I wasn't planning on getting a new lens, but then Sirui offers a big, rather substantial discount. So hey, why not take a look? And true enough, the 24mm anamorphic is 70% off on its already reasonably priced APSC line of lenses.
Maybe it's the tariff, maybe it's the excess inventory, maybe new lenses are coming and they need to make room, or maybe all of the above. Either way, getting an anamorphic lens for only two thousand-ish Hong Kong Dollars will put a smile on anyone's face.
The build quality of a Sirui lenses are impressive, like a tank if you may. I did drop the 50mm anamorphic from waist height onto a hard floor, head first with enough force to dent the thread (maybe having a lens hood ? but then it might reduces the flare) The lens remains strong, focusing / exposure rings remain silky smooth, as if the drop was but a walk in the park. Everything is working flawlessly to this day, except I have finger prints all over it.
I believe the build quality of a Sirui lens is better than the Blazar's . By no means I'm implying Blazar is bad. Holding the Sirui, it feels dense and solid, like a chunky brick. Image wise, I prefer the Blazar better. Sirui renders a cleaner output, and the lens flare feels a little intentional if you know what I mean. Blazar is quite the opposite of Sirui, lens flare doesn't come by easily, a little barrel distortion. Generally speaking, Blazar is a little richer in character when compared to the Sirui.
If you've been curious about what an anamorphic is, and want to experience it first hand (and you should) the huge discount Sirui is offering now should be enough incentive to motivate you. For the price, it's a steal, forget the Blazar.
The Sirui 24mm is a little on the longer side, and it has some weight to it, so it's front heavy when mounted on a camera. I do prefer having a 77mm thread so I could mount the variable ND directly onto the lens. The Sirui has 67mm and I need to use the step up rings in order to blend the two together. So from an operational POV, the Blazar's 77mm is a winner.
