Scorpios Offer the Ultimate Hybrid Look

“Incredibly clean. They (Scorpio FFAs) have very little distortion and they’re Full Frame anamorphics.”

 Paul Cameron ASC

By smudging the lines between anamorphic and spherical, manufacturers ServiceVision have created a lens set that exists in a category of its own. Anamorphic in definition and ratio, but without the extreme artefacts, heavy distortion, or dramatic edge curvature we’ve grown accustomed to.

If you are looking to capture a cinematic, widescreen look while keeping your image beautifully clean and true to life, these might just be the perfect addition to your next package from VMI.

It is a comprehensive, high speed set designed to cover modern large format sensors without wasting a single pixel. Whether you are shooting on the ARRI Alexa Mini LF, RED, Sony VENICE, or Canon cinema cameras, these lenses let you utilise your sensor to its full capacity.

Scorpio FFA Focal Lengths & Specs

Focal Length	Maximum Aperture	Front Diameter	Squeeze Ratio	Format Coverage
25mm	T2.2	95mm	2x	Full Frame
35mm	T2.2	95mm	2x	Full Frame
40mm	T2.2	95mm	2x	Full Frame
50mm	T2.2	95mm	2x	Full Frame
75mm	T2.2	95mm	2x	Full Frame
100mm	T2.2	95mm	2x	Full Frame
150mm	T2.8	95mm	2x	Full Frame

Why Crew Love Them

For the First ACs and camera assistants out there, ServiceVision built this set with ultimate practicality in mind:

• Unified Form Factor: Every lens in the set features a matching 95mm front diameter.
• Consistent Mechanics: The focus and iris barrels turn by the exact same amount, making lens changes incredibly fast.
• Lightweight: No back pain after wrap.

Rear Anamorphic Innovation

How do the Scorpios achieve this ultraclean, almost spherical look while maintaining a 2x squeeze? It all comes down to the optical engineering.

Traditional front anamorphic lenses squeeze the image horizontally, which creates the classic oval bokeh and streaky horizontal flares we know and love. The Scorpios break tradition. They feature rear anamorphic elements that squeeze the image vertically instead of horizontally.

• The Result: The magnification characteristics of a traditional anamorphic, but with spherical bokeh and significantly reduced focus breathing.
• Controlled Halation: When shooting directly into bright lights, the flares do not violently blow out. Instead, they bloom in a way that feels organic and incredibly true to how the human eye perceives light.

As Paul Cameron ASC proved when lensing the action thriller 21 Bridges (2019), the Scorpio FFAs are the perfect tool for grounding a cinematic story in reality.

Of course, this clean aesthetic isn’t meant to replace traditional, highly stylised anamorphic glass. The choice is entirely down to the narrative:

• Traditional Anamorphics: Perfect for sci-fi, surrealism, or heavy dreamscapes. Think of the heavy background warping in Ridley Scott’s Blade Runner (shot on Panavision C-Series) or the signature, colourful streaks in Paul Thomas Anderson’s Punch-Drunk Love. There, the optical imperfections were the story.
• Scorpio FFAs: Perfect for contemporary, gritty, or highly realistic worlds where you want the grand scale of widescreen cinema without a layer of optical distortion separating the audience from the action. For 21 Bridges, the Scorpios allowed the capture of the kinetic energy of Manhattan while keeping the environment tangible and authentic.

The complete Full Frame set is available for hire right now. Get in touch with our team today to book a camera test and see their unique character for yourself! Email rentaldesk@vmi.tv or call 020 8922 1222