Learn about the evolution of cinematic lenses and everything the widest SIRUI lens has to offer: its anamorphic squeeze, telephoto perspective, and more.
Introduction:
Filmmaking is an art; you can study its theory, but true talent brings out the best in this niche. Every frame, and every plot require careful planning and imagination. New technologies in cinematography also greatly help evoke emotion and meaning in the final footage. And all of this goes through a camera lens, one of the most important tools in the cinematographer’s arsenal.
New technologies are now pushing the limits of how filmmakers used these lenses before. Advanced generations of lens types, including wide-angle lenses, telephoto lenses, and anamorphic lenses, are available to the industry, all offering unique properties to cinematic footage.
Rise of Anamorphic lenses
Back in the sixties, these lenses were considered a gold standard in Hollywood movies. These lenses are used to compress the image horizontally for their footage, which was later stretched in post-production in a way that would achieve an ultra-wide aspect ratio for playing on the cinema screen. These lenses were able to deliver distinctive flares, creamy oval bokeh, and a truly cinematic depth, which commonly available lenses were not able to produce.
For decades, they were quite exclusive to the film industry, but now it is making their way to the masses for several reasons; one, due to the rise of social media, streaming networks, and YouTube, more and more people are entering the cinematic world, expanding the market for cinematography gear and pushing companies to make commercial and cheaper versions of these lenses.
Another reason for this lens being exclusive to Hollywood was due to their high prices, but this also changed due to brands bringing more affordable models without compromising visual quality. Brands like SIRUI have now introduced a full range of high-quality anamorphic lenses that come with budget price tags with ultra-high performance and are now within reach of both rookies and veterans in cinematography.
For more dramatic shots where wide shots are required, a SIRUI lens with a focal length of 35 or 50mm can be used. When compression is needed for close-ups, an 85mm or 135mm can be used to get that creamy bokeh.
The widest SIRUI lens in the portfolio (as of 2025) is the Venus 135mm T2.9 1.8x anamorphic lens, boosting the 1.8x squeeze factor, which results in an exceptionally wide cinematic aspect ratio and maintains image quality. This lens is optimized for delivering a natural and organic cinematic look without any unwanted aberrations.
The 135mm focal length makes it the widest SIRUI lens up to date which keeps balance between compression and field of view of the footage. This focal length is also ideal for close-up shots and the one with mid-range positioning. With Versatile Mount Compatibility, you also get a solid metal construction.
Priced much less than other traditional cinematography-grade professional lenses, the 135mm Venus from SIRUI is great for any kind of project. Creators of short films, high-end music videos, or commercial projects all get cinema-level visual quality without spending on extremely expensive geat which was once only exclusive to filmmakers of Hollywood.
A common mistake rookies make with lenses like the SIRUI 135mm is that they don’t properly execute the de-squeezing factor in post-production to treat the squeezing being done in these lenses. For this lens, a 1.8x de-squeeze factor should be introduced in the video editing software during post-production to avoid quality issues.
Also, when using this 135mm widest SIRUI lens for such a project, you can get even more freedom with SIRUI 35mm or 50mm T2.9 1.6x anamorphic lenses; both will let you capture a wider field of view while maintaining signature oval bokeh and horizontal flares. These two lenses complement the overall look of the final footage from 135mm Venus and provide a smooth transition for shots in landscapes and interiors.
Wrapping Up:
With the rise of social media and access to new lens technologies at lower prices, people are now able to use anamorphic lenses for their cinematic projects, which were once only accessible to high-tier filmmakers. The SIRUI 135mm, the brand's widest lens in 2025, delivers professional-grade cinematic close-up shots, which can complement lower focal lengths to get smooth transitions between different shots.