I love anamorphic. When I compose shots in my head, invariably, an anamorphic lens is required to capture what I see. Therefore, when I purchased my BMCC recently, I ran out and grabbed the first piece of glass I could get my hands on: an Isco-Gottingen Cinelux 2x anamorphic. It was beat up and cheap on eBay, but the image quality is surprisingly nice. My first test can be viewed here for anyone interested:
vimeo.com/72993815
But the thing is just a monster to deal with--one of the later generation Isco projection lenses that weighs twice as much as the camera. Focusing is a mystery at best. And I need a good 2m plus minimal focusing distance. The front of the lens is giant, so I can't fathom getting a diopter on there at all. It shoots a nice image, but it's way limited
So the search goes on... I'm not to the point where I can afford an Iscorama 36 even if I were to cross paths with such a rare creature, so I'm really looking for feedback on that mid-tier, under 1k anamorphic that is functional, lightweight and sharp across a wide f/stop range.
I've come across the Iscomorphot 16 a couple of times, which although still a projection lens, appears smaller and more manageable. Does anyone have any experience with this lens that can tell me if it's significantly more manageable than what I already own. Closer focusing, etc--better option for diopters.
Also, Sankors keep popping up in my search, mostly Cs and Fs. Without Isco's patented technology, they can't rack focus, so are they really worth double the Isco projection lenses? Likewise the Kowa Prominars--without a rack focus option, are they worth it?? $1200, seriously??
Or Henri Chretien Hypergonar 16 lens. Never heard of them before, but I've seen two on eBay recently. Worth pursuing?
Any and all help/advice welcome and appreciated!
