These are pre production units. Afterwards I went back and shimmed them and dialed them in. Here’s an update video kzread.info/dash/bejne/pmmh15KoltvPo84.htmlsi=WY_dcbpjb91pi4pg

@AfoteyAnnum

3 ай бұрын

Yup. Definitely was interested in the sharpness. I'm all over these the femtosecond they open up preorders!!!! I absolutely LOVE the character of these and the Remus lenses. #AnamorphicONLY

@StarskiYall

3 ай бұрын

Do you have somewhere you recommend in LA to get lenses shimmed and adapters adjusted? I'm using the blazar remus lenses and the meike drop in filter adapter. Thanks!

@cammackey

3 ай бұрын

@@DynamicPhil84 All of the above

@cammackey

3 ай бұрын

@@StarskiYall I do not, been trying to find somewhere

@ShaneVanLitz

3 ай бұрын

@@DynamicPhil84 When anamorphic lenses need shimming it looks pretty much the same as using an anamorhic adaptor and having the taking lens not set to infinity. How I understand it, many modern designs are made by having a sperical 'taking lens' built in at the back with an anamorphic block / lens on the front and then a variable diopter for focusing without changing squeeze. So if your shims aren't right, the built in 'taking lens' is not set to infinity and so the image will not be as sharp as it could be. It's maybe better to compare shimming anamorphic lenses for best sharpness to shimming a zoom lens to make it parfocal - You're kinda making two lenses / lens 'groups' work together better where as spherical is just one lens group.

Just got mine. Gonna go film the whole planet

"If you don't wanna watch this, you should watch it anyway" 😂 my new favorite statement

@cammackey

3 ай бұрын

LOL

@TerryWarfield

3 ай бұрын

@@cammackeyI’ll be stealing this mijo

The dog looking out at the lake is the most beautiful shot of 2024.

Thanks so much for getting this out so quickly for us.

Oh my, these look wonderful! Blazar really seem to 'get' imperfect anamorphic. Fab overview as always Cam. Love the Remus, and good to see they've upped the focus throw a bit on the Cato. Can't wait to get an order in!

Dude, incredible. I can't wait for my Remuses to come in but damn, these are super cool as well. Can't wait to see what else Blazar comes out with and what you create with these guys. Also stoked to see you've got an S5iix and excited to see what you come up with using that as well. Keep up the great work my man, there's a reason why you have one of the only 2 copies of these.

Another great video!! I look forward to the day of the pre-order💪

after watching your later update video on these lenses, I'm convinced. I like the flares, the creaminess, the blurry edges, ALL THAT CHARACTER. Anamorphic, to me, has always been about achieving a surreal look, not a clinical one. These definitely get to a place that feels 'other' and will give me such a drastic look compared to my spherical primes-- in a good way.

I can't wait for these to release been waiting a long time for 2x full frame anamorphics that are actually affordable 🤤🤤 and those flares. Blazar is putting in work

Wow cam super cool seeing you get first dibs on all these awesome new tools , you deserve all the success brother cheers , been following since the Zcam e2 days !

@cammackey

3 ай бұрын

I appreciate that brother!

“These got me feeling some kind of way. “ that had me rolling. Those lenses look impressive.

Awesome work as usual!

I think this channel is one of the only ones that understands that perfectly imperfect is what Anamorphic is all about. Most channels seem to think it’s all about having spherical cleanliness with just flares. Get a filter if that’s what you want. The distortion, bokeh, swirliness, the subtle pleasant flares etc. All of that makes it special. Love Cam’s enthusiasm around character. These are very special lenses because this is unimaginable for what I expect the price range will be.

@JoaoSilva22222

3 ай бұрын

If they watched the first Blade Runner they´ll see how "dirty" the photography is.

@MoeGunz

3 ай бұрын

@@JoaoSilva22222 100%

@cammackey

3 ай бұрын

I appreciate this comment. Its an uphill battle fighting all these trolls while tryign to educate everyone else haha

@JoaoSilva22222

3 ай бұрын

@@cammackey Can´t wait to put my hands on a Blazen! Thanks for taking the effort to go to NAB.

