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Blazar’s Interesting New Anamorphic Lens

Blazar has announced an unusual new lens for full-frame cameras: the Beetle 1.33x anamorphic. Unlike most anamorphic lenses, this one has a rotatable barrel, allowing for both horizontal and vertical anamorphic shooting. It’s a manual lens aimed not just at filmmakers, but especially at photographers who want to experiment with anamorphic-style looks — wider images, oval bokeh, and lens flares — while still using the full image area of their sensor.

The first lens in the series is a 45mm T3.2, launching this August for around $500. It features a locking button near the mount that unlocks the rotating section. In its standard orientation, it behaves like a typical 1.33x anamorphic lens, squeezing more horizontal field of view into the frame. But when rotated, it can expand the vertical field of view instead, especially useful for portrait orientation shots or when cropping flexibility is important.

Blazar says the Beetle lens will be available in a wide range of mounts including Sony E, Canon RF, Nikon Z, Leica L, and Fujifilm X. Two more focal lengths, a 32mm and a 65mm, are expected to follow. The rotating design changes not just the aspect ratio possibilities, but also how bokeh and lens flares appear, giving creative shooters a new kind of control over the anamorphic look.

You can see full details on Blazar’s website here

A Leica Inspired Smartphone

Nubia has revealed the Z70S Ultra, a new smartphone that leans heavily into Leica-inspired design, even down to the iconic red dot logo (though it’s not officially affiliated with Leica). The standout version is the Photographer Edition, which includes a retro-style leather case with a built-in grip, shutter button, dual control dials, and a cold shoe mount, essentially turning the phone into a pseudo-compact camera. Even without the physical kit, the phone keeps its Leica-like styling in this edition’s finish.

Camera-wise, the Z70S Ultra features a 35mm equivalent f/1.7 main lens using a 50MP “Neo Master” 1/1.3-inch sensor, a 64MP 70mm telephoto lens, and a 50MP ultra-wide with a 13mm equivalent field of view. Specs are solid, especially considering the phone costs under $750. The 35mm focal length and the optional photography grip set it apart in a crowded market, offering something a bit different for mobile shooters looking for that classic rangefinder feel.

There’s also a standard Z70 Ultra, which lacks the “S” and comes in at $40 less. It swaps the main sensor for a Sony IMX chip and adds a variable aperture (f/1.6–4) to its 35mm equivalent lens. It has the same ultra-wide and telephoto cameras as the Z70S Ultra but drops some of the luxury styling. Both models include a 16MP under-display front camera, a 6.8-inch HDR panel with 2,000 nits of peak brightness, and run on Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 8 Elite chip with Android 15-based Nebula AIOS. The Z70S Ultra is expected to ship starting May 28, with the Photographer Edition grip kit listed as “coming soon.”

You can see full details on Nubia’s website here

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Weekly Photo Technique Exploration

Welcome to a new section of the magazine where every week we will explore a new photography technique from across various photography genres.

This week’s technique: Duotone Photography

What is duotone photography?

At its core, duotone is just what it sounds like: an image that uses two tones or colors, typically one for the highlights and one for the shadows. It strips away the full-color spectrum and replaces it with a simplified, stylized color combo. Think of it like a remix of black-and-white photography, but with a punch of color.

How to create a duotone image (the simple way)

Technically, you can shoot a regular image and apply the duotone effect in editing. It doesn’t require a specific lens, camera setting, or lighting setup, you just need a good photo with strong contrast and structure.

Step 1: Start with a strong black & white base

Pick a photo with interesting contrast, shapes, or textures. Portraits work great. So do architectural shots, silhouettes, or moody street scenes. Convert it to black and white before doing anything else.

Step 2: Pick your two colours

You’ll usually want one darker tone for shadows and one brighter tone for highlights. Classic combos are:

• Navy & cyan

• Purple & orange

• Teal & red

• Black & neon green (for a more graphic, edgy look)

You can go subtle or high-contrast depending on the vibe you’re after.

Step 3: Apply the duotone effect

In Photoshop, go to Image > Mode > Grayscale, then Duotone. From there, you can assign custom colors to the shadow and highlight values. Or just use gradient maps for more flexibility.

In Lightroom or mobile apps, you can use the split toning or colour grading tools, assigning hues to shadows and highlights to mimic the effect.

Tips for better duotone shots

• Start with images that are simple and clean: Cluttered scenes can get messy fast when you remove detail and focus on colour contrast.

• Use it to enhance emotion: Blue and teal can feel cold or melancholic. Orange and pink can feel warm and dreamy. Pick colors that match the feeling you want to evoke.

• Don’t overdo the saturation: Keep the tones bold, but not blown-out, unless you're going for that hyper-stylized look.

• Try silhouettes: They’re basically made for duotone. Clean shapes + high contrast —> magic.

Why you should try it?

It’s one of those techniques that’s easy to try but tough to master. It pushes you to think about colour differently, not as a reflection of reality, but as a tool for expression. It’s also a great way to breathe new life into your old shots. That decent portrait you shot last year? Try it in teal and magenta, it might just become your favourite image.

Plus, duotone is super adaptable. It works in graphic design, print, digital... it’s everywhere from Spotify playlists to fashion campaigns.

The Rest of this Issue is for Premium Subscribers

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