Using an Anamorphic lens for a S16mm camera

October 9, 2004

Hi

I am in the middle of shooting my first short feature using a Krasnogorsk-3 with a Super 16mm modification. Just wondering firstly if I can use a Anamorphic lens with a S16 camera, what result and image would that create. I haven?t brought it yet and also wondering if ones available for the Krasnogorsk-3. Personally I would love to use an anamorphic lens mainly because of the fact I think a 40mm or 50mm anamorphic lens is perhaps closest to human vision in that the vertical perspective is like a 40mm or 50mm spherical, but it has twice the horizontal field of view also I love the shots it creates. Secondly and more importantly I am using S16 stock for the purpose of blowing it up to 35mm, would using an anamorphic lens impact upon this process

Any help would be greatly appreciated

David Mullen ASC · October 10, 2004

Standard 35mm anamorphic lenses have a 2X squeeze, so on a Super-16 camera with a 1.68 : 1 aperture, the unsqueezed image would be 3.36 : 1, which would have to be cropped on the sides to 2.39 : 1 for 35mm scope projection.

Even on a regular 16mm aperture, a 2X squeeze gets you a 2.66 : 1 image, assuming the aperture is 1.33 : 1.

So there is no advantage to combining the Super-16 format with 2X anamorphic lenses.

In 35mm shooting, the perspective is similar when using a 20mm spherical lens and cropping it vertically in half (40mm vertically) versus using a 40mm anamorphic lens that has twice as much horizontal view (i.e. of a 20mm spherical lens horizontally.) The only difference is the depth of field characteristics and the optical distortions of anamorphic photography.

Also note that a 40mm anamorphic lens put on a Super-16/16mm camera would be more telephoto than when used on a 35mm camera. You'd need to find a 20mm anamorphic lens to get that field of view, which is harder to find.

You'd be better off using something like a 10mm or so spherical lens on a Super-16 camera and framing for cropping to 2.39 : 1 and then blowing it up to 35mm anamorphic to get something like the view of a 40mm anamorphic lens used on a 35mm camera.

Christian Appelt · October 10, 2004

I doubt that any of the common lenses for a K-3 is good enough for that procedure. In cropping for 2.39 format you lose image area, so a professional 16mm camera with a really sharp prime lens and a register pin would be better.

Nunzio, since you are doing a short film, have you considered shooting 35mm?

2-perf Techniscope format seems to be well & alive in Australia, 2-perf and wide angle lenses give a very nice Sergio-Leone-like wide screen look.

If you want the classic anamorphic look, you could buy or rent a 35mm Konvas with 2x anamorphic lenses. That will save you blowup or DI cost later, just a straight print from your negative.

Just my $ 0.02...

Read these forum threads:

16mm anamorphic discussion 1

16mm anamorphic discussion 2

October 11, 2004

The ?Sergio-Leone-like" like style is exactly what I am looking for, however i am also adamant in sticking with my K-3, [however I might be persuaded to rent a 35mm or another project] the reason is that the festival I want to enter it in is only for 16mm only [s16 is also allowed] it is part of a university thing.

What I want to achieve is as you say a Sergio-Leone-like style; however with limited to an s16mm and a K-3 can this look be achieved?

Christian Appelt · October 11, 2004

Just some off-the-cuff ideas:

1. Use mostly a wide angle lens, stage your action in depth.

2. Put a lot of light on your scene and stop down your lens to at least f5.6 or f8 to get a great depth of field.

3. Use low & medium speed film only, no high speed, no pushing.

4. On exteriors, use golden reflectors to control shadow contrast.

On interior sets, use hard lighting to get strong backlight and textures.

Take a look at DVDs of ONCE UPON A TIME IN THE WEST or THE GOOD, THE BAD AND THE UGLY. Another great example of TechniScope deep focus cinematography is the first SARTANA film with Lee van Cleef.

October 11, 2004

WOW that?s for the help, only problem is I hope I can implement your ideas, seeing is how this is my first attempt at a S16mm project most of the stuff I been doing has been on Hi8 and I haven?t really got the hang that not to mention lighting, and you don't have to recommend any Sergio Leone film I practically seen them all, problem is I never really knew how he achieved them. - Sorta makes me regret not taking any film-making courses

Anyway if you have any more knowledge on how to achieve Leone's style or know of any books etc, please let me know.

Chris Burke · October 12, 2004

As far as I know the Peleng 8mm is the only wide angle available for the k-3. this will cover the entire S16 frame. Just curious, who did your conversion to Super 16? I own a K-3 and am considering doing the same.

chris

:rolleyes:

October 12, 2004

I bought the gate from http://www.k3camera.com/k3/k3s16mm.stm - "NCS Products" it cost me about $200 US but there's a $50 credit for returning your old gate [which I didn't do]. I was about to attempt to do the conversion my self, but I found a place [in Sydney mind you]. The process took about a couple of hours and was quite simple, thinking about it I would of been able to do it my self. I have a friend who managed to make his own gate for the K-3 works just fine, but for about $50 bucks [He was able to base it from my one]. You can get the camera pre-made for S16 for about $895 US at the same place.

Overall the conversion is quite simple there's a detailed manual on how to do it here - http://www.k3camera.com/k3/k3s16mm-install.stm