Anamorphic lenses are designed slightly differently from standard spherical and aspherical lenses, utilizing glass that has an oval shape. They were invented to allow filmmakers to capture a wider aspect ratio within the standard 35mm motion picture film frame.
The 1.33x Anamorphic Lens is our most cinematic mobile anamorphic yet. With a 20% wider aperture compared with our M-Series family you can unleash the full resolution of the latest generation camera s...
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When you look at a video clip shot with an anamorphic lens, you'll notice that the image is distorted, appearing vertically squeezed. This distortion needs to be corrected in post-production — referred to as de-squeezing — to achieve the intended look (more on how to de-squeeze later).
Altering the distortion of the image creates characteristic effects specific to anamorphic lenses. In addition to the wider aspect ratio, two other notable characteristics are present. First, the bokeh (the out-of-focus area) takes on a pill-shaped appearance instead of the usual circular shape. Second, and perhaps most famously, anamorphic lenses are known for producing distinctive and prominent lens flares.
Moment has four different Anamorphic T-Series lenses:
The M-Series is an older line of mobile lenses. Moment developed the T-Series lenses to perform better with the latest generation of camera sensors found in modern smartphones. For instance, since the iPhone 14 Pro, iPhones have a 48MP main sensor that works exceptionally well with the Anamorphic T-Series lenses, which have a 20% wider aperture than the M-Series.
I used the M-Series and T-Series Anamorphic lenses with my iPhone 13 Pro. The M-Series is a great choice for any iPhone released before the 13, whereas the T-Series is the better option for any iPhone models released after the 14 Pro. My iPhone 13 Pro sits right in the middle of this range.
When selecting an anamorphic lens, remember also to purchase the dedicated phone case and drop-in lens mount!
Moment announced their first anamorphic lens in 2017, and I participated in the Kickstarter campaign to help finance it. I believed it would be a fantastic accessory to enhance my mobile filmmaking journey, particularly with my iPhone X at the time. I shot my first personal films in Canada using the Moment M-Series Anamorphic lens.
Using an anamorphic lens when shooting video with your iPhone lets you easily capture cinematic shots. The wider aspect ratio and iconic lens flare of anamorphic footage will immerse your audience in the scene.
When you add a letterbox to your 16:9 footage, you hide your image's top and bottom parts. In contrast, using an anamorphic lens captures and squeezes the entire image from the sensor. Upon de-squeezing the footage, you see the sensor's full resolution in the desired aspect ratio, resulting in a picture with greater resolution.
It ultimately comes down to personal preferences. I have always associated blue flares with anamorphic lenses. Blue flares are generally associated with sci-fi-like movies.
On the other hand, gold flares have a more neutral appearance and blend more seamlessly with outdoor scenes, for example, during sunsets.
To achieve a cinematic look with an anamorphic lens, it's essential to use the correct shutter angle/shutter speed, commonly called the 180-degree rule. In short, always set your shutter speed to double your frame rate. For instance, if you are shooting at 24 frames per second (fps), your shutter speed should be set to 1/48th of a second (1/50th is also acceptable).
You'll need a variable ND (Neutral Density) filter, such as the Moment VND filters available in 2-5 and 6-8 stops to achieve this.
Don't forget the Moment 67mm Mobile Lens Filter Mount to attach your filter to your anamorphic lens!
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Attach a standard 67mm Filter to your Moment M-Series Lenses. The Moment Filter Adapters let you attach a standard 67mm filter to any of your Moment Lenses. Simply press fit the mount onto your lens a...
Add for $30We now understand that an anamorphic lens distorts images by squeezing them vertically. To view the footage correctly, we need to de-squeeze it. You can easily see the correct aspect ratio while filming when using an app like the Pro Camera App by Moment. Simply select the desired lens from the lens menu. You can also apply the de-squeeze effect to your saved files. To do this, navigate to the app settings, find the "anamorphic lens" section, and toggle "apply de-squeeze to saved file." Once that's done, your footage will be saved with the corrected aspect ratio.
If you need to de-squeeze the footage in your editing software, refer to this quick guide:
Read our step-by-step instructions on correctly formatting your Anamorphic footage in Davinci Resolve, Final Cut Pro, and Adobe Premiere Pro.
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Although anamorphic lenses are primarily designed for filmmaking, the Moment anamorphic lenses can also be effectively used for photography. I particularly enjoy using them for landscape shots. Their wider aspect ratio lets you capture cinematic-looking landscapes worthy of any establishing shots in a movie.
You can select the specific anamorphic lens from the menu when using the Pro Camera App by Moment. This information will be added to the Exif data of your images. Thus, when you import your photos into Lightroom, you will see which lens you used and can easily search for all images shot with that particular lens. Additionally, if you shoot in JPEG or HEIC format using the Moment app, it will automatically apply the de-squeeze to your saved images. This feature makes it great for sharing your photos instantly on social media.
When using the Moment anamorphic lens for photography, my favorite accessory is a circular polarizer filter (CPL), like the Moment Anti-Glare filter. By choosing the 67mm size, you can mount it directly onto your filter holder! Using a CPL enhances your images by providing bolder colors and a darker sky and reducing reflections from surfaces such as water, windows, and car paint.
You can experiment with your photos by shooting vertically with the Anamorphic lens. This is great for showing layers in a landscape or capturing a very tall and slim tree.
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When you shoot in RAW, you may notice that your images appear squeezed in your preferred image editing software. To correct this, you'll need to manually de-squeeze the image. Unfortunately, you cannot do this directly in Lightroom, so you'll need to send the picture to Photoshop.
Once you are in Photoshop, navigate to the "Image Size" option and unlock the aspect ratio. Next, multiply the image's longest edge by 1.33 (rounding to the nearest whole number). For example, on my iPhone 13 Pro, the longest edge is 4032 pixels, so you would calculate 4032 x 1.33, which equals approximately 5363 pixels.
Tip: Record a Photoshop action to make de-squeezing much faster!
Moment has significantly enhanced the Anamorphic lens from the M-Series to the T-Series. However, I've noticed that the edges of the images can be quite soft and sometimes even blurry. While imperfections are a characteristic feature of anamorphic lenses, I feel that this softness is a bit too pronounced in some shots.
This issue could be related to my setup, as I'm still using the iPhone 13 Pro, whereas the T-Series lenses were designed for the newer generations of smartphones, like the iPhone 15 Pro and 16 Pro.
The Moment Anamorphic lens is one of my favorite mobile lenses made by Moment. It performed well in the M-Series but even better in the T-Series. If you want a mobile lens that provides a truly unique look and adds character to your videos and images, look no further than the anamorphic lens!
