BLAZAR Nero vs AIVASCOPE | 1.5x Anamorphic Adapters | Picture comparison

Being a ride or die Aivascope user, I keep using it as a run and gun setup, manual focus, handheld on weddings and videoclip and it fits my work pretty perfectly (even used it in a water housing, check my channel for examples). That being said, I purchased the new Nero 1.5x anamorphic adapter in order to put it on a B cam. I did not bring it with me on paid gig yet but I decided to go out and test it in different real situations to get my own idea of what it’s capable of.

No test charts, same settings for the two adapters :
Sony a7s3, 4k 10 bits 4:2:2, Slog3. 25fps, same iso and color temperature, ISO 640 for exterior shots and 12800 for most of interior shots
Taking lens : Helios 44-2 58mm, f2.8 (it’s a bit soft at f2)
No ND used on both lens in order to have the true color rendition
Post-prod : No grain added, Phantom Lut and a bit of tweaking, 50% of sharpening added in Lumetri. I approached the color the way I would on a personal project.

Disclaimer : it’s not a scientific test. As it wasn’t easy to swap adapters and keep the exact same framing on both, I had to realign some of the shots in post.

THE BATTLE OF THE ADAPTERS

Nero : Solid build, great alignment system (better than the Aiva which feels more clumsy). It feels a bit cheaper, softer (especially on the corners, it’s very visible, but still sharp enough in the center) and there are (way) more chromatic aberrations. It’s lighter and more convenient. The focus ring is very smooth, a joy to use. The flare is blue on this version, but I was very surprised, it’s not that strong blue flare you can see on Sirui anamorphic lenses for exemple, here it stays very pleasant and subtle (even too much!). Strangely, the Nero seems warmer than the Aivascope in some shots.

Aivascope (Amber Edition) : For me, you get what you pay for. Higher price, sharper / better image quality but bulkier and more weight. I don’t think I have the latest version (mine is V4 I think), so I can’t compare with the V5 updates, my lens is solid, though not perfect. The alignment needs to be verified several times in a day if I shoot with it. Focus breathing seems comparable.

Final thoughts
I’ll keep using my Aivascope Amber Edition adapter, for client work because image quality is still the priority for me. After more than 2 years using it on a lot of projects, the flare it produces is just perfect to my eye, and I made some of the best shots I’ve ever done with it. But in combination of the Aivascope, I think the Nero can ride alongside for a B cam very nicely (I’ll shoot with it very soon), especially if you’re shooting handheld or on a gimbal, the weight loss is not negligible. If you don’t mind the softness in the corners, you can embrace it and it can even help you stylise the frame a bit more if you will.

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