Man I love your enthusiasm, and this is without a doubt quite a revolutionary offering. But that distortion on the 50 in the pan is insane. Really hope Blazar Lens can get this just a bit more under control for the final release 🤞🏻 The 85 looks brilliant as is btw.

Mind blowing image quality and colors.

WOW! that is so cool. Can't wait to shoot my indie feature with these.

Great video, again!

Gorgeous images Cam and thanks for the review. I can’t help but be surprised that the elephant in the room however is not being addressed by most Blazar reviewers. The SWIMMING EFFECT on that 50 mm is crazy distracting and not pleasing at all. The same issue occurs with the Remus although not quite as bad. I have the Nero adapter and although I LOVE most of the characteristics like subtle flare, waterfall bokeh, distortions on the side etc. when you pan on the wider focal lengths, the swimming effect is so distracting. Do older Panavision and vintage anamorphic lenses like the Kowas have some swimming effect? Yes but it’s nowhere near as pronounced. I’ve tested the Blazar against those and there’s a big differencel. For the price we all know you can’t complain really but I would for this reason never shoot a serious project on these unless I knew I wouldn’t be panning/tilting much. If Blazar is able to fix this issue in future lenses, they will have won me over. I want to end by saying I really appreciate how Blazar are disrupting the market and they clearly get it in a lot of aspects. I’m simply a bit surprised not many people seem to be bothered by this.

@cammackey

3 ай бұрын

I don’t think it’s the elephant in the room… as I showed once I put on the post distortion fix a lot of that goes away. It’s real ease to do too, I showed how to do it in my second REMUS review. I’m sure in the future Blazar will make more expensive anamorphic lenses with more glass and bigger barrels that allow for cleaner edges. But again, at this price point I love these.

@NicolasWaldvogel

3 ай бұрын

@@cammackey yeah I saw and you can still see the effect happening. I speak from experience as I recently shot both a music video and a short film on the Nero adapter. To my eye, whilst as I’ve said I love the general look, the swimming effect is bad and can’t really be fixed. Trust me, I tried it myself. I guess it comes down to taste. For me, I’d love to see this fixed/improved. Also btw., edge distortion and falloff doesn’t necessarily mean swimming effect. The two are connected but not fully inclusive from my understanding of optics. If you look at the Atlas Orions or even more so the Mercurys, they have distinct edge distortion/sharpness falloff on the edges and yet they are much much better when it comes to this compression/swimming effect.

@OliKember

3 ай бұрын

@@cammackeyYour fix helps a bunch; albeit kind of proving that if you aren’t editing the footage yourself, these lenses are unusable in a professional environment. You also have to mark each shot be it 50mm or 40mm as they’ll have different correction profiles. And finally you can’t frame your edges properly because you’re changing the composition quite drastically in post. For me that means I couldn’t buy or use these lenses, which is sad. But hey ho they are ultimately cheap lenses that come with problems, surprise surprise I guess.

@cammackey

3 ай бұрын

The proteus might be better for you then. But they $5,000+ and have pincushion distortion and are S35, which to me doesnt look that great. I much rather use these and just beware to leave a hint of space knowing I might correct the edges. And I use the same setting across the board. I havent tried the 40mm yet either so I wont even mention it until I get to actually try it. Maybe checkout atlas Orion too. Theyre pretty soft wide open but clean up around T4, also pretty big and heavy and S35 coverage only. $10k+ a pop but might fit your needs better.

@ShaneVanLitz

3 ай бұрын

@@NicolasWaldvogel My perspective, having just reviewd the Remus set for a different chanel, it's just the pros and cons when it comes to image vs price. I also think it's hard because while I personally agree that it can be distracting, I also think sometimes it looks nice and some people like it. So it's not that it gets 'glossed over' just that it's not necciserily a deal breaker given the look and the price and really, it's in the footage, so it's not being 'hidden away'. Sometimes it's hard to make specific statements about subjective flaws if the reviewer doesnt feel strongly about them personally. Hope that helps.

