Dude, this video is insanely perfect! Literally answers everything you could possibly need! Thank you for your efforts! We appreciate this more than you know!
Thanks so much for the effort. Been watching sample footage for weeks now and after seeing the footage after shimming I definitely feel confident in this set
Thanks for removing ANY question of our choice in these over the Mercurys 😂 but seriously, thank you for the time and effort that went into this video. Expecting our set in the next few weeks and am HYPED to use them on some upcoming projects 🔥
Nice work gentlemen! I'm really enjoying these lenses. Glad I preordered. These paired with the Viltrox EF PRO .71 speed booster and the Komodo X and you get some wild looks.
Thank you for this. The exciting part for me was seeing the HUGE difference that 3:2 gives....it's such a massive change in how much more the lenses can see. Epic!
That was a great review! I've been very very happy with my purchase, also ordered on day one and got them a couple weeks ago. Great look and great mechanics for the price point. A rental monster already ;)
Been WAITING for this one since I saw these things announced. As is the case for a lot of people (I imagine), that price point has me super curious. I rent a lot of anamorphics and for the money, you could obviously buy this full set for what it takes to rent in a single Orion for 3-4 jobs. Not comparing these to the Orions by any stretch but what's compelling is that we like shooting anamorphic for a lot of projects, not every project requires an Orion, however, we end up renting it anyways because if we're gonna rent in some anamorphic, might as well rent ones we love and the Orions are our favorite for gritty anamorphic with loads of "character". These could save us so much money on those clients that we want the look and the grit for but don't necessarily require the caliber of an Orion
This test is the best of these so far! Looks like you got the best sharpness I've seen so far. In every other test video, they looked like shit wide open, too soft in my opinion. Shimming is the trick. And it seems just like every other test I've seen that the 100mm is the softest of the set wide open. Cheers
Great review, thanks for sharing. Unbelievable value for the Remus set, and its a at a price where if you don't use it all the time, you don't feel like it's burning a hole in your pocket!
Had to drop a comment because you guys deserve all the views. Great review. I’m tempted to scoop a set of these and I had no major interest in anamorphic glass before watching 😅
OK best in depth review and comparison so far for sure! Thanks a lot for that. I really like these lenses and are so close so pulling the tricker on them. For me maybe a more safe bet would be the Laowa Proteus. They check more boxes, like the Orions more or less. But they are "only" super 35 and need to be paired with the fx3, and then there's the weight and size.
Personally i think youd be able to work the proteus on a lot more jobs in terms of anamorphic, and the 2x and rear coverage makes them insanely more flexible, but they are much higher priced, much heavier and have a much more neutral anamorphic look.
@@NorthwestCameraCo The price is higher, but all the examples I saw of them just looks so much more controlled. They are sharp AND soft at the same time. not like the Nanomorphs or all the Sirui's which I don't like at all because of the sharpness and the crazy flares. Also I like the idea that the Proteus can be "shaped" much more into my liking in post whereas if I go for the Remus, then thats the style I'm stuck with
Kinda weird you guys didn’t compare them to the Nanomorphs or Sirius since they’re the same price point. And was expecting your guys tone to be overall negative on the Remus like it was on the Mercurys since they’re kinda similar in character choices they made. The Mercurys def resolve better sharpness and resolution, surprise you guys didn’t compare of share that. I love both of these lenses for their own reasons. The Remus I could use on almost anything, specially at that price point depending on character needs. The Remus have more for an astigmatism than the Mercurys too specially on full frame. So weird we’re getting different results? But if I needed a higher end final deliverable I would most likely use or rent the Mercurys, specifically cause they can resolve more resolution currently. But for me the Remus will cover most of my needs on my level of needs for sure. We’re so spoiled these days.
Galen here, ( I help shoot and edit all these videos ). Domenic will elaborate further I'm sure, but I think a huge part of our praise for these in comparison to the Mercury's came down to Price, Performance ( focus plane issues on mercury's ) and Availability. No, they're not perfect and do suffer from similar issue to the Atlas, but when the competition costs 10x as much it makes reviewing ( and comparing ) a little difficult. I like the Mercury's for basically all the same reasons I love these. I mean, I bought a set myself a Remus set too! Love em. Had the chance to shoot the Mercury's last summer on Komodo X and had a blast.
@cam, yea basically look wise they are polar opposite from nanos and sirui which is why we left those comparisons out and we mentioned that. Also if you rewatch our mercury video, there wasnt much of any negativity, but more educational awareness of the unique challenges the mercuries have. these dont have those issues. They do have wild distortion and unique challenges. either way both are very similar options for people wanting tons of character.
This price point, the versatility of 1,5x squeeze and the funky character of the lenses makes me seriously consider them as my first anamorphic set. I love the look of the Mercuries and getting comparable results for 10% price is ri-di-cu-lous.
