Modern Kowa lens series featuring improved coatings and reduced breathing, optimized for digital cinema cameras.
Technical Details
The Kowa Evolution series includes focal lengths of 32mm, 40mm, 50mm, 75mm, and 100mm with a consistent aperture of T2.3. The front diameter is uniformly 114mm, allowing for consistent matte box and filter usage. The lenses use a 15-blade iris for circular bokeh and weigh between 3.8kg (32mm) and 4.2kg (100mm). The minimum focus distance is 0.9m for all focal lengths. Characteristic features include oval lens flares and horizontal stretching of out-of-focus light sources.
History & Development
Kowa launched the Evolution series in 2016. The Japanese company developed these anamorphic lenses based on feedback from rental houses and cinematographers. The 100mm was added in 2019, and the coatings were revised in 2021.
Practical Use in Film
The Kowa Evolution has been used in independent productions and television series such as "The OA" (Netflix). Its compact design allows for handheld shots and gimbal use. Standard workflow: shooting in anamorphic camera mode with 1.3x de-squeeze monitoring, followed by 2x desqueezing in post.
Comparison & Alternatives
Rental prices are significantly lower than Cooke Anamorphic/i or ARRI Master Anamorphic. Less character than vintage lenses (Lomo, Kowa Cine Prominar), but more than modern high-end series. Direct comparisons: Atlas Orion, SLR Magic Anamorphot. A budget option for anamorphic aesthetics.