How do these compare to the original Great Joy Blazar 1.8 35 50 and 85? Better? Is there a big difference between 1.8 and 2? I’m wondering if I should wait for the Katos or get the 1.8 set for a deal from a friend. I’m shooting on a S52X.

Wait does this mean that Cam and I are the only ones in the world with these?????? That’s crazy

@AfoteyAnnum

3 ай бұрын

Reason #9182 why I'm trying to be like you and @cammackey when I grow up LOLOL

Love it!

The selling point for me is its single focus. Finally something that looks good enough to replace my old school DIY 2x double focus nightmare 😂

Any recommendations how to use the A7s3 in-body stabilizer with anamorphics like Remus, Mercury’s, Catos? Manually dial-in an equivalent focal length? Change from active to normal stabilization or shutting it off completely?

What lut/preset did you use to grade this blackmagic footage?

Wow...that edges over compression is "interesting" on the 50mm. Great video as always! ✌🏻

@averykevans6894

3 ай бұрын

You misspelled disgusting aha

@LucaBono.Studio

3 ай бұрын

​@@averykevans6894😂 #dontpan

this distortion is crazy

Great video

Great review. Do you have a view on the Great Joy 1.8x FF Anamorphics? Given how much you seem to like the Remus and Cato lenses, I guess the Great Joys might be too clean for you? I think of the three, the GJs would be my pick, but I wish we could have something that's half way between a GJ and what I am seeing from the Cato.

@cammackey

3 ай бұрын

I loved the great joys, they were just a hair bit too clean for my taste personally. The 50mm was great but didn’t hold the squeeze during focus

really hope someone could do a vertical anamorphic run for something bigger instead of test or for fun only. Great content as always!!!

4:22 the pan looks a bit laggy. Is that from rolling shutter or was the shutter set too high?

Boy oh boy, are we eating good with anamorphic lenses these days! I'm ultra excited for when I get my hands on the Blazar 1.5 and 2x sets!

This is cool. Strong character these have. The XH2s is 3:2 open gate though, instead of 4:3! Same OG ratio as a FF cam like the BMCC6k. In reference to statements around @3:30. Unless I misunderstood what you were saying there 🤔

sort of reminds me of the look that 'The Boys' tv show has (they shot on Hawkins Anamorphic). And I absolutely love that look. I will say that the edge warping was pretty noticable-not to say this is a deal breaker-but it is a little rough and can be somewhat disorienting. Its needless to say that this lens is packed with personality and I'm sure a lot of people will love it.

@cammackey

3 ай бұрын

Yeah thats why I use the post edge fix anytime I do pans or frame on the edge, fixes it perfectly

Thanks for the video, can't wait to get these! I too am seeking clarity on open gate with full frame vs 17:9 (DCI). You mention just to stick with the Remus but on video you're showing a different crop composition instead of framing it similarly against what I'm guessing is the S5iix? Not sure what I'm missing.

@cammackey

3 ай бұрын

The framing was the same.. the example was just to show how DCI will chop the top and bottom off

Thanks for the Cato video Cam, your work is appreciated. Quick question, what Portkeys monitor were you using in the video???

@cammackey

3 ай бұрын

BM5III! I love it cause it's so rugged. The only monitor I havent broke haha

What about somebody who's still rocking the trusty ol Zcam E2-m4 mft? I love my Vazen 40 so I was thinking about looking at Blazar to cover my longer length

Only two in existence and I'm spinning it around like a coke bottle. LOL. Love the confidence.

@cammackey

3 ай бұрын

hahaha ooposies

Finally! 🎉

Really enjoying your channel. 😊 Fyi, at the 01:01 mark you have an mistaken extra frame from your close-up talking head.

Woah… how’d you get there?

Awesome showcase with this lens! If you could get only one of these to start with which MM would you shoot with? Maybe the 50?

@cammackey

3 ай бұрын

50mm for sure!

