Chinese lens manufacturer Vazen has shut down less than five years after optical engineer Weizhen Liu founded it.
The company aimed to fill a void in the market by delivering specialized anamorphic cinematic lenses for various camera mounts and systems, including Canon EF and RF mounts and Micro Four Thirds cameras.
In a “heartfelt farewell” message to its customers on its website, Vazen says the following:
As we turn the page to the final chapter of Vazen’s story, we want to take a moment to express our deepest gratitude to you, our customers and partners. Your unwavering support has been the cornerstone of our journey, fueling our passion for creating lenses that bring visions to life.
Though we have come to the difficult decision to conclude our operations, the memories and images captured through our lenses will continue to inspire us. It has been an extraordinary privilege to be a part of your creative process and to witness the world through your unique perspectives.
From the bottom of our hearts, thank you for allowing us to be a part of your creative journey. We bid you farewell with the hope that your stories will continue to be told through the beauty of your captures, in all the days to come.
With sincere appreciation,
The Vazen Team
There is no longer any way to move past this page; individual product pages now show the same farewell message.
The company’s existing lineup of lenses is still listed for sale through various retailers, although any currently out of stock may be difficult to obtain. For example, the Vazen 40mm T2 1.8x Anamorphic Lens for RF mount is available through B&H for $3,250, while the same lens for Micro Four Thirds cameras is a “special order” optic. There remain a handful of other Vazen lenses in stock at B&H, including the 50mm T2.1 1.8x Full-Frame Anamorphic for PL/EF, the 65mm T2 1.8x Anamorphic for RF, the 28mm T2.2 1.8x Anamorphic for RF, and the 28mm T2.2 1.8x Anamorphic for RF (Amber Flare).
As CineD notes, Vazen was notable because of its 1.8x squeeze design, wider than the more common 1.3x and 1.5x squeeze anamorphic lenses on the market.
After finding early success in 2019 with Super35 and Micro Four Thirds lenses, the company sought to enter the full-frame market in 2020. While excellent, the full-frame lenses brought the company’s products to a significantly higher price tier and were released slower than the company’s smaller-format lenses.
Vazen’s sudden closure is sad news for the filmmaking community and, of course, for its employees. For anyone considering buying a Vazen lens, there will be no better time than now.