Nikon Blazar Review

The Blazar Beetle 32mm is a clever, ultracompact anamorphic lens with a party trick: a button that switches the squeeze between horizontal for cinema and vertical for social media. You get classic oval bokeh and flares, but with modest optical scores and a fixed, slow T3.2 aperture. Prices swing wildly from $599 to $1499. Recommended for multi-format filmmakers who value a unique look and portability over pure sharpness.

Let's get this out of the way: the Blazar Beetle 32mm isn't a normal lens. It's a tiny, specialized tool for filmmakers who want that classic anamorphic look—think cinematic widescreen with oval bokeh and horizontal lens flares—without needing a massive rig or a second mortgage. It's a full-frame prime with a fixed T3.2 aperture and a 1.33x squeeze factor, which means it's designed to capture horizontally compressed footage that you 'de-squeeze' in post for that iconic widescreen aspect ratio.

What makes this lens genuinely interesting, and a bit of a party trick, is its 'Horizontal & Vertical' feature. With the press of a button, you can rotate the anamorphic element 90 degrees. This lets you capture vertical-squeezed footage for social media formats like TikTok or Instagram Reels without having to turn your camera sideways. For creators who need to shoot for both widescreen and vertical platforms, that's a unique and potentially huge time-saver.

This lens sits in a weird and wonderful niche. It's not for photographers, and it's not for videographers who just want a sharp, fast prime. Our database scores it highest for travel and street videography, which makes sense given its ultracompact 286g weight. But its weakest area is portraits, scoring a low 30.7 out of 100. That tells you everything: this is a storytelling lens, not a people lens. It's for the filmmaker who values character and format flexibility over pure optical perfection.

Performance here is less about benchmark charts and more about the specific look you're buying. The fixed T3.2 aperture is a cine lens standard, giving you consistent exposure and depth of field. It's not super fast—our percentile ranking puts its aperture performance in the 29th percentile—so you'll need decent light or a capable low-light camera. But that's the trade-off for the anamorphic design and compact size. The 0.8 mod gearing and 200-degree focus rotation are pure cinema features, meant for pairing with a follow focus system for smooth, repeatable pulls.

Optically, the scores are modest. It lands in the 35th percentile for optical quality and 27th for bokeh, which is a reality check. You're not getting clinically sharp, aberration-free images. You're getting character: the signature oval bokeh and those silvery blue flares are the whole point. The 1.33x squeeze is a milder anamorphic effect compared to 2x or even 1.8x lenses, making it a bit more forgiving to work with in post-production, especially if you're new to the format. The minimum focus distance of 460mm (about 18 inches) is fairly standard, so don't expect extreme close-ups.

Talking value for the Blazar Beetle is tricky because it's not competing with standard photo lenses. You're paying for a specific cinematic look and a clever form factor. The price range is all over the place—we've seen it listed from $599 to $1499. That's a $900 spread, which is massive. If you can find it at the lower end of that range, it starts to look like a compelling experiment for an aspiring filmmaker. At the high end, you're edging into territory where you might consider more established anamorphic options.

Since it's often sold as part of a 3-lens set (32mm, 45mm, 65mm), the value proposition improves if you need a small anamorphic kit. As a single lens, its value is entirely dependent on how much you'll use its unique vertical/horizontal trick. If you're constantly switching between landscape and portrait video, that button might be worth a premium. If not, you're just buying a slow, manual anamorphic prime.

This lens doesn't have direct competitors because of its rotating anamorphic element. But if we look at alternatives for getting an anamorphic look, the field opens up. You could adapt vintage anamorphic projector lenses, but that's a deep, technical rabbit hole. Modern options like Sirui's anamorphic lenses offer a more traditional, single-orientation experience often at a similar or lower price point, and some even have autofocus.

Compared to the 'top competitors' our database suggested—like the Nikon Z 35mm f/1.8 S or the Viltrox 35mm f/1.7—it's a completely different beast. Those are sharp, fast, autofocus photo lenses that can also shoot great video. The Blazar Beetle is slower, manual-only, and deliberately less perfect optically. It's not an 'either/or' against those lenses; it's a 'both/and' if you have the budget and need for a specialized tool. The Meike 55mm f/1.8 is a better all-rounder, but it won't give you oval bokeh or a 2.35:1 aspect ratio.

Portrait and wedding photographers should look elsewhere immediately. This lens scores a dismal 30.7/100 for portrait work in our database. You need autofocus and a fast, variable aperture for that world. Hybrid shooters who switch between photos and video on the same shoot will find the fully manual operation and anamorphic distortion a major hindrance.

Videographers who only deliver in standard 16:9 or 4:3 are also not the target. You'd be paying for the vertical-squeeze feature you'll never use. In that case, consider a more traditional cine prime from brands like Sirui or DZOFilm, or even a high-quality photo lens like the Nikon Z 35mm f/1.8 S, which will give you sharper, more versatile results for general filmmaking.

Buy the Blazar Beetle 32mm if you're a filmmaker or serious content creator who specifically wants the anamorphic aesthetic and you shoot for both widescreen and vertical platforms. Its lightweight build and format-switching superpower make it ideal for solo operators, documentary shooters, or social media creators who need that cinematic look across deliverables. It's a tool that solves a very specific, modern problem.

Skip it, hard, if you're a photographer, a hybrid shooter who needs autofocus, or a videographer who prioritizes razor-sharp 4K detail above all else. This lens is about character and flexibility, not pixel-peeping perfection. Also, if you only ever deliver in 16:9, the vertical feature is wasted, and you might find a more conventional anamorphic lens a better fit.