Nice review guys. I’ve already bought the 65 and plan to get the 45 but not the 100. I also will get a 1.33x adapter as I think this is the cheapest way to get decent but characterful 2x squeeze atm. Was glad to see you guys testing that out with the rear 1.33x adapter on the 65 too 👍🏿.. good work
I canceled my Mercury preorder after watching early footage from these lenses. Image is largely subjective… imo, there’s nothing between the Mercury lenses and the Remus image wise. If they were priced within 10% of each other, it would be a tough decision, but at literally 1/10th the cost, the a Blazar Remus are a no brainer. The Remus check all the boxes. I just wish the forth lens was going to be full frame.
Last year after watching your mercy video I canceled my order, and a few months ago I placed my pre-order to get the discount on these lens, after watching this review, I am happy I made the right decision. Thanks! 😅 pretty sure Atlas won’t like this video though.
I hope you are aware of the incredible influence that this review is having. Atlas must be filled with extreme levels of anxiety since these lenses became available!. Got myself a set of the Remus' and they are exceeding expectations. What a time to exist in! Prosumer market is absolutely crushing the professional one.
Hey folks! Great review - can you break down the Nanos compared to the Remus'? Just the cliff notes on the differencess? You mention they aren't comparable at the 22 minute marks. Love these in-depth and accurate reviews - as opposed to the "they are cinematic so cool!" reviews. Subbed!
If you’re worried about CA then anamorphic isn’t the right choice. Even anamorphics like the cookes at 20k a pop have CA at a much higher level than spherical. Kind of comes with the territory. Luckily most viewers don’t care who are average people. Vintage looking anamorphics had loads of CA even stopped down to 4 and 5.6. So to be this vintage feeling and have better performance at those stops than vintage counterparts is actually quite nice.
@@NorthwestCameraCo I've got an Iscorama 2000 and one of those super sharp Sirui 50mm with the 1.3 (variable) squeeze factor, so I am already nearly there (but still looking for the full frame option). I think there are better options, but not at this price of course, and the other thing that would concern me is the field curvature at 20:40 on the 45mm. Mmm, now that is a concern.
Interesting video and some very interesting conclusions. You mention looking after the lenses and an estimate of the annual cost of servicing them but you don't compare the mechanical quality of differeng lens sets, which is likely to influence the amount of servicing attention that they may need. I can't comment on this, as I haven't seen inside these lenses yet but I feel that in order to be able to properly compare them, I think that you have to factor in the mechanical integrity and build quality of these different lenses to be able to make an informed opinion. You are correct that the payback of these lenses will be really quick compared with Cooke/P&S and even Mercury but I don't have any knowledge about how robust these are to begin with, as a failed job will necessarily become a VERY EXPENSIVE job and then you may regret buying cheap. Buy cheap, buy twice is an old adage.
I thought it was weird after watching both this and the Mercury Vid, that they "worked" on the remus, "then" compared. I also believe that when you buy to "rent" vs buy to "use", there's influence in some manner. I experienced none of the same Mercury Issues when my 42 came in. Bet I was lucky, and everyone else got the same set as CC here got.
I just tripled my total invoice to my production facility based on your information that I didn't understand well until now. Expecting 6 grand I was weary they'd be upset on the amount. Now that I've hit 17k and explaining why, they had no problem submitting it for payment. Thank you for a years tuition to catholic school for my kid free to me now....
This is going to be a thing with pretty much any 1.5 with heavy character in FF modes. The mercury do it, these do, the PS technic do as well as the aivascope and a few others. This is extra pronounced due to the format height. But yea way more of a thing with 1.5x vs 2x for some reason. Not sure of why.
@@NorthwestCameraCo , thanks for the insight! I’m currently looking for an anamorphic set for my classroom. I’m really tempted by the EPIC, but the size though!!! 😫😫😫
Awesome review and great insights at the finale. Really appreciate how we all can watch this in-depth review and thoughts easily. I especially liked that you compared Atlas mercuries frequently both pros and cons with footage. One request, can you make a video of 'Remus + Laowa 1.33 adapter' combination? I do like Remus set but non-dominating flares and pointy bokehs at the edge of frames are not my things. Seems like Laowa's rear adapter kinda solves the issues a little bit with making the set 2x anamorphic. Of course you lose some sharpness but you can't have them all at this price range :)
@@NorthwestCameraCo it's next week and was the video posted? I'm also super interested in this combination. The Remus seem really like S35 lenses that allow you to cover FF, like how the DZO Pavo are advertised as S35 but can be used FF for some focal lengths.... wondering how the Remus + rear 1.33x adapter affects FoV and quality.
@@visserindustries5293 sorry got hired on some gigs this week and our Burano came in. So trying to squeeze in testing that where we can. I’ll do my best to try to find some time. Check description for a quick test with rear adapter. S35 only coverage. And fov isn’t really changed.
