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http://vimeo.com/70264199 I had all but given up on ever finding the perfect 8mm anamorphic lens, but I recently got my hands on what I think is the most rare anamorphic lens that I have ever owned -- the Zeiss Ikon Anamorphot 22/1.5x. It is almost impossible to find any information on this lens. I could not find any pictures of the lens, nor any test footage. In fact, the only reason that I knew that it existed was a tip from anamorphic Godfather Kostas Petsas, who also has one. He compares his Ikon to the Iscomorphot 8/1.5x. Like the Iscomorphot 8/1.5x, it's an 8mm "baby" lens that is fully rack-focusable. The helicoid is smooth and has a very manageable throw, so focusing is no problem at all as you will see in the test video above. The slightly wider diameter actually makes the lens easier to focus the baby Isco, and of course it is much more focus-friendly than the strenuous focus throw of the Iscorama. It's a little bigger than the Iscomorphot 1.5x (front filter thread is about 43mm, and rear diameter is about 32mm) but still much smaller and lighter than the Iscomorphot 2x or the Iscorama. It's nice not to have to add in a support system to hold the weight of the additional lens. Coupled with a DSLR, a taking lens with a silver finish and a silver clamp from Redstan, this could be a great stealth anamorphic setup. I think that perhaps the most substantial difference between the Ikon and the Iscomorphot is that the Ikon is usable when the taking lens is wide open (at least at f/1.8). Though it is not razor sharp like the Iscorama, I don't see a limitation here. The minimum focus distance is impressive. I've been able to focus as close as 22" wide open without any diopters. I haven't really put it through the paces yet, but from what I've seen, the lens has some nice, understated character. It's a lot less smeary than some of the 8mm anamorphics that I have used. The flares are thinly stretched blue ovals, similar to my Moller 32/2x (but I think that I may like the Zeiss flares even more). I have been able to use it with my FS100 with a 50mm lens, which is usually my go-to lens when I first get an anamorphic lens. I'll have to test it to see if I can get away with using a wider taking lens. I am excited about this lens. It is the easiest, simplest anamorphic lens that I have ever used and the image is very pleasing. I think that this is a winner. If anyone else has one, I'd love to compare notes.

Seb Farges has been posting videos shot with this lens for quite a while now. I thought that it was impressive so I picked one up for myself. I believe that it may be the smallest anamorphic lens in the world. It is TINY. It's an interesting little beast (completely different from it's grandfather, the Hi-Fi 2) but I think that the footage has a nice, soft look to it! The Baby Hypergonar seems to work best in broad daylight between f8 and f16, but with the +0.4 achromat attached, I can take it all the way down to f1.8 on my Konica AR 40mm and still have pretty sharp results (and a five-foot rackable range that expands as I stop down). I should mention that there is no focus ring. You just shoot through the anamorphic. The lens vignettes very slightly on a 35mm lens (MFT), and the image bends at the sides ala wide angle a little much for my taste. At 40mm, I think that it looks good. And of course, 50mm works well too. Someone recommended trying it with a Nikkor 55mm Micro, which I did, but I was not impressed -- the extended barrel of that lens makes for a great place to conceal a tiny anamorphic like this, but you just can't get the anamorphic close enough to the taking lens. The flares seem to be soft, streaky blue and segmented white (or sometimes both at the same time). I find them to be very pleasing. The 1.75x crop vs the 2x crop that is a characteristic of so many other lenses is surprisingly more manageable, though I do find myself often shooting distorted, without an external monitor, just to have easy access to the magnified focus assist. Here's some footage that I shot this past weekend with this lens (attached to my Konica):   http://vimeo.com/45483904