How to prevent anamorphic lenses from producing flare

[Abdul Rahman Jamous]

Hi! 

 

As I was watching "Birds of Prey: And the Fantabulous Emancipation of One Harley Quinn" I noticed that some shots do not have flares (or the flares are extremely subtle). so I was wondering how such a thing can be achieved? 

The movie was photographed by Matthew Libatque and was shot by Cooke Anamorphic/i SF Lenses

[David Mullen ASC]

Flares are naturally variable depending on the intensity and angle of the light. Plus many movies use more than one single type of lens to fill in the package. Maybe there were some non-SF Cooke anamorphics in the package for example, or anamorphic zooms, etc. If you don't want any anamorphic flares, use the Arri anamorphics...

[Gregory Irwin]

I hate to point it out but the “ no flares” frame is  full of flares. All anamorphic lenses flare (some flares are attractive and others not so much) with the exception of the Zeiss Master Anamorphics. They are optically pure and are difficult to flare. 
 

G

Edited May 10, 2020 by Gregory Irwin

[Carey Duffy]

Hi Abdul,

To answer your question from a Cooke Optics perspective.

A) Cooke Anamorphic/i SF 2x lens series are manufactured with an extra coating specifically designed to accentuate the characteristic flares that front Anamorphic lenses can produce. SF stands for Special Flair. Flair being a word play on lens Flare. The original meaning of SF was Super Funky...This was deemed to be problematic for producers to sign off on job with a lens series of that name !  So, it was therefore changed prior to product release. Other Anamorphic lens series from other rental houses and manufactures also have their own distinctive flare's. Which reflect (not a pun) on the coatings their lenses have. Such Anamorphic flares are hi lighted by direct lighting to greater or lesser degree.

B) Cooke Anamorphic/i lens series (Non-SF) or standard coated were first introduced back in 2014 and have been designed not to add the distinctive blue flare. The reason behind not introducing blue flare when we bought our 2x lens series to market was not to have a flare that looked like other rental houses and manufacturers. But to combine a front Anamorphic optical characteristic with the Cooke Look for a unique new Cooke Anamorphic look. Both 2 x series are the same optical design. This is where David’s comment about non-SF is quite correct.

C) Cooke Anamorphic/i 2 x 35mm to 140mm zooms are also available in both coatings.

D) Our new Cooke Full Frame Plus Anamorphic/i 1.8x lens series are also available in both standard and SF coatings. Neither coating can be retro fitted in either format 2x or 1.8x series! Once purchased / sold they stay as they are! If you wish to review such difference the link below will take you to a commercial shot using both 2 x series. To read the cinematographers testimony click “Read More” below Production and Technical information towards the bottom of the page.

https://shotoncooke.com/video/kit-kat-alien-invasion-global-campaign-2018/

The #shotoncooke web site that this link is from was launched at Camerimage in 2018 and is designed so you can reference works by genre or lens series or a combination of both. So please use it as a Motion Reference Gallery!

E) Coatings are primarily designed to increase light transmission and reduce refraction between each surface of a lens element as a rule. However, the introduction of vintage lenses over the past decade or so has changed cinematographers artistic use of flares that lenses can produce! The subject is minefield in itself, personal and for now another time!

F) Also not to be confused with Lens flare are Filter streak flares. Which originated as 2-point star filters and then became coloured to replicate Anamorphic lens flares and have now evolved in to an array of wacky non symmetrical multi coloured light scattering optical tools for inclusion in your Matte Box…!! Again for another thread.....

Finally, Matty Libatique also gives Cooke Optics TV a wonderful interview about his use of the Cooke SF 2 x lens series on A Star Is Born. Which you also might find helpful…

https://cookeoptics.tv/video/the-cinematography-of-a-star-is-born-matthew-libatique-case-study/

 Carey Duffy

Director of Sales Europe / Cooke Optics Ltd

Curator - Shot On Cooke