35 replies to this topic

[AdamCinema]

Call me Naive, but I've yet to find any real projects shot with anamorphic lens adapter setups like discussed on here. I'm the DP for a 15 page short coming up next month and the director asked me to look into anamorphic lens choices and I've been looking at Kowas and the like in that price range. The results look great for the most part, but I've been looking and I've only found test projects and test videos. Does somebody have a completed short to show? I've got a professional job to do with these lenses and I don't want to find out after dropping the cash on them that its not really something thats possible. The current camera package is a NEX-FS100 with FD lenses and I'm looking to shoot scope with the Kowa.



Thanks for any help in advance.

[richg101]

Be prepared for a lot of re adjusting of your workflow, your shooting style, etc. Personally I think you should consider the LA7200 or Century at the price you are talking about. You'll need some diopters, lots of light, etc. Kiss goodbye to close ups and below f5.6.

Dual focus systems like the kowa might be sharper but would be ridiculous in a real shooting situation IMO.

I have created a 1.5 minute short using a century 1.33x anamorphic on a sony nex5n. It worked well. Its currently entered for a festival so I cannot share it though. Get the gear for your own enjoyment. Learn it. it'll take a while before you know if you can trust it to work for you in a real life situation.

[AdamCinema]

Wow. All of that sounds awful. No wonder I haven't seen any shorts shot with them. Sounds like I would be better off getting a PL mount adapter instead to rent some lenses for.

Thanks for the info!

[richg101]

the rewards are worth the effort IMO based on a few months of experimenting. Limitations can lead to good things. why not rent an Iscorama?

[septemberdawn]

You might find something in this clip collection:
vimeo.com/groups/anamorphic

[tony wilson]

rent an iscorama have an easy life.
forget lomo..f5.6-8 using hawks will destroy your budget.
iscorama a few close up diopters..a couple of taking lens and your done.
so much bull shit talked.
this film here 70% of it was shot with a 40mm panavision c anamorphic the film is a masterpiece.
1000 people with 50 lens would not do better.
great director,actor and dp.

[robtilbury]

mr wilson your a smart man, agree x 10!

on topic, i will be doing some 'real projects' 100% shot on iscorama 36 in the next few weeks. will report back soon

[AdamCinema]

Any suggestions for places to rent Iscoramas from? I was looking before I started this thread and did not see any places that did rentals of these kinds of lenses, only hawks which were in another dimension budget wise.

I should mention I'm looking to shoot in 2.35.

Thanks for all the advice posted thus far.

[tony wilson]

no companies have them plenty of owners in the states.
put an add up here on dvx and vimeo anamorphic group..
i am sure you will find a taker if you offer 400-500 dollars for rental.
they will probably have close up lens as well

[richg101]

no companies have them plenty of owners in the states.
put an add up here on dvx and vimeo anamorphic group..
i am sure you will find a taker if you offer 400-500 dollars for rental.
they will probably have close up lens as well

Hey Tony

How would:-

an Iscorama 1.5x on a well matched 50mm + achromatic diopters

compare to:-

an all in one modern 50mm unit from Panavision?

[tony wilson]

panavision have always used superb optical designers.
a lot of the panavision magic in the last 30 years has come out of canada.
the stunning leica noct lens all have canadian military heritage..
elcan a military company with super close ties to Ernst Lietz Canada and a discreet connection with panavision.

the cool lee marvin clip above is a very early generation panavision lens at f4 the iscorama will be much sharper with a zeiss or leica taking lens.
panavision lens of the last 20 years are state of the art.
what a company like panavision does is make a perfect matched cylindrical optic for every taking lens and house it in a lovely sleek industrial level dual focus tube.
the replacement costs of these lens is not some film industry inflated joke it is real.
ultimate hand made bespoke optics.
Tak miyagishima was really the lovely brains behind a lot of the greatness of the panavision system driven forward by Robert Gottschalk the original talented owner and a great optical man himself.

tak even made a custom 450mm 1.25x lens for david lean and freddie young for 1 shot the mirage scene

[richg101]

Thanks for that Tony.

I am hoping to move to Iscorama when I have the funds and when one comes up. Moving away from the Century + achromat tokina (of which you kindly supplied).

