The Viltrox EPIC 75mm T2.0 1.33x anamorphic lens is part of a trio of Viltrox cine lenses that includes a 35mm and a 50mm lens. Does this lens live up to its “epic” name in terms of build quality, image quality and performance? Let’s find out.

In addition to this written review, I have attached my YouTube video as it contains a lot of footage from the 75mm film. I was able to use the lens for a number of shots and tested it with two of my colleagues who are great videographers, Danh Nguyen Photography from Boston and Will Meade from Pineapple Shirt Productions from New York. In this printed review I’ve included some stills taken with the Viltrox EPIC 75mm, but more on that later.

When I was tasked with testing the Viltrox 75mm EPIC T2.0 anamorphic lens, I honestly had no idea what to expect. In fact, this lens is the first anamorphic lens I ever used. However, when a large box arrived with a sturdy hard case, I knew I had received not only something high quality, but also something very special.

To be clear, I’m primarily a portrait photographer, so I immediately wondered what kind of still images the Viltrox 75mm would reproduce. For this reason, I made sure to capture some still images alongside videos, which of course is what this lens is really designed for.

Build quality and handling

The build quality of the Viltrox EPIC 75mm is unlike anything I have used before. The entire lens is made of metal and is quite heavy. As soon as you take it out of the bag, you can tell that it is designed and durable to meet the highest demands of professionals. It’s incredibly well constructed and although it can be used with a focus pull system, I was able to manage it handheld on a Sony a7R V. I’d like to say this was easy, but it was actually challenging, especially when I was creating a smoky film scene in my studio. Although manually focusing and exposing the Viltrox in hand is a bit difficult, it was also a lot of fun and forced me to slow down and take my time.

Using this lens gets a little trickier because the Viltrox 75mm has 1.33x horizontal compression, meaning the image will appear horizontally compressed when the lens is mounted on a standard mirrorless camera like the a7R V. The footage can be recorded in the correct uncompressed 2.35 aspect ratio via an external monitor (the best way to use such a lens), but since I handheld it for most of my shooting, I didn’t want that added the extra weight of a monitor and decided to just deal with the distorted image on my LCD screen. However, my colleague Will used the 75mm lens with a monitor and a tripod, which made the whole thing go smoothly. Once the footage or images are imported, they need to be de-squeezed. This is a fairly simple affair and once done, the footage is stretched to the correct aspect ratio and given its full cinematic glory. And it is wonderful.

Image quality

The images and videos delivered by the Viltrox 75mm EPIC lens are exceptional and it lives up to its name. As I mentioned, I was really interested in creating cinematic portraits and the 75mm lens did not disappoint. The first image I took was the self-portrait above. For this image I made sure to shine a Fresnel light directly onto the lens to take advantage of the unique lens effect. Next, I arranged a shoot with Justin, a Broadway actor, and created a smoky set for the photos. The still images have a three-dimensional quality and a very lifelike and natural look that I find different from a standard mirrorless lens. One feature of anamorphic lenses that I really liked in both photos and video is the dispersion, which is not circular but instead projects a horizontal bar across the image. The bokeh is also subtle and the transition from the subject to the background looks very natural. As far as the build quality of the lens is concerned, there was little to criticize about the 75mm EPIC lens for me and my colleagues who used it with me in my studio.

Thoughts from some professionals

As mentioned, I was able to test the Viltrox 75mm with two of my colleagues who happen to be world-class videographers, so I wanted to include their thoughts as well. Videographer Danh Nguyen puts it incredibly well, so I’ll quote him here.

As a professional photographer who spends a lot of time experimenting with gear, I couldn’t wait to get my hands on the Viltrox 75mm T2.0 1.33x anamorphic lens – and wow, it didn’t disappoint.

First of all, this lens is a beast – in every sense of the word. At 2,040g (4.5 pounds), it’s almost comically heavy compared to something like the Canon RF 85mm f/1.2, which weighs a very manageable 479g (just over 1 pound). Do you consider the Viltrox for longer recordings? Let’s just say you need a sturdy tripod or strong arm strength. However, that weight has a purpose – this lens is built like a tank from top to bottom. Every inch of it screams quality and durability, and you can feel the craftsmanship in your hands.

The quality is really at the highest level. The bokeh is stunningly beautiful, soft and natural, with the characteristic oval bokeh balls that anamorphic lenses are known for. At T2.0 it’s razor sharp but somehow still maintains that nice cinematic softness in the background. Another highlight are the blue flares – they give every image a beautiful, cinematic aesthetic that makes your work look like it belongs on the big screen.

Overall, I love this lens. It’s not perfect for every situation – it’s heavy and there is an initial adjustment to the anamorphic workflow – but if you’re looking for a lens that delivers unsurpassed, cinematic image quality, the Viltrox 75mm T2.0 is absolutely worth the investment.

My other colleague Will had similar thoughts about the image and processing quality, adding that for him the 75mm focal length and minimum focus distance were a bit far. I tend to agree with him as the 50mm or 35mm would be a better all-round lens, but of course buying the whole set is really the best solution if your budget allows it.

Diploma

Viltrox continues to raise the bar with their lenses and with the Epic 75mm T2.0 Anamorphic Lens they have thrown down the gauntlet. Quality-wise it has a lot going for it, and at $3,199 it’s certainly not cheap, but it represents good value compared to many anamorphic lenses that can easily cost five figures. As I mentioned earlier, the 75- mm lens one-third of a trio of EPIC primary focal lengths, which can be purchased together as a set or individually, with 35mm and 50mm lenses being the others Focal lengths of the current EPIC series are. Finally, I would like to add that this was the most interesting and downright fun lens I have used to date and I was incredibly pleased to be able to create a variety of very cool portraits and videos with the Viltrox 75mm.

What I like

• Incredible image quality
• “Tank-like” build quality
• Beautiful bokeh and flare

Which I didn’t like

Specifications

• Focal length: 75mm
• Maximum aperture: T2
• Lens mount: Sony E
• Lens format coverage: Full screen
• Filter thread: NO
• Image stabilization: NO
• Electronic communication: NO
• Horizontal squeeze (anamorphic): 1.33x
• Image circle: Not specified by the manufacturer
• Viewing angle (full format):
  • Horizontal: 35.3°
  • Diagonal: 39.4°
• Focus scales: Imperial
• Optical design: 18 elements in 13 groups
• Membrane sheets: 8
• Equipment standard: 0.8 MOD / 32 Pitch
• Gear rotation:
• Diameter (front): 3.7″ / 95mm
• Weight: 2,040g

Get a Viltrox 75mm EPIC Anamorphic lens here.