Buying Affordable Anamorphics vs. Renting Character Lenses for Indie Feature

Hey everyone,

I'm prepping for an indie feature right now, shooting on a V-RAPTOR XL, and we're weighing our lens options. We're on a tight budget, as most indies are, but really want to get that anamorphic look. I've been looking at buying a set of the SIRUI ASTRA anamorphics, the cost is really appealing for a full set we'd own, and I've seen decent results. My thinking is, if we buy them, that's gear we can leverage for future projects too.

On the other hand, a few DPs I've worked with swear by the 'character' glass you get from renting, like the Atlas Orion series. Their look is definitely distinct, and I love the flares, but renting a set for the entire shoot would eat a significant chunk of our already stretched lens budget. I've mostly worked with spherical primes like Cooke S4s or rehoused vintage glass, so this is a bit of new territory for me on the anamorphic side.

For an indie feature, how do you weigh the pros and cons of buying an affordable AF set like the SIRUI ASTRA versus renting a 'character' set like the Atlas Orion series? What factors have been most important in your decisions?