Filmmakers aren't stupid, there is a reason an Iscorama costs $3000 on eBay. It's the whole 'look'.

I think price perception is different to everyone. All the blanket statements about over-priced lenses does not apply to everybody. Compared to a $20k Hawk anamorphic, the Iscorama is actually very good value as its performance isn't far off! If Zeiss or Canon made a modern anamorphic today, it would cost similar to the Hawk. They're not easy to make and they're not mass market products.

See it as an opportunity to explore. Go to camera fairs, try and find the gold nugget in amongst the rubbish. Somewhere out there is a projector or a box at a camera fair with an Iscorama in it from some old guy who's never used eBay. They exist!

I know this will annoy the anamorphic fans out there, but to my eyes the LA7200 is the only anamorphic I've seen footage of (online) which doesn't look irritatingly slightly out of focus.

I'm just going to wait until the DSLR "revolution" groupies loose interest in anamorphic and latch onto some other magical trick to the ultimate film look. Then they'll all be selling 7200s and the price will go down. Hopefully. I can easily tell a good story without one. Zoom H4n and good LAV mics is next on my list, then when this darn script is done I'll treat myself to an indiGO Jib for a whopping $400.

Aren't they designed to mitigate "anamorphic mumps" issue?

@EOSHD
"Filmmakers aren't stupid, there is a reason an Iscorama costs $3000 on eBay. It's the whole 'look'."

Sorry, professional filmmakers are not stupid (because they won't get a job if they are), but a lot of the so called "independent filmmakers" are very stupid.
Don't get me wrong on that one, but there is by now a tremendous amount of people running arround with a 5D MKII, GH2,... doing it because its fancy, they feel cool and get a lot of attention this way. These people often have a lot of money and no idea what they are doing.
The use of anamorphic lenses and attachments have surely been started by some geek (like we are;-) who had not much money....
...but actual prices for all these equipment is over the top. Very clever people are selling stuff with the "independent/HDSLR film maker" button on it for many times the cost to build these things. And many of these ...film makers... do happylie pay that much money to feel "pro". But the reason why real professional video/film equipment is so expensive is
1) very low production volume
2) very high quality and well thought after design.

Both points are missing for all these steadycam-wannabe, cage-lookalike or dolly-ripoffs. If I come across some of these rail- or cage-systems on ebay, only one thought comes to my mind: What idiot is stupid enough to pay $500 for that stuff, if he could order it personaly made on his demands in the next workshop/job shop? (sorry, don't know the right english word for "Metallwerkstatt")

The problem is just, that the prices of such special things like the good anamorphic attachments is pushing them out of reach for the more creative people, which will really put them to use.

Want an example?

I bought (by accident) 3 Soligor anamorphic attachments about 5 years ago. The did cost me 30-40EUR each, so I thought it doesn't matter (maybe one breaks or I will ned it on a second camera). As these adaperts work "ok" on a DVX-1000 I kept them. While upgrading to a GH1, the adapters became nearly useless as the IQ is degraded below SD resolution. So....I sold 2 of the adapers on ebay. I wrote every flaw in the text, I answerd every question honestly and I also linked a demo video showing the bad IQ...
...I sold both "used" adapters for nearly 10 times the "new" price. And just because they "will give everyone the film look".

Bottom line, the actual prices for anamorphic lenses or attachments are not justified by the product. They are just a result of wanabe-filmmakers with lot of money but no idea of actually using them outside of some test footage.

Important: I consider most of the people on this forum (and on many other) to be more the geek that wants to put its dreams on screen;-)

http://www.btlnews.com/gear/panavision-50th-anniversaryhistory/ talks about history of Panavision whose life began with anamorphic lens. Just look at their logo. Anamorphic all over.

BTW panavision's Takuo "Tak" Miyagishima passed away on this Monday.

@Psyco , very well said. 100% agreed, you explain my idea of this topic using much better words than I did : )

Aunt Nancy is da bomb baby!!!

@Psyco ,,,now that's what I'm talking about.

I'm a beginner in both video and anamorphic.

I'd never buy an anamorphic over $350 since this is just a hobby.

But since this is a hobby it has to be fun!

So even though I constantly complain that my eiki 16f is so hard to focus and my generic century-type knockoff anamorphic could be sharper at the edges, I still use them because they are fun and have A different look.

As for sharpness those cheap eiki, sankor type projector lenses are actually pretty sharp up to f2.8 edge to edge on the right lens.

The century, soligor, and even the la 7200 will never be sharp at the edges simply because of the way light enters from more angles versus the sankors and eikis which have longer barrels and smaller front elements (this according to redstan)

Here's a test video I shot with the generic century-type I have. I shot lots of trees and landscapes just to see how bad the edges were. They were bad but not to the point that you would say "thats SD crap!" (to my beginner eyes anyway)

So if you're just a hobbyist like me and find one cheap enough you think you'll be able to resell for the same price go for one!

If you're a pro then I guess spend the money on one of the $3000 ones on ebay since you're making money off of it anyway :D if you get tired of it resell it at a loss and charge it to the books and pay less taxes!

@odedipax You meant wider lens would give equivalent composition which would give deeper DOF than anamorphic lens? Thanks.

I got it. Thanks!