It would be great to get that video where you show the Mercury and Remus side by side. I’m not doubting this review but the images I’ve seen for the Mercury look much better. The 100mm Remus looked really bad on some tests. It could be because the Mercury footage was shot by better cinematographers than a lot of the footage out there from the Remus.
The edges looks terrible on this lens i dont mind the softness but that distortion is alot. The trees looked arched and subject also around the edges.im sure this can be corrected in Post but thats alot of edge distortion IMO.
Thanks for the thorough tests! been looking into these a ton, and I definitely think I will at least get the Remus 45mm or 65mm later this year! I would have loved to see the 45 on 16:9 s35 tho. Do you feel like the fisheye look changes a bit when shooting s35?
Love the video! I was wondered what your thoughts are on these vs Aivascope? Obviously different system but similar price when you can pair Aivascope with different focal lengths. Cheers!
I personally LOVE the aivascope, its a little less of a robust set solution and really limits you to S35, but i love the modularity and the flares are hard to beat. depends on your needs.
I was looking for this answer lol - but I just wanted to add don’t be afraid to push the aivascope with larger formats - actually works a treat with gfx in 4K full width with a fair few lenses….
@@Chris-ee5bg more of having focal length options. Really would love to have something that covers FF at the 35-40 mark with vignetting. Been hard to find. They work really well the Athena’s
Yeah I dunno, I feel the 'bubble effect' especially when you combine that with shooting wide open on full frame is SUPER distracting tbh. When watching that little skit in the forest, the wider closeup on the other gentleman was crazy distorted, I started feeling dizzy even just from a few seconds. It immediately draws attention to itself. When you show the La La Land scenes, it feels less pronounced mainly because they're not shooting wide open and the characters are further away from camera. So with these lenses, you really have to be cautious and consider how you're gonna frame. I also felt that the Mercurys had more 3D pop.
we especially chose this location to showcase just how crazy wild barrel distortion lenses can be. It may be a look that works great in some scenarios, but in others it can be very very distracting. in S35 mode its very well controlled, but lets be honest, most people getting a FF anamorphic are going to shoot it in FF mode. Thats why we tested it in its full height they advertise at. I think we shot most stuff outside at t2.8/4 split. Also on both these and mercuries, i think very bright scenes you notice lots of the negatives much easier. IF you are shooting low key lighting scenarios with lots of shadow in dark environments, a lot of this can be hidden or be less noticeable.
@@NorthwestCameraCo yeah totally get that. I’ve been waiting on your guys’ review of the set as you always do them very comprehensively so it’s much appreciated. I bought Blazar’s Nero adapter beginning of the year and was very close to getting these. After shooting tests, the adapter has a very similar look but the fish bowl effect is not quite as pronounced and for the cost of one lens I can use all my Nikkor AI lenses that pair very nicely with it and have a full set for niche projects. Love the look that I’ve gotten out of it but wouldn’t use it for a lot of projects.
Don’t like the fish eye barrel distortion on the 45mm - it’s a put-off just looks more like GoPro than anamorphic. I’ll be more interested in the 100mm
It looks like the image squeezes in and out when you pan it left and right. Is it normal for anamorphic lenses? Do you just avoid panning with these lenses?
honestly for lenses with lots of wild character this is a thing. It happens on quite a few panavision lenses as well. Its one of the things to be aware of when shooting anamorphic with lots of barrel distortion. Sometimes it can work really well. sometimes its hard to work around. Just depends on what you are trying to shoot with them. and this is mainly only noticeable on the wider lens.
After seeing all other Reviews I am wondering about one thing: in every other review I've seen the wider lenses were astonishing! But the 100mm was basically unusable. In your review the 100 is softer than the other two, but far from unusable, in fact totally usable. Is this maybe due to the fact, that every other Review was on pre-production models?
@@KarmaIsABitsch I got the set and they came with plenty of shims from 0.05 to 0.3. Not sure how much you get if it's a single lens but I assume they will still include enough.
A crusade against Mercury veiled as a review of Blazar. It’s quite funny to be honest. The presenter deploys huffs and puffs and rhetorical figures of speech any politician can learn from to push their agenda. Thumbs up for this skit!
Excellent video! Honestly I think these lenses are ugly, just my opinion. Companies are scrambling to make full frame anamorphics and the reality is that super 35mm is much better suited to anamorphics. In my experience, decent full frame anamorphics are generally massive and heavy because of all the glass needed to deliver a good image across a full frame sensor. I’ve shot several projects on Cooke’s full frame anamorphics and they’re gorgeous but absolute beasts in size. Even with spherical glass, people will prioritize large sensor shooting even when the image is damn near falling apart at the edges. I think s35 is actually the best format for cinema. Large enough to get a shallow DOF, small enough to be covered properly by lightweight lenses
My own personal tastes would agree about heavy character anamorphics. I prefer a larger sensor than s35 myself. Mainly due to lens performance in relation to depth of field. To get a similar look in out of focus areas in both formats you might be t1.5 on s35 and 2.8 in FF. once you factor in the change in perspective and move camera accordingly. At 2.8 lenses are performing much better and still getting a good amount of out of focus area. All personal taste though and no format is a bad choice. Long live options!!