These look great. Was considering getting the Remus, but will now hold off a few more months for the Catos. Will pair well with the Blackmagic Pyxis. Their Hong Kong website listed these for only a few hundred more than the Remus, so the price difference isnt off by much.

@alicelei3784

3 ай бұрын

Where did you see the price? I can't find any Hong Kong website listest CATOs.😂

@aRuraLChilDVision

3 ай бұрын

@@alicelei3784 looked these up during NAB announcement. Checked now so I could post the link in this comment. Seems like the page is deleted

@aRuraLChilDVision

3 ай бұрын

@@alicelei3784 I tried to go back to the link to post but it appears the page was deleted

Hmm, maybe I’m confused… it’s almost like these 2x don’t even produce an image as wide as the sirui venus 1.6x does (due to the vignettes?) The Venus’ give me a 2.845:1 image that’s pretty clear edge to edge on my 16x9 ff camera, but you’re barely getting 2.4:1 out of these 2x lenses?

@cammackey

3 ай бұрын

I was shooting 3:2 open gate.... but also the Siruis dont have that classic anamorphic look at all. So if you like that look, just stick to them. But if you want that classic anamorphic look that you see in films.. this will get you closer to that

@cineM4RL

3 ай бұрын

@@cammackey thx for the follow up

Yes, these lenses were one of the coolest things at NAB.

@cammackey

3 ай бұрын

I’m about to shim rn!!

The BlackMagic has an anamorphic 6:5 mode which de squeezes to native 2.39:1 when using 2X lenses.

@cammackey

3 ай бұрын

Yup! As I showed

Super!

Delivering the goods! thanks man

I was waiting for Viltrox to go X2 Ana, but knowing DZO 2X Ana is pricey, I'm keen to see what price point this matches. Not sure why Blazer went 1.5X instead of 1.33X, but at the same time I hate using 1.6X expanders to mimic a 2.39:1 cinescope. Cheers for the review dude, possibly I could buy a set if it's within my budget.

Mounts?

1.5x or 2x for red komodo ? And why?

3:2 open gate + 2x squeeze factor equals a 3:1 aspect ratio

I've recently discovered the importance of back-focus/shimming when using adapters! That's one reason I love shooting with speed boosters; you can adjust your back-focus on the fly by unscrewing the tiny screw on the mount side and then spinning the glass in or out depending on where infinity should be. Comes in really handy when using varidiopters and anamorphic adapters!

sick! Have you tried them on the Ronin 4d?

@cammackey

3 ай бұрын

I have not, @makeartnow did though! It’s in his NAB video!

I am thinking these might finally scratch the 2x anamorphic itch for my Pocket 6K Pro! Last project was with 1.33x mainly due to affordability, so hoping these come in at a decent price.

@cammackey

3 ай бұрын

What would you say is a fair price for these?

@GearZenChannel

Ай бұрын

@@cammackey $1299 or less is what I am hoping, but $1499 would not shock me. I just want to see the release hit B&H and then maybe I can sell some stuff!

🔥🔥🔥

CHARACTER🎉❤

Maybe people hate the Viltrox 1.33x but they work with any camera that shoots UHD and gives the perfect cinema ratio when filmmed in 16:9 UHD.

@cammackey

3 ай бұрын

Yes, but you can also get the same ratio from any squeeze factor.

@Bo_Hazem

3 ай бұрын

@@cammackey True. I watched both the Cato and Remus reviews, and I seem to lean more to Remus myself especially with the upcoming 33mm FF they're working on according to videos from NAB.

Just wanted to know how much the lens was. What price point? $10k? $5k? $4k? $3k? Can you give us anything??? Just a range?

