BLAZAR Cato 85mm T2.8 2X Anamorphic - Lens review and specs

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PL Mount Canon EF Cinema full-frame 2024

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85mm

Focal length

f/2.8

Max aperture

927 g

Weight

14mm35mm85mm200mm600mm

▲ 85mm

Max aperture

f/1.8

f/2.8

f/5.6

Aperturef/2.8

f/2.8f/22

Near focus14' 5"

Far focus15' 11"

Total DOF1' 6"

Hyperfocal293' 9"

Subject distance15' 1"

Focal length85 mm

Aperturef/2.8

SensorFull Frame

Illustrative scene preview based on this lens's focal length, aperture, and sensor coverage.

This preview uses 85mm, f/2.8, and Full Frame. Subject distance is estimated to keep lens previews comparable.

Min aperture: f/22
Diaphragm blades: 16

Focusing

Minimum focus: 77 cm

Physical

Weight: 927 g
Dimensions: ⌀85mm
Filter thread: 82 mm
Color: Black

Recommended Use

Ideal for: Portraits, Vlogging, Weddings

Release year: 2024
Announced: Apr 1, 2024
Approx price: $1398 USD
Optical correction & RAW development: NDPix Photo Editor

The best

World's lightest Full-Frame 2X Anamorphic

Also

Classic oval bokeh & silver flares

Summary

The Blazar Cato 85mm T2.8 is an exceptional piece for those seeking classic cinematic aesthetics without the prohibitive costs of the Hollywood industry. Its most distinctive feature is the 2.0x squeeze factor, meaning it captures a much wider view than it appears, which is then "decompressed" in post-production to deliver that authentic ultra-wide format. Unlike other budget lenses that sacrifice proportion when focusing close, the Cato maintains its constant geometry, allowing the blur or bokeh to be markedly oval and the flares to be the iconic blue horizontal lines that define the big-budget film look. From a technical and design point of view, this lens is built for full frame sensors, covering the wide image circles of modern cameras. With an aperture of T2.8, it offers a solid balance between brightness and weight, being surprisingly compact for a "pure" anamorphic lens. Its construction is purely mechanical and robust, with industry standard gears for professional focusing systems. For a photographer or videographer, this translates into a tool that not only captures images, but adds an organic texture and artistic "imperfection" that modern digital lenses often leave out. As for its uses, the Cato 85mm is ideal for visual storytelling and cinematic portraiture. Its 85mm focal length allows you to isolate your subject with beautiful background compression, while the 2x format adds epic context to your surroundings, making it perfect for short films, music videos or high-end advertising. Although it is a lens designed for video, many photographers are experimenting with it to create single-exposure panoramic photography, achieving environmental portraits that look like frames taken straight from a science fiction or period film.