Moment Anamorphic II: Mobile Lenses That Brings True Cinematic Character to Your iPhone

Y'all, we did it again.

That's genuinely how I feel every time Moment drops a new piece of glass, but this one hits different. The Moment Anamorphic II lenses are here, available in 1.33x and 1.55x squeeze factors, and in three flare colors: Gold 42, Neutral Tone, and Pano Blue. If you've been curious about anamorphic mobile filmmaking, or you're already obsessed and wondering if this upgrade is worth it, these are the perfect jumptarts.

There’s likely a ton of questions, so let’s break it down.

What Even Is Anamorphic, Anyway?

If you've spent any time in the filmmaking community, you've heard the word "anamorphic" thrown around like everyone just gets it. Truth is, most people don't, and that's okay. But let's fix that.

A standard lens is what we call spherical. It's a normal lens — as in, what you see is what you get, in a fairly standard field of view. Anamorphic glass is different. It optically squeezes the image horizontally when you shoot, giving you a much wider field of view to work with. That squeeze factor is the number you see in the lens name - 1.33x or 1.55x - and it tells you how much you'll need to "desqueeze" the footage afterward to get it back to a normal-looking frame.

The good news, though, is that you don't have to wait until post-production to fix this. The Moment Pro App lets you desqueeze right in camera, so you're seeing the black-bar cinematic frame while you shoot. You can still adjust it in post if you want more control, but you're not stuck waiting to see the final look in Davinici.

The "Imperfections" That Make Anamorphic Special

Here's the thing about anamorphic lenses: they're not trying to be perfect. In face, that’s why they’re so fun, Compared to a spherical lens, anamorphic glass introduces a handful of optical quirks that have become iconic in cinema:

• Elongated, oval bokeh in the background
• A touch of astigmatism (funny way to put it but it’s true), giving a softer, slightly dreamy look at the edges
• Horizontal lens flares in blue, gold, or neutral depending on your lens
• The classic black bars, baked directly into the image instead of cropped in later

These effects were originally just side effects of the optical design. But cinematographers turned those "imperfections" into a visual language over the decades - a way to communicate scale, emotion, tension, nostalgia, whatever a scene called for. That's the whole appeal. Anamorphic isn't about a clean, perfect image. It's about character. And character is a good thing. Trust me on that one, I have a whole Youtube channel dedicated to this.

What's New in Moment’s Anamorphic II Lenses?

So what actually changed from the original Moment Anamorphic lens to this new generation?

The Anamorphic II lenses are physically larger, built with two additional glass elements per group. This means they’re promised to deliver better edge-to-edge clarity and performance, especially to keep pace with the sensors in newer phones like the iPhone 16 and iPhone 17 lineups. You still get all that anamorphic character, just with sharper, more consistent performance across the whole picture.

Because the lens itself is bigger, it is a little heavier than the original , but it still uses the same mount system Moment shooters already know, complete with an alignment tool in the pouch to make sure everything lines up correctly if the lens ring loosens over time.

One of the more practical upgrades is the filter mount. The original 67mm mount came in two separate pieces. The Anamorphic II simplifies this into a single, solid 67mm mount piece. Which is a small change, but one that makes rigging faster and just feels more refined in daily use.

Why Put Cinema Glass on an iPhone?

This is such a fair question. Honestly, phones are really good right now. so why mess with it?

The iPhone 17 Pro camera delivers a clean, sharp image, excellent stabilization, strong dynamic range, and a genuinely convenient shooting experience. It's a legitimately powerful filmmaking tool — I've actually used it on real commercial work, both with the native lenses and with glass mounted in front of it. When the camera in your pocket can hold up next to production gear, why wouldn't you push it further with tools like this?

And look, part of this is just an homage to filmmakers like Steven Spielberg, who has built an entire visual signature around deliberately placing light sources in (or just outside) frame to trigger a flare. Anamorphic mobile lenses let you chase that same kind of intentional, cinematic imperfection, just from your phone.

Rigging It Up

Moment gives you a couple of ways to mount the Anamorphic 2, depending on how you like to shoot:

The BaseCage rig is the more run-and-gun setup that’s quick to attach, and you can pair it with a clamp if you need a more secure mount.

The  is the more built-out option, with multiple ports and a single cable that powers everything connected to your phone. Once it's set up, adding your lens is as simple as lining up the markers, dropping it in, and twisting to lock. From there you can build out your kit with a monitor, side handle, battery pack, or SSD. Whatever your shoot calls for.

If you're adding a monitor, a lightweight option like the Shinobi monitor pairs really well here - it can run off an NPF battery, mounts easily, and connects via HDMI straight through the Super Cage, which even has built-in cable channels to keep your rig tidy.

1.33x or 1.55x — Which Should You Choose?

This is probably the question most people actually came here for.

Go with the 1.33x if you're new to anamorphic filmmaking. It's the easier format to frame, easier to work with day to day, and still gives you that unmistakable anamorphic look without turning every single shot into a giant widescreen statement.

Or try the 1.55x if you're already in love with the anamorphic look, or you want something more dramatic. This is the format I'd reach for on a short film, a music video, or a travel piece — anything where the wide, stretched frame is part of the creative concept, not just a nice-to-have.

I personally lean toward the 1.55x. It's a bigger, more premium piece of glass, and it pairs beautifully with the open gate capture on newer iPhones, meaning I can shoot in standard 16:9 or switch to the 4:3 open gate format for even more flexibility in post. It just feels a little more versatile.

Gold, Blue, or Neutral

Each flare color brings its own personality to the frame:

• Blue flares lean into that classic, familiar cinematic look
• Gold flares feel warmer and more emotional
• Neutral is the most restrained and flexible option — but to be honest, neutral isn't truly neutral. It tends to pick up the characteristics of whatever light source triggers it. A green light, a blue light, an orange light; the flare will take on a hint of that color. So keep that in mind when you're choosing your lighting.

If I had to pick one for myself, I'm going with Gold 42, paired with the 1.55x squeeze. :)