JohnBarlow

@Liszon

I can understand what your saying and I also thank you for your kind words.

When setting a target performance in the design stage of the Rectilux I was looking at this Angenieux zoom below on the basis of aiming very high and if I pull up a little short then it would stilll be good.

The Ang is very much a pricey lens at over 20x the price of Rectilux 3FF

 

Can you say the Angenieux would produce a shot which is 20x better? How about 10x? 5x? 2x?

 

Do folks want quality or cheap?

Wow, looks really promising indeed, and using zooms… crazy!!

Thanks EeeCeeGee !

Looks promising, but at 2950 UK, that translates into roughly $4400 Canadian.... just a little too pricey for my tastes.  I'm sure you've put a ton of research into it & I do wish you the greatest success with it.

Thanks Oz,

Theres none cheaper unfortunately ;)

The Flek has 49mm filter thread

Also have a look at Schneider Curtagon 2.8/35 and also the plastic Nikon AF-S 35mm f/1.8 G DX

@valid

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details are in the thread above.

It is a custom glass/optical solution, perfectly matched to the base anamorphic. You fix the scope and rear lens and focus at the front.

Contact me at the website if you want to discuss further, the link is in the thread or below in the footer.

Yes, great stuff

If you ever need to have your KOWA B&H transformed into single focus with a minimum focus of about 2ft, just let me know.

I set up the blog today

http://www.rectilux.com

Over time I will be adding news and posts on how to setup the Rectilux 3FF with various taking lenses and how to operate the Floating Zone Focus.

Don't listen to the low-squeeze heretics, 2X squeeze is where it's at :-)

I'm really excited, but I need to see how well it holds up at wider apertures, with shallower DOF, when pulling focus.

Could this be adapted to other projection anamorphics? If so, the Kowa 8Z/16-H is IMO the best 2X out there. It goes the widest, and is very clean and sharp.

Also, if you can, a more professional-looking clamp/rod riser setup would be awesome. I'm not saying yours is bad, but I'd definitely drop a couple hundred dollars extra for a premium setup. I've always thought that it'd be cool to have the anamorphic mounted to the rods on its own riser, with a nifty little elastic drawstring cloth at the back that goes around the front of the "taking" lens to block out light.

Also, PM me if you want advice on electronic follow focus devices. I've sunk around $1K into building a wireless follow focus from scratch, so I've got some experience.

Yes I have a solution for the KOWA, Contact me at my website when you want to go ahead on this.

If you have a sketch of the kind of support you have in mind just send it over as well.

PM sent

No dirty lies here sir!  I think you misunderstand what I mean.  

I am well aware that the rear optic of the iscorama 36 or iscorama (non 36) is not large enough to deliver the 'light transmission' required to deliver exposures as you would expect from the 85mm f1.4 on it's own,  in order for that the rear optic of the iscorama would need to match that of the 85mm f1.4.  However, I am sure you're aware that the coupling of the optics will still yield the 'look' of a f1.4.  exposure will take a hit granted, but we're here for the 'look'.  even if there were 2 stops of light loss due to the limited transmission, we're still talking a f2.8 exposure which is still adequate.  At most I'd estimate maybe a noticeable loss of 1/2 - 2/3rd of a stop due to the limitations of the iscorama rear optic.  

Put an iscorama on the front of a 85mm f1.4 zeiss and it doesnt degrade the image very much at all (even wide open) thus in resolving power terms the Iscorama will support use at f1.4 as well as the fastest cinema anamorphics can!, but do it on a full frame sensor.  If you are charging similar amounts of money for your product, put it against the competition your price point dictates otherwise no one will buy them.

This is very easy to resolve. Place some newsprint on the floor and pull out a length of retractable steel rule. Then shoot three photos of the same focus point on the rule ; one at F1.4, F2.0 and F2.8 and post them here so that we may evaluate any change in DOF and light transmission between them.

if you want to remove the loss of transmission effects and the cost of aquiring an 85mm f1.4 for testing purposes just stick a 50mm f1.4 lens on the back instead, on full frame and show us the comparison.  The iscorama rear optic is big enough to transmit enough light for a 50mm f1.4.   

You seem to forget that I own a '68 which does not support a 1.4/50 wide open

re. weight.

A 100g increase in weight, as well as what looks like a 1/3rd length increase (before the diopter is at full extention) is a noticable difference once hanging off a prime.  Those rectimascopes are pretty long as standard from that I recall.  Have you used an Iscorama before?  On a helios 44 it's pretty damn compact and doesnt need any rails.

