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dino wiand

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  1. Strange history. They never were as popular as cooke even in france. Some people say very cold sterile lenses opposite of cooke and some say warm and similar to baltar. They were basically converted still lenses used mainly on high end alpas. My experience is some sharper than cooke. To me more like a bolex kern switar for 35mm but hard to say as so many different opinions.
  2. More 1969 https://youtu.be/VPSgl9Us4B4 Also Mon oncle https://youtu.be/nmTnJFLZJtAand red balloon. Some zoom in more though
  3. the super baltars were softer than the cookes in my opinion. The Cooke's 'pop' a little more. The Kowa's to me were between Cooke and Super Baltars for sharpness. 'Milk' was shot with Speed Panchros and Vittorio Storaro claimed the speed panchros to be his favourite lens (at least in the 70s and 80s). Just a note on the Speed Panchro series ii and ii.. The Cooke Series III was made to fix the problems with the series ii 18mm and 25mm focal length lenses. Both series ii 18mm and 25mm were very poor lenses and really not usable.. they came out with the series iii to fix the problems. the S III are the same lenses as the other series ii lenses ... but usable. I think the Super Baltars struggle a little wide open in low light but still are beautiful lens.. they look amazing with reversal stock as do the sp's as these were lenses made for 3 strip technicolor or high contrast black and white. I go between liking the SP's or SB's the best. Maybe the Cookes are more the all rounder. Also the Panavision 'C' series are in the same league as Super Baltars in my opinion.
  4. checked out 'the wackness' - that looked softer than the s.baltars that I am used to. I don't like to think of them as an effect lens but it looks that way in that film, its more like they are pushing the lenses boundaries to get an effect. I think if they still had 3 strip technicolor like Baltars were made for then they wouldn't be as soft. I am used to watching old films so when I see a sharp modern lens it looses a little magic unless the DP can work to soften the light rather than the lens.
  5. don't know the Som Berthiot other than I used Som Berthiot on a Bolex and didn't like the set as much as the Switars or Taylor Hobsons.
  6. Hi. I know these lenses very well. Firstly we all know what Baltar's and Super Baltars look like, pretty much any film shot with a Mitchell was either Baltar or Kowa. Even a lot of stuff in the 80s was shot with Super Baltars and Kowas. A lot of old Disney stuff like 'Parent Trap' and 'Moonspinners' and also most Hitchcock stuff was shot with Super Baltars. A lot of John Ford stuff as well. 'The Birds' etc. Also a lot of the early Fox Cinescope stuff like 'the robe' was shot with adapted Baltar's. They used Super Baltars on the TV show Cheers if you want to see a bad example. Also the Star Trek TV series. 16mm versions were used on 'Brown Bunny' by Vincent Gallo, however again its not to me the best use of them. I personally like the Baltars from the 50s a little better than the 60s Super Baltars, but the Super Baltars are great. By the way the Kowa's are exact copies of the Super Baltars but have a slightly orange warmer coating. I think the Baltar's are a touch more dramatic and moody looking compared to the Super Baltar. I have never seen the CM3 Baltars, but sound interesting. Personally I prefer them on 35mm rather than using them to soften the harsher digital cameras. Personally I think a beautiful image is a beautiful image, but these lens add some real magic that you may not instantly get from a modern lens. Also I use them with no matte box/filters and have not had too much problems with flare, but it depends how anal you need to be. If you want to shoot perfectly (if there is such a thing) and without character maybe stay away.
  7. this (compressed to hell) music video was shot with the Switar RX. I use some adapted Cooke Ivotal's which also look fantastic. Sopelem also are very nice but hard to find. check the link out, all done with a bolex and no crew. http://www.nme.com/video?bcpid=26429438001...tid=69991951001
  8. Young Girls of Rochefort is a good example. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8I_km8IkVsE I think they used a Kinoptik lens (like Jack Cardiff had for William Tell) . They got a great look from Rocheford. But camera not good for sync sound unless you don't mind re-recording the sound. Musicals however no problem. Eclair Camaflex is a great camera however.
  9. To me the Super Baltar is the best lens ever made. I hear the Kowa's are an exact copy. I also love the original Baltars too. Buffalo 66 and Brown Bunny were recent films shot with Super Baltars. about 50% of all films upto the early 70s used Super Baltars and Baltars. All Fox films until the mid 60s and I think RKO too. I have not seen a lens come close to the Super Baltar though. (Cooke Speeds and Panavision Panatars a good second choice though)
  10. The RED Camera will die a death much sooner than film does. Thank god!
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