@@NorthwestCameraCo I totally get that. All I’m saying is that to me, s35 is the sweet spot for shallow enough DOF and optics performance. Too many filmmakers blindly chase the shallowest possible DOF without even considering what it adds or takes away from the story they’re trying to tell. Not saying you do that, but I’ve definitely seen some movies where the DOF was inexcusably shallow. Like why did they even bother to hire a locations department or set dresser? It’s one thing to make the subject pop from the background, it’s another to transport them to this muddy, blurry, incoherent world. That kind of shot definitely has its place in storytelling, but it should be done with purpose and intent (or because there wasn’t enough time or budget to properly light and you just have to grab the shot lol) Anyway, rant over. I’ve been color grading a project all night and it’s bed time 🥱
@@frannyfranman to be honest I think these lens should be labeled as super 35 and not ff. Yes they covered ff image circle but the distortion at the edges are a bit too much for most projects. I use my set on Ursa G2 and the image is much more controlled
Since that camera is a 4:3 cut of a 17:9 sensor, you’d probably have less FOV compared to a taller sensor but because of that also, you’ll probably have less of the bubbly distortion.
but that looks quite terrible... ugly edge distortions, poor bokeh especially on the edges, prinmitive lensflares...don't get it, whats to like about it? you're confusing vintage aesthetic with poor quality product, that's hyping on the word "anamorphic"
Personally I agree. These and the atlas mercuries perform very similarly in all those ways. But people do like this look. It’s not lacking character that’s for sure.
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Dude, this video is insanely perfect! Literally answers everything you could possibly need! Thank you for your efforts! We appreciate this more than you know!
Absolutely. Glad we could help :)
This is absolutely the best review thus far! Well done and thank you!
Thanks so much for the effort. Been watching sample footage for weeks now and after seeing the footage after shimming I definitely feel confident in this set
Thanks for removing ANY question of our choice in these over the Mercurys 😂 but seriously, thank you for the time and effort that went into this video. Expecting our set in the next few weeks and am HYPED to use them on some upcoming projects 🔥
This has to be one of the best reviews I've come across. Thanks for all the effort and comparisons, very in depth and very important!
Sorry it was so long. But lots to talk about with these heavy distortion type lenses.
I keep coming back to this video. You really knocked it out of the park. So much valuable info here. Thank you!
Oh for sure. Glad to help.
Best channel for lens testing. Thanks for your work !
Absolutely. Glad you enjoy!!
Finally a great review of this lenses .......Thanks a lot !!!!!
Nice work gentlemen! I'm really enjoying these lenses. Glad I preordered. These paired with the Viltrox EF PRO .71 speed booster and the Komodo X and you get some wild looks.
any videos on your page?
Thank you for this. The exciting part for me was seeing the HUGE difference that 3:2 gives....it's such a massive change in how much more the lenses can see. Epic!
Yea that extra vertical makes a big difference in look
That was a great review! I've been very very happy with my purchase, also ordered on day one and got them a couple weeks ago.
Great look and great mechanics for the price point. A rental monster already ;)
“Only unaliving these lenses” is what I heard, with RWJ voice in my head.
Been WAITING for this one since I saw these things announced. As is the case for a lot of people (I imagine), that price point has me super curious. I rent a lot of anamorphics and for the money, you could obviously buy this full set for what it takes to rent in a single Orion for 3-4 jobs.
Not comparing these to the Orions by any stretch but what's compelling is that we like shooting anamorphic for a lot of projects, not every project requires an Orion, however, we end up renting it anyways because if we're gonna rent in some anamorphic, might as well rent ones we love and the Orions are our favorite for gritty anamorphic with loads of "character".
These could save us so much money on those clients that we want the look and the grit for but don't necessarily require the caliber of an Orion
The best review I’ve seen for these lenses!!! Thank you!
I love your test of making a feature film, which is more valuable than just shooting some empty footage thank you
This test is the best of these so far! Looks like you got the best sharpness I've seen so far. In every other test video, they looked like shit wide open, too soft in my opinion. Shimming is the trick. And it seems just like every other test I've seen that the 100mm is the softest of the set wide open. Cheers
Great review, thanks for sharing. Unbelievable value for the Remus set, and its a at a price where if you don't use it all the time, you don't feel like it's burning a hole in your pocket!
