Sirui SIRUI 50mm F1.8 1.33X S35 Anamorphic Lens for L Review

So you're looking at the Sirui 50mm F1.8 anamorphic lens. This is a pretty unique piece of glass. It's designed to give you that classic widescreen cinema look, with horizontal lens flares and oval bokeh, without needing a Hollywood budget. It's a 50mm prime, but because it's a 1.33x anamorphic squeeze, it gives you a field of view closer to a 37.5mm lens, which is 33% wider than a normal 50mm. That makes it a solid choice for narrative filmmaking, music videos, or anyone wanting to add a cinematic texture to their work. It's a manual focus lens built for Super 35 sensors, and it mounts natively to Leica L-mount cameras like the Panasonic S1H.

This lens is all about character, not clinical sharpness. The optical performance lands in the 33rd percentile, which tells you it's not trying to win any resolution charts. But that's not the point. Where it shines is in its specific look. The bokeh quality scores in the 67th percentile, and you really see it in those distinctive oval out-of-focus highlights. The F1.8 aperture is decently fast, sitting in the 75th percentile, giving you good low-light capability and background separation. Just know it's a manual focus-only experience, and its AF score reflects that at the 47th percentile. You have to be intentional with your shots.

At around $599, the Sirui 50mm anamorphic sits in a sweet spot. It's way more affordable than renting or buying professional cinema anamorphics, which can cost tens of thousands. You're paying for that specific anamorphic character. The trade-off is you lose autofocus, get a more plastic build, and it's only for Super 35 sensors. If you don't need the anamorphic look, standard fast primes from Sigma or Panasonic will give you sharper, more versatile optics for similar money. But if you want the widescreen magic, this is one of the cheapest tickets in.

This lens exists in its own niche, but let's look at alternatives. The Meike 55mm F1.8 Pro is a full-frame autofocus lens that will be sharper and much easier to use for photos or video, but it won't give you any anamorphic effects. The Viltrox 35mm F1.7 for Z-mount is another fast, affordable prime with autofocus, offering more general-purpose versatility. If you're on a Panasonic Lumix MFT camera, the 14-140mm zoom gives you huge range but a slower, variable aperture. The Sirui isn't better than these at being a normal lens. It's a tool for a specific job: getting an anamorphic look on a budget. The Nikon Z 35mm f/1.8 S is in a different league for build and optical quality, but it's also more than twice the price and doesn't do the anamorphic thing at all.

Should you buy the Sirui 50mm F1.8 anamorphic? Only if you're chasing that cinematic, widescreen look and you're okay with manual focus. It's not an everyday lens. It's a creative effect lens. For filmmakers, YouTubers, or music video creators who want to add horizontal flares and oval bokeh to their visual palette, it's a fantastic and affordable way to do it. But if you need autofocus, weather sealing, or a lens that's great for travel or casual shooting, look elsewhere. This is a specialist tool, and it's very good at the one thing it's designed for.