@cammackey

2 күн бұрын

I’m not allowed too… but I will say it’s lower than the ones you mentioned ;)

I saw all the hate these were getting on the anamorphic group on FB and now that I have seen the video, it seems unjustified. I primarily use DIY scopes for my projects and have exclusively shot my last 10 projects with DIY scopes. Comparing the look to those, the flares are the only things I don't like on these. To be specific, the flares look boxy and cheap and I usually prefer anamorphic lenses to have layers to the flares. The flares on the remus seem to be a lot better than these. I think a good combo would be to use the remus lenses for the wider stuff and use the 85 and above for the rest. Again for the price these are insane and for anyone complaining is not taking that into factor.

@cammackey

3 ай бұрын

Yeah I’m about to dip out of that FB group bro hahaha It use to be so healthy and productive, but seems it’s gotten a bit toxic. And sadly i don’t mind bantering haha. But yes I agree, I think the flares look great for the price range comparison but I def still prefer like Atlas flares for example. I jsut shimmed them too and they’re sharpened up even more. Excited to see the final production versions. There’s literally no other options like this on the market for this price range

It seems like you have to get them to T 5.6 to get something in focus

@cammackey

3 ай бұрын

False. Dont be annoying. As I stated, these are preproduction. And you you saw all the sample footage was sharp and it was all shot wide open

@inkusaido

3 ай бұрын

@@cammackey Not trying to. I think the distorsions are so extreme wide open that you can't almost tell where the focus plane is. Like on the wide shot at 0:35. Your face at 8:49 also looks out of focus (I know this is close focus on a 2X 85mm, it not being sharp is expected) Also, that fake halation on the tree on the sharpness tests almost look like chromatic aberration lol. Looking forward to the release of these tho

@cammackey

3 ай бұрын

The fake halation? Lol idk what you’re talking about man. There’s no fake halation.. and as I stated MULTIPLE TIMES these are pre production units that aren’t shimmed.

@Fprato2011

17 күн бұрын

@@inkusaido totalmente de acuerdo

The characters of the remus and cato are similar. I lov the character of 35mm lenses more. I am doubting about thr squeeze factor. 2x looks more yummy then the 1.5

Sirui, Nanomorphs: Blazar CATO: EPIC WATERFALL BOKEH

super

6:5 will look amazing with these lenses.

@cammackey

3 ай бұрын

PL and I think maybe EF

@MoeGunz

3 ай бұрын

Most definitely

Take my money Blazar

2.7:1 is Xpan :)

👍

The rear mounted VND makes this entire sharpness test unnecessary, just a heads up for the next vid. ;D

@cammackey

3 ай бұрын

Kinda but kinda not... because I and a lot of other people use this setup so its justified for myself

If they can make this $1299 per lens or $4999 for the whole set, I’m all in! Lol

@MrCoffis

3 ай бұрын

It might even be less. 🤞

@chinitopinoy1726

3 ай бұрын

@@MrCoffisI’m not seeing how it could be any lower. But I’d like to be surprised!

@phoenixfunny4517

3 ай бұрын

​@@MrCoffis doubt they'll be less. The Remus are 999 for 1.5x

@chinitopinoy1726

3 ай бұрын

@@phoenixfunny4517yes even $1299 is being very optimistic. On the high end, it could be $1499 per lens.

@MrCoffis

3 ай бұрын

@@phoenixfunny4517 they are actually less if you buy the set. The Remus set is currently at 2461€ for 3 lenses which means 820€ or 878$ per lens. I would expect some discount for preorders too. There’s not a lot of playroom though (about 300$ per lens). It all depends on how much more the manufacturing cost is for 1.5x vs 2.0x. In terms of materials it shouldn’t be that different. In terms of process and QC pass rate is where things get sticky. What ever the price will be from what am hearing (interpreting) is that it won’t be much different in price from the Remus which is exciting. Do we know when they’ll announce the price? Already saving up my pennies 😂

Edgies

I totally didn’t mistake that for anthropomorphic

@bobbyminion121

3 ай бұрын

I’m talking about the title

@bobbyminion121

3 ай бұрын

The anamorphic

Who’s that handsome man as your subject?