I am not entirely sure where you are going with this. Maybe you think I just store my '68 in a spotlit trophy cabinet next to my fabulous collection of Faberge eggs?  Then again have you ever put your ISCO on the end of a 75-150 zoom lens?, did you ever listen to those little M2 screws in your camera mount creak and groan under the bending moment?

Sure the Rectilux is a little longer but have you noticed that for a given lens size, 2X Scopes tend to be a little longer than 1.5X, with the 1.3X size being the shortest?

Also how long and heavy does the ISCO become with that deliciously expensive Tokina 0.4 hanging off the end of those plastic screw threads. Metal grinding against plastic after repeated screwing on and off - there can only be one winner and it isnt the plastic threads.

Here is a photo showing the entrance pupils

I don't mean to piss on puddings here, but as an Iscorama user, and enthusiast I felt compelled to come in and query constructively the product since there is suggestion that it will be a possible replacement for the iscorama.  If this is the case then that's awesome. 

I think if I got it right, this method should be able to surpass the Iscorama, and it's also capable of giving variable stretch.

Hi Bruno,

As mentioned earlier the Rectilux has similarity to how a zoom lens works, the focusing group, variator group, compensator group and the master group get transformed into the focusing group, the scope and the taking lens. Of course, as always, the devil is in the detail.

Nice project John.  Though i am a bit hesitant to believe your focus system is miles away from the patented Isco system... :ph34r:

 

Your stills look pretty good, but the video sample doesnt seem to show very much of that anamorphic quality we all want due to the fact that the shots dont seem to show any shallow dof or any proper focus pulls.  What aperture was your zoom set to?  I was surprised that even at 70-200 there was little infocus/defocus separation.  If I went out with my nex5n, a 135mm f4 and an iscorama the depth of field would be razor thin compared to what i am seeing here.

 

When you put these rather costly and heavy £3000 units up against a smaller, more compact £2000 iscorama36, (or £3000 vandiemen rehoused version!), be sure to show the capabilities between the two on full frame, with an 85mm f1.4 wide open.  This is the only way you'll be able to properly show the capabilities against the benchmark 'rama, which will deliver sterling results even wide open!.  

 

I love the look from 2x anamorphics but I think the main issue your anamorphics will struggle with when being put up against an iscorama 1.5x is the loss of resolution from having to crop away so much from the sides.  I believe selecting a higher spec Kowa 35 (1.5 or 1.75) would have been a better choice for usability in our current climate where resolution is very important.  Very few people have access to budgets to rent an Alexa Studio with its 4 perf sensor.  

I think it best to put these issues on hold until the shootout takes place. Then any discussion will be based on hard facts instead of conjecture on your part.

Oh, btw, to fully utilise the extreme bokeh from a 1.4/85mm , would require a scope with a rear optic port of 85/1.4 = 61mm

the EP for an ISCO36 gives an f/stop of 85/36 = 2.36

the EP for an ISCO'68 gives an f/stop of 85/30 = 2.83

thus it would be fatuous and a dirty lie to claim an ISCO36 or '68 can support a 1.4/85mm wide open, regardless of sensor size.

Regarding weight, the ISCO'68 weighs in at 400g in its original plastic mac, without the supplied low budget 2.8/50mm ISCOTAR triplet.

Whereas the Rectilux 3FF weighs in at 500g in its full metal jacket and of course the nice and thick 10mm front element plays its part. 

I would hardly call it heavy. 

A Van Diemann rehousing/conversion is heavy and not much in the way of additional functionality.

Ok, so lets adjourn this debate/discussion until the shootout.

best

I wasnt asking for your supplier etc I have no intention of ever making lenses !! thats not what I do...

- Im just curious as it a serious bit of engineering / design if you have added new elements and focus mechanism - nice one John !

 

you should be flogging these to serious indie directors and film companies

If you read it that way, then my apologies.

However my offer to meet up still stands if you can find the time.

Yes he did, I don't know the specifics but I have been in contact with him for months about this. It is old anamorphic lenses with new custom made optics that allow for single focus. I believe it is somewhat similar to a Isco where you have the anamorphic block fixed for infinity focus and then a variable power diopter in front, you set your taking lens to infinity and focus with the adapter. Although I believe the optics are different but the concept is probably similar.

 

This one works the same way but I believe that the this adapter is not fixed at infinity focus so you can get closer focus. Set the focus on the lens and anamorphic block to infinity and focus with the new focusing system and you can focus infinity to say 2 meters. Set the anamorphic block and taking lens to 2 meters now you can focus from 2 meters to 1 meter. 

