Like most people who have enjoyed photography for a number of years, I can't help but try as many different types of lens as possible. I've used everything from niche macro lenses to obscure super-teles, and everything in between. Nevertheless, there is one type of lens that has evaded me thus far: anamorphic.
If you're not sure what an anamorphic lens is, you may still be familiar with what their images look like. Anamorphic lenses allow photographers and videographers to capture widescreen imagery on a non-widescreen sensor (or film). It will result in an odd-looking, squashed image straight out of the camera, but once it is stretched out correctly, it gives a singular aesthetic. It is loved by many cinematographers and the depth of field you get is captivating. The bokeh — admittedly an over-emphasized characteristic of lenses — is stretch into an oval shape which gives it such strong character.
In this video, Arthur R tries the Viltrox 75mm T2 1.33x anamorphic lens and shows just how special the results can be.