Remus vs aivascope+dulens would be a cool vid
Best review yet 🎉
The best video of Blazar Nero until now. One more subscriber here for you, lad.
Minimal gear load outs are the best shoots! I am also working on cutting a new reel. It really does take forever!
This was exactly to information I was looking for. Appreciate this!
I LOVE THIS VIDEO, I look around the youtube for the Remus review, this is so far the best video I seen!
Thanks a bunch for watching!!
Absolutely incredible review. Thanks so much
With this crazy good review I had to sub at least. Insane insight especially maintenance which I wasn't aware of. Thanks a lot!
Had to drop a comment because you guys deserve all the views. Great review.
I’m tempted to scoop a set of these and I had no major interest in anamorphic glass before watching 😅
Thanks a ton Austin.
Watching this on my wedding day
Woah
This is what happens when profesional and mature people make content. Great job
OK best in depth review and comparison so far for sure! Thanks a lot for that. I really like these lenses and are so close so pulling the tricker on them. For me maybe a more safe bet would be the Laowa Proteus. They check more boxes, like the Orions more or less. But they are "only" super 35 and need to be paired with the fx3, and then there's the weight and size.
Personally i think youd be able to work the proteus on a lot more jobs in terms of anamorphic, and the 2x and rear coverage makes them insanely more flexible, but they are much higher priced, much heavier and have a much more neutral anamorphic look.
@@NorthwestCameraCo The price is higher, but all the examples I saw of them just looks so much more controlled. They are sharp AND soft at the same time. not like the Nanomorphs or all the Sirui's which I don't like at all because of the sharpness and the crazy flares. Also I like the idea that the Proteus can be "shaped" much more into my liking in post whereas if I go for the Remus, then thats the style I'm stuck with
I really enjoy your highly informative and pleasant videos.
Very insightful! Thank you so much. :)
Kinda weird you guys didn’t compare them to the Nanomorphs or Sirius since they’re the same price point. And was expecting your guys tone to be overall negative on the Remus like it was on the Mercurys since they’re kinda similar in character choices they made. The Mercurys def resolve better sharpness and resolution, surprise you guys didn’t compare of share that. I love both of these lenses for their own reasons. The Remus I could use on almost anything, specially at that price point depending on character needs. The Remus have more for an astigmatism than the Mercurys too specially on full frame. So weird we’re getting different results? But if I needed a higher end final deliverable I would most likely use or rent the Mercurys, specifically cause they can resolve more resolution currently. But for me the Remus will cover most of my needs on my level of needs for sure. We’re so spoiled these days.
Galen here, ( I help shoot and edit all these videos ). Domenic will elaborate further I'm sure, but I think a huge part of our praise for these in comparison to the Mercury's came down to Price, Performance ( focus plane issues on mercury's ) and Availability. No, they're not perfect and do suffer from similar issue to the Atlas, but when the competition costs 10x as much it makes reviewing ( and comparing ) a little difficult. I like the Mercury's for basically all the same reasons I love these. I mean, I bought a set myself a Remus set too! Love em. Had the chance to shoot the Mercury's last summer on Komodo X and had a blast.
@cam, yea basically look wise they are polar opposite from nanos and sirui which is why we left those comparisons out and we mentioned that. Also if you rewatch our mercury video, there wasnt much of any negativity, but more educational awareness of the unique challenges the mercuries have. these dont have those issues. They do have wild distortion and unique challenges. either way both are very similar options for people wanting tons of character.
I’d love to see a Vazen VS Mercury resolution / sharpness comparison. Vazen wide open has really impressed me. Their PL ff set.
This price point, the versatility of 1,5x squeeze and the funky character of the lenses makes me seriously consider them as my first anamorphic set. I love the look of the Mercuries and getting comparable results for 10% price is ri-di-cu-lous.
Nice review guys. I’ve already bought the 65 and plan to get the 45 but not the 100. I also will get a 1.33x adapter as I think this is the cheapest way to get decent but characterful 2x squeeze atm. Was glad to see you guys testing that out with the rear 1.33x adapter on the 65 too 👍🏿.. good work
« Full frame 3:2 » now we’re talking 🤝🏼
Thanks for the great test and opinion on the lenses. I own a set of them and was amazed by the results for narrative films on Raptor FF and Komodo.
I canceled my Mercury preorder after watching early footage from these lenses. Image is largely subjective… imo, there’s nothing between the Mercury lenses and the Remus image wise. If they were priced within 10% of each other, it would be a tough decision, but at literally 1/10th the cost, the a Blazar Remus are a no brainer. The Remus check all the boxes.
I just wish the forth lens was going to be full frame.
Even at s35 at 35mm, if you’re desqueezing from FF 16:9, I bet it will mostly cover.
Man, your video is perfect. Thanks a lot :)
Glad it helped! Cheers!