@cammackey

3 ай бұрын

It’s edgarrrrrr

4:42 4:58

I love you Cam and your love for anamorphic and the channel… but… if you are cropping in on and changing the aspect ratio it by definition defeats the purpose of 2x… or any ratio beyond a native 2:39:1 or 2:4:1. I’m not saying don’t buy the lens, nor that it won’t find an audience… but if you are buying 2x to get 2:39:1… your missing the point of higher squeeze ratios… and yes there are plenty of different aspect ratio films shoot on higher squeeze ratios 1.8 and 2x. No disrespect because as I said I love the channel and the love of anamorphic… and folks can crop all they want, but it’s a waste of the format… it would be similar to purposely buy a full frame camera and only shooting super 35 or shooting film in imax but then cropping all the shots to s35.

@cammackey

3 ай бұрын

This is a dumb comment. No offense. Homie to homie. This is equivalent to telling filmmakers they should only shoot at 30fps or some silly rule. On The Creator they shot 2X on a 16:9 sensor and the director wanted to deliver it uncropped but the studio said no.. point being, this is a very common practice.

@NicolasWaldvogel

3 ай бұрын

apart from the crop and 'distribution' of image depending on the sensor readout and stretch factor, having a 2x also means more squeeze/desqueeze which results in more pronounced waterfall like bokeh. This is also a benefit of 2X vs lower stretch factors.

@Vitaphone

3 ай бұрын

@@cammackey ouch: “dumb comment” but no offense. Anamorphics aren’t new, and when the dslr revolution popped off squeeze ratios where discussed pretty thoroughly on reduser and dvxuser back when established DP’s would hang their. I think being forced to crop by the studio isn’t the same as setting out to make a 2:39:1 film and choosing 2x. I’m not saying people have to use anything, I’ve seen countless great films shot on dv and iPhones. On the feature films or tv crews I’ve worked on I’ve never heard of anyone choosing to shoot 2x intentionally to deliver a crop 2:39… it’s a loss of resolution and will magnify character/imperfections. I’m not saying people won’t do that, or that they have to follow the rules of shooting 24fps… it’s all a choice by the artist for their vision… what I’m saying if you want 2:39:1 most will opt 1.33 or 1.5/6 (which there is already a lot of people in currently active anamorphic groups bemoan having to crop 1.5/6). We can all agree anamorphic ratios are not new… and that things evolve and popular tastes can change… squeeze ratios and the anamorphic lenses were invented for its breathtaking aspect ratios… VistaVision… much like the imax format is being used now for narrative film, so yes people may choose anamorphic lenses for character above all, it’s just not common in filmmaking. Again, as someone who has been shooting anamorphic since 2010 you and anamorphic on a budget have been awesome proponents for the format… I really am a big fan of your channel man… plus you are one of the only other native I know in the space 🖤

@Vitaphone

3 ай бұрын

@@NicolasWaldvogel you are totally correct, my only response is that bokeh can very wildly depending on the lens itself… their are 1.33x lenses that will get more waterfall then 1.5:6x lenses on the market today.

@cammackey

3 ай бұрын

I still find this to be a pointless brother. We're spoiled with all the options we can ask for sensor wise.. I dont think people really care about choosing the "accurate" stretch factor for getting the "perfect" deliverables. It's artistic choice. Im still going to use 1.5X for most of my stuff thats goign straight social mixed use. But for any narrative stuff or more creative stuff.. im choosing 2X no matter the sensor. It is common in filmmaking. The top DPS and directors ive had the pleasure of talking to all have this similar narrative of doing whatever they want to do and thats what stands out.. out the window with the rules. I'll never live according to what the "industry standard" is and most of the top directors that I admire got where they are because they didnt follow the rules. Hence why I think this topic of conversation is very pointless. Just old rules to live by in a age where there's more than just a few options.

Holy barrel distortion lmfao

No, keep going!!! LOL!!!

The coverage is so weird to me. All of them aren't FF

Amber vs Blue Flares IMO. Blue reminds me too much of JJ.

@cammackey

19 күн бұрын

Blue reminds me of some of the great anamorphic films ever made. I will never let a trendy opinion cloud timeless films.