Laowa Proteus Anamorphic Zoom Lenses Introduced – Light Enough for Run-and-Gun

by Alexandra Thompson11 days ago

Johnnie spoke with Sean Ruggeri at the Laowa booth to talk about two new zoom additions to the Proteus anamorphic lineup: the 24–45mm T2.9 and the 45–85mm T2.9. As with the other Laowa anamorphic lenses, these new zooms feature a 2x squeeze and will be available in amber, silver, and blue flare options.

Laowa has come out with a few new products lately, namely, the Probe Zoom Macro Lens Series and 15mm and 20mm Zero-D Shift Cine Lenses. But here at NAB 2025, we focused on these two new zooms, their optical design, and how they might fit into a run-and-gun workflow.

Designed for Super 35, but feel free to experiment

Both lenses are designed for Super 35 sensors with a 2x squeeze ratio, and while Sean says we’ll most likely see them used with a 6:5 aspect ratio to get the full anamorphic effect, he also adds that there’s always room to experiment depending on your resolution and crop settings.

Compact and light

The lenses are 19.3cm (7.6in) in length and, notably, light and compact for their class, weighing in at around 2.7kg (6 lbs). That makes them a practical choice for handheld or run-and-gun shooting, where size and weight are typically limiting factors.

Close focus and low distortion

One standout feature is the minimum focus distance. The 24-45mm focuses down to just 0.5m (19in) from the sensor plane, and the 45-80mm to 0.89m (35in). This allows for tighter framing and is unusually close for a 2x anamorphic, and, according to Sean, it’s something that often surprises users. For filmmakers working in tight spaces or wanting to stay close to their subject, it might open up more practical possibilities.

Despite the compact size, according to Sean, the image quality holds up well across the frame. Distortion is minimal, even at the edges, so the full width of the image is usable, which isn’t always the case with anamorphic lenses. Sean said the rendering is sharp but not overly sterile. There’s still some character to the image.

Mount options

The lenses ship with a native ARRI PL mount by default and include an interchangeable Canon EF mount in the package. According to Sean, users can handle the swap themselves. No need to send the lens in. Laowa also offers separately available mounts for Canon RF, Nikon Z, Sony E, and L-Mount systems.

Price and availability

The lenses are available now, and the price for either lens is $5,999 / €7,307.36, or you can buy the set for $10,999 / €13,424.78. For more information, please see their website.

Would these two compact anamorphic zooms be an interesting addition to your workflow? Will these zooms push more filmmakers to consider 2x anamorphic on Super 35? Let us know in the comments!