Last year after watching your mercy video I canceled my order, and a few months ago I placed my pre-order to get the discount on these lens, after watching this review, I am happy I made the right decision. Thanks! 😅 pretty sure Atlas won’t like this video though.
I hope you are aware of the incredible influence that this review is having. Atlas must be filled with extreme levels of anxiety since these lenses became available!. Got myself a set of the Remus' and they are exceeding expectations. What a time to exist in! Prosumer market is absolutely crushing the professional one.
Oh wow, this is a great approach. Congrats
Omg the CA at 20:30 is bad. I assume it was wide open? does it get better at T2.8?
Also a great video, thanks for all of the work you put in for us.
Yea CA on all these old vintage esque lenses that are anamorphic is going to be the challenge.
Hey folks! Great review - can you break down the Nanos compared to the Remus'? Just the cliff notes on the differencess? You mention they aren't comparable at the 22 minute marks. Love these in-depth and accurate reviews - as opposed to the "they are cinematic so cool!" reviews. Subbed!
Wow, never heard about shimming before… nice to learn some new stuff 😊
At T2.0 this is amazing for a FF. I should have waited with my Sirui! but its a solid set
Amazing job on this
Awesome video!
Good job and thorough. I'm concerned on the CA though. I saw a still and it wasn't good, but what you shot looked good. Choices! Choices!
If you’re worried about CA then anamorphic isn’t the right choice. Even anamorphics like the cookes at 20k a pop have CA at a much higher level than spherical. Kind of comes with the territory. Luckily most viewers don’t care who are average people. Vintage looking anamorphics had loads of CA even stopped down to 4 and 5.6. So to be this vintage feeling and have better performance at those stops than vintage counterparts is actually quite nice.
@@NorthwestCameraCo I've got an Iscorama 2000 and one of those super sharp Sirui 50mm with the 1.3 (variable) squeeze factor, so I am already nearly there (but still looking for the full frame option). I think there are better options, but not at this price of course, and the other thing that would concern me is the field curvature at 20:40 on the 45mm. Mmm, now that is a concern.
Interesting video and some very interesting conclusions. You mention looking after the lenses and an estimate of the annual cost of servicing them but you don't compare the mechanical quality of differeng lens sets, which is likely to influence the amount of servicing attention that they may need.
I can't comment on this, as I haven't seen inside these lenses yet but I feel that in order to be able to properly compare them, I think that you have to factor in the mechanical integrity and build quality of these different lenses to be able to make an informed opinion.
You are correct that the payback of these lenses will be really quick compared with Cooke/P&S and even Mercury but I don't have any knowledge about how robust these are to begin with, as a failed job will necessarily become a VERY EXPENSIVE job and then you may regret buying cheap. Buy cheap, buy twice is an old adage.
I thought it was weird after watching both this and the Mercury Vid, that they "worked" on the remus, "then" compared. I also believe that when you buy to "rent" vs buy to "use", there's influence in some manner. I experienced none of the same Mercury Issues when my 42 came in. Bet I was lucky, and everyone else got the same set as CC here got.
Great job!
This was incredibly helpful. thank you!!!
I just tripled my total invoice to my production facility based on your information that I didn't understand well until now. Expecting 6 grand I was weary they'd be upset on the amount. Now that I've hit 17k and explaining why, they had no problem submitting it for payment. Thank you for a years tuition to catholic school for my kid free to me now....
That lens flare was cool.
The way the head gets squashed when it’s placed on the right or left side is a deal breaker for me. Center looks good though.
This is going to be a thing with pretty much any 1.5 with heavy character in FF modes. The mercury do it, these do, the PS technic do as well as the aivascope and a few others. This is extra pronounced due to the format height. But yea way more of a thing with 1.5x vs 2x for some reason. Not sure of why.
@@NorthwestCameraCo , thanks for the insight! I’m currently looking for an anamorphic set for my classroom. I’m really tempted by the EPIC, but the size though!!! 😫😫😫
@@mrheng562 epics are amazing. They are for more compact than they appear. But really amazing performance for the size.
Fantastic video.
Love your videos! I hate to be the guy that asks but what camera is the lens on when filming?
Thank you very much for an informational video. God bless.
Good video guys ❤❤❤
Awesome review and great insights at the finale. Really appreciate how we all can watch this in-depth review and thoughts easily. I especially liked that you compared Atlas mercuries frequently both pros and cons with footage. One request, can you make a video of 'Remus + Laowa 1.33 adapter' combination? I do like Remus set but non-dominating flares and pointy bokehs at the edge of frames are not my things. Seems like Laowa's rear adapter kinda solves the issues a little bit with making the set 2x anamorphic. Of course you lose some sharpness but you can't have them all at this price range :)
We have a video already of this. Will post it next week :)
Link in video description for a quick test!
