Doubt in Anamorphic lenses !!

[Subhash Sukumaran]

I'd like to know if there would be any quality loss in images wen a movie shot wit anamorphic lenses and projected using a 35mm spherical lenses .. Compared to that of a movie shot wit 35mm spherical lenses and projected with the same ...

 

cheers

subhash

[James Steven Beverly]

You can't project an anamorphic image with a spherical lens unless you want the people to look like they're very tall and very thin. You have to use a DE-anamorphic projection lens to project the image in the proper aspect ratio. NOW if you mask an image shot and staged for 'scope projection to 'scope while projecting it, the image will not have as much quality as the anamorphic image because the anamorphic image has more information because it uses the entire frame rather than the middle section. Now if it's masked to 185:1 (widescreen) the image is sharper, BUT also narrower and STILL not quite as sharp as an anamorphic image. Hope that helps. B)

[Subhash Sukumaran]

Thanks a lot james ... Infact i messed up the question ... Its about the Ground Glass i wanted to ask rather than the Lens ...

Can u tell the different aspects that can affect the quality of the image i.e Sharpness , Saturation etc ... I know that bad lenses , Old Stock , Over-Exposure etc r some aspects that can reduce the quality !!

I'm working for a entire different look for a project ... Its jus that i lack the experience !!!

 

cheers

subhash

[Chris Keth]

I really don't know what you're asking. I would try an answer if I did.

[James Steven Beverly]

If you're asking when you look into the camera's viewfinder at the image within the markings for the wide-screen and /or scope film area and the academy film area if you can tell whether the image that you filming is going to be sharp and have good color saturation, well no, not really. You can sometimes tell if there is a problem with the camera and / or lens and you can judge if the image is in focus to a certain extent but that's why they use tape measures, run test shots and have dailies because the image in the camera is pretty small, ESPECIALLY if it a scope image with a de-anamorphic viewfinder or you're trying to judge the image in the markings for wide-screen or scope using spherical lenses so it's real easy to make a mistake using just the viewfinder on a shallow DOF shot, also and even more importantly, the image see in the viewfinder may not be EXACTLY the image that hits the film IF the camera, lenses and mags are not calibrated (collumnated) exactly. Saturation has a lot to do with the emulsion of th film, the condition of the film, the type of processing done not just what the lighting and the camera settings where used at the time the film was exposed.

 

When you use a tape measure, you know exactly down to the inch or less where your focus point is, film / clip tests will tell what condition the film is in and if the camera is working properly, the Kodak or Fugi sites will give you a description of the film's properties INCLUDING the saturation qualities, dailies tell you if the camera operator and focus puller is hittng their focus marks or if the shots are soft. You should be able to collaborate with the film sales people, the lab and your DOP to get the kind of saturation levels you're looking for and make sure they're right when you print the film and project it.

 

BTW, JUST IN CASE you were miss informed of made a mistake, there is no ground glass on a projector only on a camera. The ground glass is actually a tiny rear projector screen the gets the image coming through the lens hitting a spinning mirror / shutter assembly that reflects the light though a series of mirrors or mirrored prisms in the viewfinder assembly until it hits the back of the ground glass. The aspect ratio box markings are etched onto the ground glass. The de-anamorphic viewfinder shrinks and de-squeezes the image (so the image will fit into the finder's field of view) so you can see how it will basically look when projected. (Incidentally, David Mullen mentioned in another thread on anamorphics that it's a good idea to learn how to compose the shot using a standard viewfinder with the compressed image BECAUSE it's easier to see detail in the larger image and catch mistakes before you roll.)

 

Hopefully this answers your question. B)

Edited August 27, 2007 by James Steven Beverly