Difference between C and E series Panavision anamorphic

[Alex Birrell]

Hi everyone,

 

I was just wondering if anyone had any experience of the differences in image characteristics of Panavision C and E series anamorphics. Not the tech specs which I know but the bokeh, barrel distortion and flares.

 

Also, I have just rewatched John Carpenter's Christine on blu ray (shot by Donald Morgan) and was struck by how different it looked from Carpenter's earlier Dean Cundey shot films despite the angles, focal length choice and camera movement being very much Carpenter's signature style.

 

I have seen that the film was shot with 5293 whereas the earlier films were all 5247 so that can account for some of the different look. I was wondering though if it was shot with E-series rather than C-series anamorphics - it seems to me that in this film there is much more pronounced barrel distortion throughout the entire film. There is also visible vignetting in various shots and the flares seem much bluer in tone (they almost look like Primo anamorphic flares but I know they weren't out in 1983).

 

Just asking for information for the future really so any information would be appreciated. It'll sound strange but I am a huge fan of barrel distortion on wide anamorphic lenses - particularly in movement and it's an anamorphic artefact that not many people seem to talk about in comparison to bokeh and flares.