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Anamorphic Pairing
  • UnTalGalvisUnTalGalvis

    Well, hello there.

    I've been studying Filmmaking for a year and a half now in Colombia and just recently bought a camera (A GH2). My lens collection is almost non existent, with only the 14-42 kit lens and an old Canon FD 50mm 1.8 ridden with fongus, and I'd like to start one.

    Because of the look and overall feeling (Also, very rare in the indie/0 budget short film scene in my country) I'd like to go the anamorphic route. However, it is downright impossible to get an anamorphic lens here, so I don't have the chance to try one and then decide if I like it. I have to make those decisions online.

    What I'd like to ask is what combinations of taking lens+Anamorphic has given you people the best results?

    My two options right now are: Getting an SLR Magic Hyperprime 35mm T0.95 lens now and, after I get my savings account back in shape from that heavy blow, get an anarphic lens to use with it.

    Or, getting one of the Dog Schidt lenses - https://www.facebook.com/DogSchidtOptiks?fref=ts -, which are much cheaper and have loads of character AND an anamorphic lens (With clamps, diopters and such)

    Anyway, if there's already a thread like this, feel free to close this one up.

    Thank you, guys.

  • 17 Replies sorted by
  • maxmizermaxmizer

    my advice is to leave alone, anamorphic for now, concentrate on good lens and then crop to 2.35:1 ... do not be fooled by front adapters ...

  • B3GuyB3Guy

    If you want to "try out" anamorphic, get a Kowa, a Sankor or a Proskar (or similar). While they are double-focus, they are good starters because they are cheap. If you don't like the look, then at least you have not spent thousands of dollars on it.

    Regardless, you need better prime lenses first. throw out the 50mm if it really is bad, and get a set of primes first, (something like 24mm, 35mm, 50mm, 85mm). You will need these before you can use the anamorphic anyways.

  • kavadnikavadni

    +1 for Kowa, a Sankor or a Proskar
    I have all 3 ... the Kowa is best ... not much between the other 2

  • bruckerbrucker

    some 35mm lenses on the GH2 with certain anamorphics will vignette,... not alot, but can be enough to annoy.

    you could crop it out in post of course.

  • UnTalGalvisUnTalGalvis

    Thank you guys. I had seen footage shot with the Kowa and I liked what I saw. I'll try to find one and give it a go. I don't just want to crop things in post. There's no way to get the oval bokeh, wide field of view and flare. It's the cheap way of getting 2.35:1 look, but I'd like to try the "real way". I've read the Helios 44 is the perfect companion for most anamorphics. Will try out.

  • endotoxicendotoxic

    dejate de engreimientos y comprate los rokinon cine. baratasos y de altisima calidad, mira mis trabajos, la calidad de los lentes es buenaza, y siempre puedes cropear en anamorfico. Es barato y valen la pena, mira no es por joderte, pero serias bien weon si gastas de mas en vidrio antiguo en vez de comprar optica moderna para aprender. En post haces lo que quieres despues y le pones el look que quieras. cuando sepas compra anamorfico y tu coposicion y todo de todo sera hermoso. Suerte

  • UnTalGalvisUnTalGalvis

    @endotoxic Anamórfico es más que sólo 2.35:1. Un Kowa, buscándose bien, no cuesta más de 300 dólares. Un Helios cuesta 20. Si vas a dar consejos insultándome, mejor guárdatelos.

  • maxmizermaxmizer

    @UnTalGalvis Yes!!!

    but you are recommending is that the economic glass you put in front of the lens, will not give a cinematic look, but only one crop movie ...

    To get a cinematic look, you must purchase at least the old lenses LOMO, as the anamorphic cheaper.

    attention, 2.35:1 and 2:39:1 use only 1.33 X, Panasonic LA7200, Century Optics anamorphic are not cheap ...