@@NorthwestCameraCo it's next week and was the video posted? I'm also super interested in this combination. The Remus seem really like S35 lenses that allow you to cover FF, like how the DZO Pavo are advertised as S35 but can be used FF for some focal lengths.... wondering how the Remus + rear 1.33x adapter affects FoV and quality.
@@visserindustries5293 sorry got hired on some gigs this week and our Burano came in. So trying to squeeze in testing that where we can. I’ll do my best to try to find some time. Check description for a quick test with rear adapter. S35 only coverage. And fov isn’t really changed.
It would be great to get that video where you show the Mercury and Remus side by side. I’m not doubting this review but the images I’ve seen for the Mercury look much better. The 100mm Remus looked really bad on some tests. It could be because the Mercury footage was shot by better cinematographers than a lot of the footage out there from the Remus.
I loved the video.
Good video! One more thing to mention: there is space in the case for another lens. So, you can expect a fourth lens. I suspect a 35mm.
Yes! We completely forgot to mention that. Very much looking forward to it!
its a 35mm for S35 sensors
Buying something I have to reshim? How much does the shim affect it?
The edges looks terrible on this lens i dont mind the softness but that distortion is alot. The trees looked arched and subject also around the edges.im sure this can be corrected in Post but thats alot of edge distortion IMO.
Thanks for the thorough tests! been looking into these a ton, and I definitely think I will at least get the Remus 45mm or 65mm later this year! I would have loved to see the 45 on 16:9 s35 tho. Do you feel like the fisheye look changes a bit when shooting s35?
Is there anyway I can turn a Alexa Mini to full frame like with a speedbooster? Thanks
Great info
Love the video! I was wondered what your thoughts are on these vs Aivascope? Obviously different system but similar price when you can pair Aivascope with different focal lengths. Cheers!
I personally LOVE the aivascope, its a little less of a robust set solution and really limits you to S35, but i love the modularity and the flares are hard to beat.
depends on your needs.
Thanks! Seen a lot of footage and although it’s less robust it looks great
I was looking for this answer lol - but I just wanted to add don’t be afraid to push the aivascope with larger formats - actually works a treat with gfx in 4K full width with a fair few lenses….
@@Chris-ee5bg more of having focal length options. Really would love to have something that covers FF at the 35-40 mark with vignetting. Been hard to find. They work really well the Athena’s
Remus vs Aivascope/Dulens (or Canon FD)… Pleeaaase !!
Yeah I dunno, I feel the 'bubble effect' especially when you combine that with shooting wide open on full frame is SUPER distracting tbh. When watching that little skit in the forest, the wider closeup on the other gentleman was crazy distorted, I started feeling dizzy even just from a few seconds. It immediately draws attention to itself. When you show the La La Land scenes, it feels less pronounced mainly because they're not shooting wide open and the characters are further away from camera. So with these lenses, you really have to be cautious and consider how you're gonna frame. I also felt that the Mercurys had more 3D pop.
we especially chose this location to showcase just how crazy wild barrel distortion lenses can be. It may be a look that works great in some scenarios, but in others it can be very very distracting. in S35 mode its very well controlled, but lets be honest, most people getting a FF anamorphic are going to shoot it in FF mode. Thats why we tested it in its full height they advertise at. I think we shot most stuff outside at t2.8/4 split. Also on both these and mercuries, i think very bright scenes you notice lots of the negatives much easier. IF you are shooting low key lighting scenarios with lots of shadow in dark environments, a lot of this can be hidden or be less noticeable.
@@NorthwestCameraCo yeah totally get that. I’ve been waiting on your guys’ review of the set as you always do them very comprehensively so it’s much appreciated. I bought Blazar’s Nero adapter beginning of the year and was very close to getting these. After shooting tests, the adapter has a very similar look but the fish bowl effect is not quite as pronounced and for the cost of one lens I can use all my Nikkor AI lenses that pair very nicely with it and have a full set for niche projects. Love the look that I’ve gotten out of it but wouldn’t use it for a lot of projects.
So is the shimming a must have for these lenses?
Depends on the look. But in general shimming is a thing on every lens. Always best to check/test and see what’s needed for optimization.
Don’t like the fish eye barrel distortion on the 45mm - it’s a put-off just looks more like GoPro than anamorphic. I’ll be more interested in the 100mm
So you did a 0.1 or a 0.01 shim for all lenses?
It looks like the image squeezes in and out when you pan it left and right. Is it normal for anamorphic lenses? Do you just avoid panning with these lenses?
honestly for lenses with lots of wild character this is a thing. It happens on quite a few panavision lenses as well. Its one of the things to be aware of when shooting anamorphic with lots of barrel distortion. Sometimes it can work really well. sometimes its hard to work around. Just depends on what you are trying to shoot with them. and this is mainly only noticeable on the wider lens.
