brandon esten

22mm Fast Anamorphic Prime playlist: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL2bpsBJG6Q2pLt15W3OcHNgVMQahVXW64 While the front of this lens is 'square-ish' in shape the focus system is akin to the 'round-fronts' in that it incorporates a strong +/- diopter pair up front thus minimizing distortion/breathing effects. It is tack sharp and stops open to T2.4. Made ~1988. Now, there is also an older model from the 70's or so that incorporates the 'square-front' configuration which accomplishes focus with a mid-deployed or aft-deployed focusing group. I should have a playlist for this second lens going in about a year as it is undergoing heavy maintenance. 30mm Anamorphic Prime playlist: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL2bpsBJG6Q2rCSAkqA8rS2d_VlD9bf5aZ This is a 'square-front' lens with the mid/aft-deployed focus group. It is a pain to convert these to PL so it is currently undergoing complete rehousing. It should also be done in about a year. As is with a dodgy mount it looks pretty sharp close up.

There are many different models of "square fronts" from the 60's to the 80's. This design is characterized by a spherical group that focuses in tandem with the anamorphic group (whereas neither of these groups move when focusing the so-called round fronts). Most square front variations seem to be based on mounting options for various cameras, but the earlier models could be separated into 2 pieces whereas the later models were 1 piece. The early models need a lot of attention to keep them calibrated. Another issue is that there has been at least one seller who has recently been selling sub-standard condition lenses for premium prices in Los Angeles. I got bit and I'm willing to share my experiences with anyone who asks in a PM. You have to be really careful buying anamorphic glass and it's best to have a tech do a pre-buy inspection. Have the lens mounted on a projector and then take some test footage with it. Some sellers are really honest, others are looking for a quick buck. In any case, expect to have some kind of maintenance work done to any Soviet-era lens you buy. Best, Brandon

Roberto, this is some fantastic footage! I noticed that some shots are still a little compressed and could use a little more horizontal stretching... I have been following another topic on another board which discusses the characteristic breathing in anamorhic lenses; I wonder if a degree of that breathing can be fixed by pushing in/out during post while the focus is changing to keep the same angle of view?

Heck; I guess it's a feature of the digital age to say "Open up the lens to T1 Fred, that'll fix the lighting situation. Oh, and go to ISO 2400000 while you're at it..." This isn't going to work on lenses made during an era when film makers new how to light and DP's had an idea how their optics worked. The Soviets weren't a bunch of monkeys with hammers and cardboard boxes...

I just couldn't leave well enough alone. First, comparing 1.3X Hawks to 2x Lomos is a waste of time; they're apples and oranges. You might as well compare 1.3X to Super Baltars for that matter, or Lomos to Zeiss Spherical Master Primes... Here's what's going on with these lenses folks: the Lomos have an exggerated curved field of focus. ALL lenses have a curved field, but anamorphics have a very pronounced curve. ALL (front element) anamorphic lenses (Panavisions and Cookes too) have this curve (and front element anamorphics are the only ones that make any sense in the digital age). What happens is that as you open up the aperture you are decreasing depth of field; if you decrease DoF to the point that it does not cover the curved focus field, the lens goes really soft. It just so happens that the loss of focus begins in the corners and works inward as the DoF becomes smaller and smaller. This is why FAST anamorhic lenses are kindof a waste... unless you are clever with your framing. You can see a great example of this effect of DoF/Curved FoF trading off in these tests. Again, it's really pointless to compare apples and oranges, but here it is anyhow. The next thing to consider is diffraction. You can't stop down anamorphics too far (not much past T11) otherwise you start to get diffraction past the edge of the iris blades. This occurs in EVERY lens, spherical or anamorphic; some have better performance than others. ND filters are a great way to overcome this problem. If you want to shoot anamorphic by any lens manufacturer you should probably be looking at a T4/5.6 split on the aperture ring for your optimum performance. Light your set accordingly and you're cooking with gas. Open that puppy up like it was a spherical lens and you're going to see a loss in clarity; same if you're outdoors and shoot your sunny 16...

Oops I accidentally posted in the wrong thread; should've posted here! Well, I know it's a long shot, but would anyone happen to have a lead as to where to get a copy of the install disks of the Imagica 3000 V scanner software (IRIX OS)? I have been trying to contact Imagica but to no avail... besides, the software is nearly 15 years old at this point, unless they did updates which I highly doubt... Otherwise, maybe the software was ported to Windows or Mac OS? It's tough to find info on this machine, and even harder to find even the name of the software! Thanks in advance for any info! B

I know it's a long shot, but would anyone happen to have a lead as to where to get a copy of the install disks of the Imagica 3000 V scanner software (IRIX OS)? I have been trying to contact Imagica but to no avail... besides, the software is nearly 15 years old at this point, unless they did updates which I highly doubt... B