Sirui has announced their new Saturn 35mm T2.9 full-frame carbon fibre 1.6x anamorphic lens. Designed for lightweight and mobile shooting, the new lens is smaller than a can of coke and designed for use on cameras with gimbals and even FPV drone rigs – cinema ones, at least, not cinewhoops! The light construction is thanks to the use of carbon fibre in the lens barrel and it measures only 100-103mm long, depending on the mount.
It’s one of the few third-party lenses I’ve seen that comes in a DJI DL mount. So it can be used with the DJI Ronin 4D gimbal stabilised cinema camera. It’s also available in RF mount for use with Canon cameras and the RED Komodo and V-Raptor, as well as E mount for the entire range of Sony mirrorless and cinema cameras. It comes in two flare options and has a 1.6x squeeze ratio.
Being “smaller than a smartphone”, the leans has a diameter of 60.48mm and measures 100-103mm long, depending on which mount you get. For such a small lens, it’s pretty hefty, though, weighing between 390g and 425g – again, depending on the mount. But it’s not ridiculously heavy and its small size means it should be relatively easy to balance on gimbals, even on mirrorless and cinema cameras that aren’t the Ronin 4.
| Focal length | 35mm |
| Max aperture | T2.9 |
| Min aperture | T16 |
| Angle of view | Unspecified |
| Format | Full-Frame |
| Mount | Canon RF, Sony E, DL Mount |
| Lens type | 1.6x Anamorphic |
| Focus type | Manual Focus |
| Focus throw | 120° |
| Min focus distance | 90cm |
| Optics | 18 elements in 13 groups |
| Filter size | 58mm |
| Aperture blades | 10 |
| Dimensions | 60.48 x 100-103mm |
| Weight | 390-415g |
As seems to be the trend these days, the Sirui Saturn 35mm T2.9 is available in two different flare options. One provides the classic anamorphic blue horizontal we’re used to seeing with this type of lens, while the other provides more naturally coloured flares that change colour depending on the colour of the light source creating the flare. Of course, you only get one look per lens, so if you want the option of both, you’ll need to buy two lenses.
Sirui says it offers a constant squeeze ratio, maintaining the aspect ratio as you rack the focus so that things stay the same shape throughout. Focus breathing looks very controlled and quite minimal, so it doesn’t look like you’re massively changing focal length as you pull focus from one end of the range to the other.
As an anamorphic lens that squishes the horizontal field of view into a narrower frame – and essentially have two focal lengths in one – the actual horizontal field of view of the Sirui Saturn 35mm T2.9 is similar to that of a standard 22mm rectilinear lens. That means it’s pretty wide, making it ideally suited to establishing shots or wide drone-based landscape vista shots. It also lets you get a wider field of view in tighter spaces for interiors, too.
On a 3:2 sensor, it desqueezes to a 2.4:1 aspect ratio. On a 16:9 sensor, it desqueezes to a 2.8:1 aspect ratio. And while it offers the equivalent field of view to a standard 22mm full-frame rectilinear lens, it provides a depth of field ratio that’s more aligned with a 35mm rectilinear at closer distances for improved separation of the subject from the background. Naturally, you also get that oval anamorphic bokeh.
The Sirui Saturn 35mm T2.9 full-frame carbon fibre 1.6x anamorphic lens will be available to pre-order soon for $1,099 from the Sirui website in Canon RF, Sony E and DJI DL mounts. This price is an early bird deal with 15% off the regular price. Once that discount is over, the normal price will be $1,299.
FIND THIS INTERESTING? SHARE IT WITH YOUR FRIENDS!