Bright metal housing on set?
Whats the minimum focus distance on the 45mm?
After seeing all other Reviews I am wondering about one thing:
in every other review I've seen the wider lenses were astonishing! But the 100mm was basically unusable. In your review the 100 is softer than the other two, but far from unusable, in fact totally usable.
Is this maybe due to the fact, that every other Review was on pre-production models?
shimming helps a lot. Both my 45 and 100mm was pretty bad out of the box. But once I re shim it, they look great.
@@harrykise9752 Do the deliver the lenses with a couple of shims?
@@KarmaIsABitsch I got the set and they came with plenty of shims from 0.05 to 0.3. Not sure how much you get if it's a single lens but I assume they will still include enough.
nice thanks for the info! @@harrykise9752
That short film was hilariously uncomfortable to watch 😂
Just the vibe we go for.
you legend thanks
A crusade against Mercury veiled as a review of Blazar. It’s quite funny to be honest. The presenter deploys huffs and puffs and rhetorical figures of speech any politician can learn from to push their agenda. Thumbs up for this skit!
They dont sell stand-alone ( single lens)
I believe they do.
How long did it take you to deliver the blazar?
I guess it’s great value if filmmaking is just a hobby and you want a cinematic look 🤔😃👌
Hey what about the Pavo 2X anamorphics? Why didn’t you guys compare those? Cause one is 2X one is 1.5X?
Yea correct. 2x vs 1.5 is very different across the board.
Excellent video! Honestly I think these lenses are ugly, just my opinion. Companies are scrambling to make full frame anamorphics and the reality is that super 35mm is much better suited to anamorphics. In my experience, decent full frame anamorphics are generally massive and heavy because of all the glass needed to deliver a good image across a full frame sensor. I’ve shot several projects on Cooke’s full frame anamorphics and they’re gorgeous but absolute beasts in size.
Even with spherical glass, people will prioritize large sensor shooting even when the image is damn near falling apart at the edges. I think s35 is actually the best format for cinema. Large enough to get a shallow DOF, small enough to be covered properly by lightweight lenses
My own personal tastes would agree about heavy character anamorphics. I prefer a larger sensor than s35 myself. Mainly due to lens performance in relation to depth of field. To get a similar look in out of focus areas in both formats you might be t1.5 on s35 and 2.8 in FF. once you factor in the change in perspective and move camera accordingly. At 2.8 lenses are performing much better and still getting a good amount of out of focus area. All personal taste though and no format is a bad choice. Long live options!!
@@NorthwestCameraCo I totally get that. All I’m saying is that to me, s35 is the sweet spot for shallow enough DOF and optics performance. Too many filmmakers blindly chase the shallowest possible DOF without even considering what it adds or takes away from the story they’re trying to tell. Not saying you do that, but I’ve definitely seen some movies where the DOF was inexcusably shallow. Like why did they even bother to hire a locations department or set dresser? It’s one thing to make the subject pop from the background, it’s another to transport them to this muddy, blurry, incoherent world. That kind of shot definitely has its place in storytelling, but it should be done with purpose and intent (or because there wasn’t enough time or budget to properly light and you just have to grab the shot lol)
Anyway, rant over. I’ve been color grading a project all night and it’s bed time 🥱
@@frannyfranman to be honest I think these lens should be labeled as super 35 and not ff. Yes they covered ff image circle but the distortion at the edges are a bit too much for most projects. I use my set on Ursa G2 and the image is much more controlled
Can you recommend a good set of shims for these lenses?
Shim kits come with each set.
This company sure knows how to name their lenses ... UNCLE REMUS XD Gosh. Whoever it's naming these ... damn, son.
what the hell are you talking about? (harry potter?)
I have to get them
How would these lenses fare on something like a C500 Mk II shooting 4:3 full frame?
Since that camera is a 4:3 cut of a 17:9 sensor, you’d probably have less FOV compared to a taller sensor but because of that also, you’ll probably have less of the bubbly distortion.
9:43 too much fun house effect in the edges/corners. Not good.
Yea in very tall 3:2 sensors, the effect is very noticeable. Far less when desqueezing from a wide sensor vs tall.
45mm has very poor distortion its not same as La La land lol. but overall very good value
Bandy, Warpy, mushy garbage. Thanks for the great video - the lenses are trash though :)
Best way to describe lenses these days: one man’s trash is another man’s treasure.
but that looks quite terrible... ugly edge distortions, poor bokeh especially on the edges, prinmitive lensflares...don't get it, whats to like about it? you're confusing vintage aesthetic with poor quality product, that's hyping on the word "anamorphic"
Personally I agree. These and the atlas mercuries perform very similarly in all those ways. But people do like this look. It’s not lacking character that’s for sure.
Would these vignette on the GFX 100 in video mode?