 

This is somewhat speculation on my part from my conversations about this lens in the past, the website so far has not been super clear to me on exactly how it works but I am sure John will pop in here soon and clear things up. Over all it looks like a very high quality and very flexible option.

Many thanks - you know too much already- the black helicopters are heading your way  haha :)

All joking aside, I must distance myself from any comparison to the ISCO solution to either be hunted down by the patent attorneys or offered a job. This is my own work, my IPR and custom recipe, developed through countless iterations optimising merit function and solves for a wide range of projection CinemaScope lenses (yes even the gold and red ones ;))

This project is the culmination of over two years hard work. In fact I offered Andrew Chan (SLRM), this concept on a plate in this thread

http://www.personal-view.com/talks/discussion/4466/most-wanted-anamorphic-lens/p20

albeit a very simplified version for concept purposes only, but he turned his nose up on it.

So here we are, the holy grail with Floating Zone Focus (Nikon calls this Close Range Correction, Canon calls it Floating elements I believe).

For an Iscorama to get to 0.65m it would require four whole turns of the focus unit and the helicoid would have to be extremely well made to maintain centricity at such a long reach.

When you own a Rectilux 3FF you will also get excellent service and support as well as priority access to future add-ons such as a 4 waypoint storeable motorized follow focus unit and a super slow cranked zoom mechanism. More on this later....

There will be more tests on the Rectilux channel on Vimeo. Stay tuned

best,

John

how do you make a duel focus adaptor into single focus ?

Have you added new elements to it ?

who made the new elements?

I cant give out too much information as I have to protect my IPR, but yes there is a multi-element focusing front end which performs all the magic. Supplier information on optics and precision metal fabrication is sensitive business information.

However if you fancy a trip down the East Lancs Road, we could meet up at the Hard Days Night for a pint and you could try it out with your GH4 and shoot some amazing scope if the weather is good. PM me if you want to set this up.

Dont forget your wallet :)

Is it single focus really, and if so how is that achieved?

Hi Cal,

Yes sir, it really really really is single focus, its the real thing. You can pull focus, follow focus and get in really close. Furthermore you can use a zoom as well as your favourite prime glass.

Its not only that of course - its CinemaScope just like the movies and it is a professional tool with minimum focus of 0.65m (thats 2ft imperial), no dioptres required, focus throw of 195 degrees, comes with a Steam Punk support rig for 15mm rails and works with prime lenses and zooms in the range 50mm to 200mm and it weighs just 500g (just over 1lb imperial). The mumps are almost undetectable.

It is not just a conversion - it is a completely custom developed optical prescription using vintage scopes. The vintage look digitally remastered through a process I call Revisioneering.

It is laid out here

transferconvert.co.uk/cinemania/rectilux-3ff.html

Oh I nearly forgot to tell you that the beautiful colour tone seems to be a result of using gold filter ND optical glass.

I got mine here

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/110676899420?ssPageName=STRK:MEWAX:IT&_trksid=p3984.m1423.l2649

The 62mm size is a perfect match to the Rectilux 3FF and the gold filtration has in my opinion a pleasing effect on the imagery, even though the listing says there is no effect on colour balance - there is - but it is very nice.

Hi Francisco,

I am pleased you like it. You are the 2X Moller expert (hear my train a'comin'), so it brings a smile to hear you say these nice things.

I will be posting more testing parts on the Rectilux channel, and I will show close focus with zoom (stunning!),focus pulls, follow focusing, lots of flares and of course big bokeh. I know you will not be disappointed. :)

I also will include some 32:9 as you said you like this super wide format.

In England the nights are getting darker quickly now, so I will be able to shoot some night-time footage also.

Any questions you may have I will be pleased to answer them.

If you want to shoot a short in London let me know.

Stay tuned. :)

best

It looks beautiful !

If it's posible I would like to see also 2x original image. I like a lot 3.55....

Best and congrats!

Thanks Francisco, I will send you a small clip direct from the camera to play with later today.

Hi Andy

It is not too dissimilar from the way the focus on a zoom works see here

http://www.adaptall-2.org/articles/InsideZoomLens/InsideZoomLens.html

Thank you, the focusing elements were designed to be that good.

and yes one of the tests will be a shootout with IscoRama 1968,

keep watching ;)

Well done Seb, l liked the car chase stuff, very Luc Besson-esque  ;)

Whilst an Iscorama may look expensive at $3000 a pop (used!), a full set of Zeiss master anamorphics cost an eye watering $305,000 ($43,600 per lens).
 

Hi Andrew, good luck with your project.

Does this modification convert the Iscoramas to 2X CinemaScope as loosely implied above?

best

John

22 means the diameter of the rear optic is 22mm