7D+anamorphic lens+Nikon 50mm f1.8 AI and+0.5 closeup lens

bleach551

Hello everyone,

I haven't been on here for a while. Over the last few months I have been doing a lot of testing with different Anamorphic lens combinations. This included different in-camera settings, anamorphic lens selection, post-processing and encoding settings.

This video shows how my testing has come along so far with some of the equipment and software I used. Let me know what you think. The video includes a few clips obtained in a "run and gun " style.

http://www.vimeo.com/16228206

Orio · Expire: 2012-12-04

Is the anamorphic lens, an additional lens that you put on top of a normal lens?
And how do you process the image later to turn the recorded video into an image that looks normal?

bleach551 · Posted: Thu Oct 28, 2010 2:06 pm Post subject:

Hello Orio,

Yes the Anamorphic lens is attached to the front of the Nikon 50mm f1.8 Ai lens which is attached to the Canon 7D camera body. The anamorphic lens is attached with an anamorphic lens adapter I purchased on ebay from Alan Doyle, A.K.A "Redstan54" .

For the image to look correct in "Post", you must absolutely have the Anamorphic lens properly aligned or the video taken from the camera will be skewed to the left or right. This can only be done correctly with an anamorphic adapter lens attachment that lets you align the lens and then tighten it down in that correct position.

To properly "unstretch" the image in post, you have to take into account the compression ratio of the anamorphic lens you used to acquire the image. The most popular compression ratios are "2X" and "1.5". I have a "2X" compression ratio lens. The "2X" , which is really a"1.77" (don't know why they call it 2X) ratio can be thought of as:

2 X 16/9 = or a unstretch factor of "3.56".

Many people will use various ways to unstretch their "2X" anamorphic acquired image to this specific ratio which makes it hard for me to give you just one definitive answer on how to do this. However, In Avid Media Composer 5, I have taken into account the formula for a 2X(1.77X) anamorphic lens as:

2 X 16/9

In Avid, there is a "reformat" tool in the "Effects" tab that I use. Within the reformat tool, there is a "16X9" and "14X9" reformat. Since a "2x" anamorphic lens is really a "1.77" stretch factor, I should be able to get the perfect unstretch amount by applying the "16X9" reformat tool "Twice" to the image:

16/9 +16/9 = 32/18= 1.77

I obtained the "1.55" unstretch factor"

2 X 14/9= 3.11

in this video by applying the "14X9" reformat tool "twice"

14/9 +14/9= 28/18=1.55 or 1.56 after rounding off

I preferred the 1.55 unstretch factor because it gives you "more" image on screen than the 2X unstretch, which is very wide horizontally and very narrow vertically.

here is an example, not my lens but the exact same lens model, on ebay

http://cgi.ebay.com/Kowa-2X-Anamorphic-Lens-Bell-Howell-Made-Japan-/270655182145?pt=Camera_Lenses&hash=item3f044e5541&BackToListReferer=http%3A%2F%2Fmy.ebay.com%2Fws%2FeBayISAPI.dll%3FMyEbayBeta#ht_487wt_1156

and here is an example of the the Anamorphic lens adapter I used to attached the anamorphic lens to my Nikon 50mm f1.8 Ai

http://cgi.ebay.com/ANAMORPHIC-LENS-CLAMP-SANKOR-KOWA-ISCO-SINGER-ex-demo-/180577813948?pt=Film_Cameras&hash=item2a0b46c5bc#ht_2587wt_1141

I have the front Filter ring pictured as well for my 72mm filters

Orio, I hope I haven't confused you too much?

Orio · Expire: 2012-12-04

Just a bit Smile

Thanks anyway, this is a world that is completely unknown to me.

bleach551 · Posted: Thu Oct 28, 2010 4:17 pm Post subject:

It was a world completely unknown to me as well. I had to learn a lot of info. from how to focus both the Anamorphic lens and the "taking lens"( lens attached to camera body), at the same focal point. To how to properly "unstretch" the image in post.

I was searching vimeo.com, an online website for submitted videos, one day for more canon 7D footage when I came across these videos:

http://www.vimeo.com/12706805

http://www.vimeo.com/9227650

http://www.vimeo.com/8700480

http://www.vimeo.com/14883142

I saw these videos and knew I had to find out what equipment was used, how did they work together and how to process it in post.

BTW,

The four videos I provided a link to shows what a "2X" anamorphic video image Unstretched actually looks like. Not the 1.55X unstretched factor I chose to use in my video. All were made with an Anamorphic lens by "Kowa"

kds315* · Expire: 2021-03-09

Such a lens can also be used for "normal photography", you may remember what I have shown here using a ISCORAMA lens... (which I sold later)
http://forum.mflenses.com/weinheim-autumn-anamorphic-horizontal-and-vertical-t21530,highlight,iscorama.html

bleach551 · Posted: Thu Oct 28, 2010 4:38 pm Post subject:

kds315,

Yes, anamorphic lenses can indeed be used for photography. I only wish I could afford an Iscorama anamorphic lens like the one you sold. They are considered to be at the top of the anamorphic lens "foodchain". They sell anywhere from $1800 for one with sticky aperture blades or some lens separation to as much as $2800 for those in excellent condition.

kds315* · Expire: 2021-03-09

...and I bought mine many years ago for a mera EUR130 here as noone wanted that "old stuff" from the 60ies Wink

bleach551 · Posted: Thu Oct 28, 2010 10:10 pm Post subject:

"Whats old is now new again". Some people in the Anamorphic/DSLR community would sell their first born these days for an Iscorama. There was hope at one time that Iscorama would produce an Anamorphic lens exclusively for the DSLR community, but that never materialized.

kds315* · Expire: 2021-03-09

Strange, I had heard they would announce that autumn they would make some. I know some people there, I will call them up.

bleach551 · Posted: Thu Oct 28, 2010 10:34 pm Post subject:

klaus,

I don't know if you are kidding or not ,but if they are, I certainly would be interested!! Shocked

Rand

kds315* · Expire: 2021-03-09

I'm sure they would place a price level quite above the current selling price for sure....

bleach551 · Posted: Thu Oct 28, 2010 11:01 pm Post subject:

I fear you maybe right. The price paid now for iscorama A-lenses are based on optical designs from years passed. Any newly designed optical reformulations or redesign of optics from the past would, as you have suggested, come at a premium on top of the now exorbitant prices.

fates · Joined: 26 Aug 2009 Posts: 108

I've been off the internets, working lately and have missed any anouncement of new Isco taking Anamorphics. It would great if they did offer some new lenses. Please more info here if you've got any!

Klaus knows well of my quest to find an Iscorama and they are out there. It took me ~6 months to find an afforable one, but it's worth the quest. Bleach got that Kowa to look great. I had terrible luck with the one I found. I haven't been shooting with my Isco lately, but here was day one with it: http://www.vimeo.com/6662854

bleach551 · Posted: Mon Dec 06, 2010 6:02 pm Post subject:

Fates,

your post from a while back on , I believe Cinema5D, was one of the reasons I got into the anamorphic craze to begin with.

I love my Kowa for the Price I paid for it, $255, but there is nothing like an iscorama. I too had a problem with focus on the First Kowa 2X for Bell and Howell I purchased off Ebay, but the one I have now focuses perfectly.

I have been playing around with how to get different aspect ratios from a 2X anamorphic lens. With my new tests, I have found using a "resize tool" or "transform" tool, a perfect 2X stretch of X=100, Y=53 works very well. And X=133, Y=71 gives a perfect 2.35:1 aspect ratio.