Sirui Sirui Astra T1.8 1.33x AF Anamorphic 3-Cine Lens Review

The Sirui Astra T1.8 1.33x AF Anamorphic 3-Cine Lens Kit gives you a true cinematic anamorphic look at an unprecedented price. The three-lens set (50, 75, 100mm) is optically sharp and includes autofocus, making it a great choice for Sony shooters wanting to experiment with widescreen filmmaking without a Hollywood budget.

If you're a Sony shooter looking to get that classic widescreen movie look without breaking the bank, the Sirui Astra T1.8 1.33x AF Anamorphic 3-Cine Lens Kit is probably on your radar. This isn't your everyday photography lens—it's a specialized tool for video and cinema work. The kit bundles three prime lenses (50mm, 75mm, and 100mm) designed to give you that stretched, cinematic 2.4:1 aspect ratio directly in-camera, with no cropping needed. At around $2,550 for the set, it's positioned as an accessible entry point into the world of anamorphic glass, a category where single lenses can easily cost more than this entire trio.

The optical performance is where this kit really stands out. According to our database, it scores in the 96th percentile for optical quality among similar products. That means these lenses are sharp and deliver a clean image. The T1.8 aperture is decently fast, though it lands in the 29th percentile, so you're not getting the absolute brightest lens on the market. The autofocus performance is solid, sitting at the 45th percentile, which is perfectly usable for many run-and-gun or documentary-style shoots. In practice, the 1.33x squeeze factor is the star of the show, transforming standard 16:9 footage into a wide 2.4:1 cinematic frame with those signature oval bokeh balls and vertical stretch in the background.

At $2,550 for three lenses, the value proposition is clear: this is the most affordable way to get a true, multi-focal-length anamorphic kit. Single anamorphic lenses from brands like Atlas or Cooke can cost five to ten times this amount. You're trading some premium build materials and the most extreme anamorphic characteristics for a package that actually gets you shooting. For indie filmmakers, content creators, or anyone wanting to experiment with the format, it's a compelling deal.

This kit exists in its own niche, but let's talk alternatives. If you just want a sharp, fast prime for general use, a standard lens like the Meike 55mm F1.8 or a Nikon Z 35mm f/1.8 S will be cheaper and offer better low-light performance. But they won't give you the anamorphic look. For that, you'd have to look at other anamorphic options, which are almost all manual focus and far more expensive. Sirui's own previous anamorphics were manual-only. The key differentiator here is the inclusion of autofocus across three lenses at this price point, which is basically unheard of. Compared to slapping an anamorphic filter on a regular lens, this kit delivers a much more authentic and higher-quality result.

Skip this kit if you're mainly a still photographer. The anamorphic effect is a hassle to deal with for photos. Also, if you need a versatile, all-in-one travel lens or require weather sealing for outdoor adventures, look at a standard zoom instead. For extreme macro work, the 0.5m minimum focus distance is a real limitation. And if your budget is tight and you don't specifically need the anamorphic look, a standard prime lens will give you better low-light performance and closer focusing for a fraction of the price.

So, should you buy the Sirui Astra Anamorphic Kit? If you're a video creator or filmmaker who specifically wants that cinematic, widescreen anamorphic look and you shoot on a Sony E-mount camera, this is a no-brainer. It's the most straightforward and cost-effective path to getting that style. The image quality is excellent, and having AF is a huge practical benefit. But if you're primarily a photographer, or if you need extreme close-focusing, image stabilization, or weather sealing for tough shoots, this specialized kit isn't for you. For its intended purpose—making cinematic video more accessible—it absolutely delivers.