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Posted (edited)

The Panavision Auto-Panatar, Kowa Cine Prominar, Zeiss Ultrascope, and Lomo Roundfront sets of lenses are all examples of vintage anamorphic glass that I’ve noticed follow a strange trend. In respect to their original release, all of their sets were comprised of lenses ranging from 40mm at their very widest followed by a 50mm above it, and then jumping to something like a 75mm or 85mm. 
 

The Panavisions go "40, 50, 75”, whereas the Kowas and Ultrascopes both go "40, 50, 85”. I’ve always found this to be a really perplexing manufacturing decision, as I can’t see how many cinematographers of filmmakers would prefer this much narrower range of focal lengths followed by this huge jump making two lenses much wider than their third installment. Was there a practical reason for this during the era they were manufactured in? 

Edited by Owen A. Davies
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  • Owen A. Davies changed the title to Explaining the strange choices in focal length from vintage anamorphic primes.
Posted

Just a guess, but to go wider and wider, the technichal limitations may have come into play. That is, maybe someone would have suggested to do 30, 50, 80 but the lens designers said no. So they got 40 , 50, 80. 

Posted
On 10/14/2024 at 4:49 PM, Don H Marks said:

Just a guess, but to go wider and wider, the technichal limitations may have come into play. That is, maybe someone would have suggested to do 30, 50, 80 but the lens designers said no. So they got 40 , 50, 80. 

I just don't know why they would do two focal lengths so close to each other with only three lens choices. I'd rather just save the money and get the 40 and the 75. Some directors are able to shoot entire productions and get wide, medium, and closeup shots with just one focal length. I just don't see what the incentive is on a big production to swap between 40 and 50 if you're only using three lenses. 

Posted (edited)

for sure technical limitations.

old 40mm anamorphics have strong distortion. the 40 and 50 often feels very different for this reason with the 50mm being much cleaner looking.

40mm is pretty wide though —it has the width of a spherical 20mm

Edited by Albion Hockney

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