Price and Availability

Each of the six lenses in the Laowa Proteus Flex 2x Anamorphic range is available to pre-order now for $9,999 each. If you want to buy the lot, you can get a little discount. Two 3-lens sets are available for $24,999 each. One includes the 35mm, 60mm and 100mm lenses. The other includes the 28mm, 45mm and 60mm lenses.

Laowa hasn’t said if there’s going to be a 6-lens set available with a further discount, but I wouldn’t get your hopes up. Buying the two sets together is already essentially “Buy 5 get 1 free”. Lenses should begin shipping in the coming weeks.

---