SIRUI 1.25x anamorphic adapter - does it deliver the MAGIC?

I've been testing out the SIRUI 1.25x anamorphic adapter and it's better than I thought it would be - I've tested it on the Night Walker cine lenses and also with the 1.6x SIRUI Saturn Anamorphic lens, to transform it in to a 2x anamorphic!
I'll also compare it with the BLAZAR Nero 1.5x adapter.
Shot on the RED Komodo and LUMIX S5 iiX.
Check out my Blazar Nero review here: • Choose Your Own Advent...
35mm SIRUI Saturn 1.6x review here: • Tiny lens, big look! |...
GET 5% off on Amazon with code: SIRUIADP125X
SIRIU 1.25x Anamorphic Adapter
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Cheap screw-on diopters
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35mm SIRUI SATURN 1.6x Anamorphic lens
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US - amzn.to/49de29f
DE - amzn.to/45STP5Y
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CHAPTERS
00:00 - Intro to the SIRUI 1.25x anamorphic adapter
00:48 - Using on the SIRUI Night Walkers
02:42 - Creating a 2x anamorphic with the 1.6x SIRUI Saturn lens
05:50 - Comparing the 1.25x adapter with the Blazar Nero 1.5x adapter
08:42 - Final thoughts

[@joejnicholls]

Thanks for the vid Ed. I honestly find myself learning so much more from KZbinrs like yourself than uni at the moment! 😅 Keep it up.

[@EdProsser]

I pretty much learnt everything from KZbin and on jobs!

[@TheLooville]

Great video but surely if you are having to punch into S35 or use diopters, it cancels out the whole purpose of the adapter? I understand it will have some use for spherical lenses but again anything 50mm and under will vignette (16:9) meaning punching in again. I'd really like one but the compromises seem significant. Seen lots of videos where they would have got the same angle of view just by stepping back 10 feet. I love the Sirui lenses - have a 35 and 75 - beautiful, I mean a real game changer for me and your videos have really helped me in those decisions. Thanks again and all the best

[@cinematools9621]

Thank you for the video. I really like the look even with a spherical lens.

[@EdProsser]

yeah I went in quite cynical honestly - but I can see a lot of instances where this might be what you want - for a more controlled anamorphic look - on a budget - using your existing spherical lenses. I do still think it's wild that you can turn the little Saturns into 2x anamorphics!

[@the_black_douglas9041]

Nice one Ed! As always 😊 The descriptor “pfaff” you used in this review is not only a great word but also sums this thing up. I’ve had it since release. I’ve used it on the Sirui Venus 75 in open gate on the S1H and S5iiX to get to 2X. That’s a great use but it’s HEAVY and…a pfaff 😂 Also this setup on the Venus 50 vingnettes a bit and on the 35 it’s unusable. I’ve found in open gate on Lumix S cameras there aren’t many sphericals that get a good look with it. The Lumix S 50 f/1.4 with this adapter in open gate on a 3:2 sensor gets you out close to 16:9 desqueezed and voila! This is a wonderful image that’s anamorphic on paper but you wouldn’t know it to look at it. It’s more of a ‘je ne sais quois?’ image (French makes it sound fancy) It’s so slightly anamorphic that it’s even hard to get it to flare with my bike light to line it up. In short - what a pfaff!

[@EdProsser]

Yeah honestly I went into this vid as a cynic and it did win me over a little. There are so many projects where I can get away with full anamorphic but would love to push a hint of it in... This might be the ticket. Although I think with clean modern glass you wouldn't see much, I like what it did with the Night walkers! Shooting with the tiny Saturns in apsc mode on the S5 iix gets past the vignetting on the 35mm Saturn - I loved turning this little thing into a 2x!! I'm testing the new focal lengths in this range soon so will definitely be chucking this on it. But yeah, overall using adapters is a faff! And it comes with the risk of mis aligning and mis focusing which would definitely happen in a fast paced environment...