    Kowa Prominar / Kowa Bell & Howell, Sankor 16C, 16D, 16F / Singer are 2X for 3,55:1

  • UnTalGalvisUnTalGalvis

    @maxmizer LOMO are very, very expensive. The LA7200 gets funny around the edges (Again, I have not tried this. I only speak from what I've seen online). I'll see footage done with the Century Optics lenses. I hadn't heard of them before. 3.55:1 is a little over the top. Are you talking after squeeze down from 16:9 or 4:3?

    Also, I thought the best, cheap way of getting the anamorphic look was putting a projector anamorphic lens in front a camera lens through clamps. I wouldn't call these adapters. Wouldn't they give me an anaorphic look?

    Edit: I found this little page: http://www.flickr.com/photos/cablefreak/6999944286/ I don't mind 3.55:1 at all. I actually looks quite handsome,

  • kellar42kellar42

    @UnTalGalvis el LA7200 es mucho mejor que el reputación que tiene en el internet. Por alguna razón la gente quejan y hablan de sus defectos, pero es el mejor combinación de precio, facilidad de usar con diferentes lentes y 'feeling' de Anamorphic que uno puede encontrar. Yo estoy haciendo mi primer película en Panama con el GH2, una mezcla de lentes Rokinon, Panasonic y Nikon, y usando el LA7200 en 80% de los shots.

  • BurnetRhoadesBurnetRhoades

    Century/Optex and LA7200 @ 1.33X (often incorrectly calculated out to 2.35 or 2.39 when they're 2.36:1 when applied to 16:9 shooting) will be the only relatively affordable options you have that allow you to follow-focus. The LA7200 gets more expensive because of the size of the front and the need for diopters to sharpen these adapters up in certain situations (the reason for your edges comment on the LA7200).

    I've read rumors that one or two of the 1.5X adapters out there (Bolex perhaps, I forget) are so sharp you can supposedly set them at infinity and get away with focusing your taking lens in certain situations. It doesn't sound like anything I'd depend on though. Dual-focus is a deal breaker for me.

    Anyway, they're often criticized for their lack of oval bokeh but using something like a +2 close-up diopter has been shown to give the Century Optics setup very oval bokeh.

  • maxmizermaxmizer

    @Kellar42 if I put the LA7200 in front of a Lomo Foton-A ... do you think it might be possible... expect to see your work, especially with the Rokinon I want to buy...

    Anyway guys, for me LA7200 is the only add-on that gave me satisfaction, and I put a lot of lenses with no problems.

    @UnTalGalvis with 2x adapters on 16/9 come out 3.55:1

    with 2x adapters on flowmotion http://www.personal-view.com/talks/discussion/479/gh2-mjpeg-100mbps-low-light-1080p-settings/p1 Mjpge 2160x810 come out 2.35:1

  • BurnetRhoadesBurnetRhoades

    With Century/Optex I know you can go as wide as 18mm with the small front element in a Lumix taking lens. With the LA7200 you can go wider still. You're gonna need diopters though and the LA7200 is special needs in this area. Here's a good and growing reference for a variety of diopters to look for: http://www.eoshd.com/comments/topic/2570-the-diopter-thread/

    Folks will try to say anamorphic is best paired with a long(ish) lens but that's not true unless you're just wanting to shoot bokeh videos for vimeo/youtube.

  • ipcmlripcmlr

    cheap sankor/eiki 16f projection lens plus cheap helios 44 will give you the best results for the smallest amount of cash. they are dual focus though so you need to have lots of time to setup shots.

  • BurnetRhoadesBurnetRhoades

    "best results" for shooting landscapes and people who do not move.

  • UnTalGalvisUnTalGalvis

    Ended up getting an Elmoscope II for 290 dollars and a cheap as chips Helios 44M-4 for 15 bucks. I think they make a killer combination. I have the time to set up shots, so I don't mind the double focusing thingy.

    Shot this with the Elmo:

  • TrumpetmanTrumpetman

    @BurnetRhoades I have a Soligor that is pretty much the same as the Century/Optex and it actually works on my Lumix 14mm without vignetting. I was actually quite surprised. I have tried it on the GH3 but not the GH2 so I was wondering if the smaller sensor on the GH3 might be coming into play as well, but it works really nicely.

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