I have been slowly assembling a nice set of early West German (pre t coated) Zeiss Rollei lenses from 35mm - 135mm with intention of using them with an Iscorama in the future.

re. your clip. It's the lovely lighting married to the use of a nice organic looking lens that I love about that Lee Marvin clip you posted. I wouldn't want it any sharper:)

[tony wilson]

that is the beauty of the iscorama matching it with a sharp taking lens or a vintage softer optic.
a lot of this early generation anamorphic stuff had vintage cooke and baltar taking lens.
not super sharp by todays standards.

in a sense the helios 44 is a poor mans version of a vintage cooke a nice optical match.

your zeiss are little slick and have very nice coatings a little modern for my tastes.
rollei zeiss are a good range of lens to have though.
a set of lens for the price of 1 cooke speed panchro

[richg101]

a set of lens for the price of 1 cooke speed panchro

Indeed! I was blown away by the value for money. everyone jumping on contax zeiss, these were a lot cheaper and seem a lot more solid. all metal, huge focus ring throw (3 times what the contax versions are) which is lovely for slight blind adjustments on wide shots. They are sharp but not clinical. Love them! I have a helio 44 from the old man's zenit, but there is a lot of play in the barrel which I cant fix. I'm gonna order another soon.

[tony wilson]

rollei was a great and quirky company and made some superb stuff.
very odd relationship with zeiss i assume zeiss had money in them at one stage because rollei used a lot of zeiss patent stuff.
the 35mm lens some where made in germany some singapore and others by mamiya japan.
my favorite is the 85mm made in germany

when you buy into something like the helios you really are making a connection with movie history even though it was made for a rough old russian stills camera.
from charlie chaplin,to orson welles to coppola.
cooke lens baltar lens.
chaplin used cookes,citizen kane was cooke and astro berlin the godfather was bausch and lomb baltar.
as we know bausch and lomb had the early cinemascope making gig.
the japanese and germans tended to tweak where the russians knew they had something good and if it's not broke kind of thing.
japan in the 50s and 60s was on a mission to best everyone.
so they took the recipes and improved them.
20 us dollars or less should get you a helios.

[Mobillaire]

How about:

GH2 88Mbps
Kowa Prominar 16H
Tokina diopter +0.5
Cheap Vivtar diopter +1, +2, +4
Redstan clamps
Canon FD 50mm 1.4
Canon FD Thorium 35mm 2
Canon FD 85mm 1.8
Lightcraft Vari-ND 72mm
Small DP4

As for real projects - I agree - can't seem to find any recent projects filmed on Anamorphic except for Vimeo group:



As for features - that could be the start of a revolution!

[tony wilson]

very nice set up shame about the camp vamp style clamp

i hear that guy redstan is forever ripping off the real clamp dealers : )

but would rig be able to shoot and contain lee fuckin marvin

[andy lee]

Hi Tony

I've been using Helios 44-2's with my anamorphics for a number of years now as I like Russian lenses lot!
I have also used Kiev 88 lenses as they are made by KMZ who make the Helios
The Kiev lenses are medium format and big, very well made ,
the Mir 65mm f3.5 and Mir 45mm f3.5 are also very good with anamorphic lenses




This is a Helios flaring away like crazy on a set we built for a pop video I directed - 'Take the brightest light and point it at the camera then start putting things infront of it!'

[andy lee]

Tak made a custom lens for Elizabeth Taylor in the days before Photoshop and Imagenomic ! to make her look slimmer!
today I do the same by stretching the image vertically !


Quoted from Creative Cow :-

For Taming of the Shrew, Miyagishima made a custom 100mm anamorphic lens for Elizabeth Taylor's personal use. "She would tell her cinematographer, this is my lens," says Hummel. "When it would un-squeeze, she would look more slender." Empire of the Sun was one of the first films to use the Primo lenses that he and Iain Neil helped develop. "They were literally screwing them together and putting them in cases to send cinematographer Allen Daviau," says Hummel.



Elizabeth Taylor in "Taming of the Shrew." - Columbia Pictures 1967. "This is my lens," Elizabeth would say. When the custom 100mm anamorphic lens would un-squeeze, Elizabeth would look more slender. Photo: Everett Collection.

[andy lee]

this one is for Tony !!
the greatest film of all time gets a 4k scan and restoration - I can't wait to see this on the big screen in the UK!!! Freddie Young was the best!!!!!!
see press release below .

http://www.hometheat...versary-blu-ray