[@BootStrapTurnerVideography]

Found a new one for $374 with free shipping. Seemed like a good deal, looking forward to it correcting the variable squeeze on my Sirui Venus 50mm 1.6x FF lens. I understand it'll still vignette without being ASP-C, guess the 75mm and larger continue to be FF with the adapter.

[@forewarnedfilm]

I’ve been using the Blazar Nero on my GH5mk2, and the look on that camera is also a slightly more subtle anamorphic feel - but a bit more noticeable than the Sirui adaptor. I’ve tried a variety of taking lenses - many of my vintage lenses have to be stopped down to get acceptable sharpness, but I have to say when I paired it with the TT Artisan 25mm f2 it was sharp wide open - to the point where I almost wanted to soften the image. Hollywood has spoiled us - it’s that 2x squeeze that we’ve fallen in love with, and anything less does sometimes feel a little lacklustre. But just 5 years ago there were so few affordable options to explore anamorphic filming - how things have changed!

[@EdProsser]

Yeah over the last 18 months it's just exploded! I've tried the TT artisans with the Nero as well, very very sharp and give you a very clean look. I was very cynical about this adapter but I must say it won me over. I liked the look with the Night walkers and I'm excited to do a bit more testing with the new Saturn focal lengths coming out. Having a mini 2x anamorphic setup is kinda crazy!

[@chinitopinoy1726]

I found that wider taking lenses (45mm and below) were sharp wide open.

[@gothamindembaum]

you can easily get 2x with an adapter on top of an anamorphic or use a diopter to get closer MFD and a different but also very powerful look. also not all Hollywood films in history were 2x.

[@BroownC]

Thanks for the awesome review. Some few questions please... Do you have a diopter screwed on the adapter or first on the lens before mounting the adapter? If on the lens, do you recommend getting separate diopters for each lens? Which diopter are you using and find best? What size is the diopter in diametre? Thanks and hope to hear from you soon! I just ordered myself the Saturn trio set - 35, 50 & 75mm and the 1.25x adapter so, I need to get the diopter before they arrive 🙂.

[@EdProsser]

They screw onto the front of the adapter, see below: Cheap screw-on diopters UK - amzn.to/3RtdwgD US - amzn.to/3NgNTxb DE - amzn.to/487hhOq

[@sunnynaguri]

I'd love to see tests of the Nero on longer focal lengths (75-100mm), Ed.

[@EdProsser]

yeah I would have tested these - but I don't actually own any smaller lenses in that focal range that fit the Nero - one of the draw backs of its smaller size

[@sunnynaguri]

@@EdProsser ah ok got it.

[@fellowcitizen]

Very interested in this because I have some 82mm-thread SLR Art zooms that are seeing little use. I did come across a report of the adaptor scratching the host lens - -is that bad luck or something that requires special care?

[@EdProsser]

Not heard about but I can see how it could happen the back element does protrude ever so slightly so if you try use on a lens without enough clearance between the front filter thread and front element it might happen. It won't fit on my sigma 24-70 for this reason

[@dpixvid]

They make 82mm spacers or buy a cheap 82mm UV and break out the glass to make it a spacer. Still check clearance, maybe use 2... I’d like to see if effects focus? Yeah don’t just crank it on a 82mm lens

[@dpixvid]

@5:01 noticed you double(triple) stacked setup rings... didn’t effect sharpness??? Seems to have effect on some of my glass(vintage)... but the Sirui does have those “ears” that won’t clear a single step up ring on the smaller lenses... curious. Footage looks sharp

[@EdProsser]

It doesn't really have a HUGE effect there's nothing inside the step up rings so it's just spacing out the adapter a bit more than buying a direct step-up ring

[@dpixvid]

@@EdProsser I wanted to use on my CY Zeiss glass... 24mm(2.8) mostly but a 55-82mm step up ring doesn’t clear the “nubs” on the Sirui... so I double stacked it too. Can’t tell why it isn’t as sharp as without... Still testing it...probably needs a stop or two down... sort of hit or miss with different lenses.

