Viltrox Epic Lenses - Review w/ Cinematographer Alexander Rivera
A quick review of the Viltrox Epic anamorphics with our talented friend and Director of Photography Alexander Rivera, who’s brought on Unify’s set for a few productions - including a spec piece for Hoka that’s featured here.
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Different tools have different strengths. What made the Viltrox anamorphics the right tool for this particular project, and what were your takeaways after using them?
“For this particular project, we were looking for lenses that had both strong anamorphic characteristics but were also going to be sharp throughout and give us the ability to shoot subjects that were fast moving and outside of the center of frame. With the knowledge that at least half of the shoot was going to be product shots and faces, it was really important to have sharpness in the edges retained and limit the distortion from getting too wild.
These lenses delivered. This was my first time shooting 1.3x anamorphics and they were incredible. We were able to open them up and get sharp images that we were happy with. Even completely wide open they held up - and then, of course, we were also able to stop down and get even sharper images when we needed that. I was also was pleasantly surprised with the modern build and close focus abilities, which allowed us to move very fast without the sometimes-cumbersome extra needs of anamorphics, especially those of larger lenses and older glass.”
What sticks out to you most about the lenses, characteristically?
“For me, I really just loved the image. It felt like I was able to lean into the anamorphic nature of the lenses without needing to frame with the constraints that some of the more vintage and wild anamorphics put you in. The tonality and temperature of the lenses was beautiful both in and out of the studio, and they easily give you that ‘it’ factor anamorphics are known for.”
Viltrox has announced 25mm & 100mm focal length additions, but there’s currently just three lenses in the set. Is that a constraint you “embrace,” or do you think it limits the set’s use cases right now?
“Personally, I didn’t feel limited by only having the 3-set. For me creatively, I love what that does to your brain. Making you move the camera and your subject in certain cases to achieve what you want without just calling for lens swaps. I think everyone remembers starting out and only having that one lens and needing to work around that, and I love that. I am always intrigued by wide anamorphic lenses, as a lover of wide lenses in general. I think that gives you some of the most unique shots out there - so a wide anamorphic just can’t be beat for me personally. But the set itself right now is a perfect blend for any use case.”
Many anamorphic lenses on the market can cost tens of thousands. For a more approachable price point, how do you feel these stack up?
Like I mentioned, to me, these lenses were pretty hard to beat. I feel like they punch far above their weight class, and I kept finding myself grinning at just how good they looked. After seeing some tests online I knew they could deliver, but I waded into them without too many expectations and was blown away. From usability to just plain image, they were some of my favorite lenses I have used recently. I would easily reach for these over any other anamorphic in this price point, or even beyond.
You can view the final Hoka edit & find more of DoP Alexander Rivera’s work at https://alexanderjrivera.com/hoka
Stay tuned for more Viltrox Epic anamorphics test footage paired with Unify’s Alexa 35. We’ll also feature similar write-ups of our NiSi Athena Primes set