[@EdProsser]

@@dpixvid24mm lens will be too wide for this to work on unfortunately - I show a table at 07:47 - these adapters will only work on certain focal lengths so I assume that's the issue you're running in to.

[@jamesmoore9511]

I've been using the Panasonic LA 7200 anamorphic (16:9) adapter for a couple of decades and find it works beautifully (1.33) on most any camera I put it on. Any thoughts on it?

[@EdProsser]

I've seen a few vids on it, looks interesting but maybe a bit of a faff to use!

[@whatisagent5629]

Did you use an ND filter with the SIRUI 1.25x Anamorphic Adapter and if so, which one? it has a 86mm front thread which seems to be an odd size for ND filters.

[@EdProsser]

I think it's 82mm, I have an H&Y revoring which has an adjustable diaphragm allowing you to put it on diff filter threads. I also buy a lot of filters in this size and use step up rings.

[@whatisagent5629]

​@@EdProsser The H&Y seems like the way to go. Thanks.

[@aloha1990.]

Nice video! So did I get it right, the adapter is used for example the nightwalker lenses on fullframe? Bc the are made for apsc and with the adapter u dont have to crop in? Is that right?

[@EdProsser]

No the night walkers are on a S35 sensor with the adapter on front

[@aloha1990.]

@@EdProsser ohh ok. So what does the adapter do?

[@EdProsser]

@@aloha1990. it converts your lens into an anamorphic lens with a 1.25x squeeze

[@aloha1990.]

@@EdProsserok I see, I got it know lol. Thx!

[@BadMantraFilms]

I know I've said it before but you gotta try the 1.33x Laowa adapter :) I definitely prefer it's character over the sirui one

[@EdProsser]

They offered me the Nanomorphs over the summer but I was too busy! So I'll need to get back in touch and get that sent over too! Just gotta clear my YT backlog... It never ends! What do you think to the SIRUI?

[@BadMantraFilms]

oh man that stinks but you should totally do it! overall I do like the nanomorphs with the laowa adapter combo over the sirui(although I haven't tried either in person) .. Has a little bit more of that classic anamorphic character that I love since I've owned a DIY Kowa b&h setup before.@@EdProsser That one adapter shootout test both the sirui 1.25x and the laowa 1.33x front adapters and personally I think the 1.33x looks A LOT better and thus what really separates the final image with both full setups. It's all subjective though

[@EdProsser]

@@BadMantraFilms yea totally, the SIRUI is very clean, it makes more sense once you chuck it on their 1.6x glass, but the SIRUI Anamorphics are also quite clean so you do miss out on that character

[@gothamindembaum]

does this adapter better fit and look appropriate on the Venus line?

[@EdProsser]

It does fits the Saturn's fine, but I guess it just looks a bit silly. I think it was originally designed for the Venus line tho.

[@chinitopinoy1726]

Is the new Laowa 1.33X front anamorphic adapter sharper than the Sirui 1.25X?

[@EdProsser]

They feel similar but haven't done extensive side by side testing to give you a definitive answer

[@chinitopinoy1726]

@@EdProsser if you can, could you do a quick side by side test and what works better on longer focal lengths like 85 and 100 at wide aperture? My nero works best at focal lengths below 50mm near wide apretur but they aren't that useable at longer tele lengths unless i stop down o like f4 to f8.

[@EdProsser]

@@chinitopinoy1726 unfortunately I only had the LAOWA adapter for a few weeks whilst shooting the LAOWA zoom lens video

[@ansenvideoproduction]

To me, YES

[@EdProsser]

What lenses have you been using with it?

[@ansenvideoproduction]

​@@EdProsser Tamron SP 45mm 1.8 VC mainly. I love that combo. Concave lenses seem to add something special to the image.