GEAR. LENS ROUND TABLE
rangefinder photography lenses and assembled them with properly pitched gears for focus and iris control as well as adding standardised front diameters. As these lenses used Leica’s M-Mount, we had to create mount options for popular cameras, including a mount for Sony’s Venice camera as well as Arri’s Alexa line of cameras. Most recently, we have taken the Leica M lenses one step further with a full mechanical rebuild to perform exactly like cine lenses in a more robust housing with increased close focus as well as an LPL mount. CC: Nobody ever developed vintage lenses per se… they did the best they could with the tools they had available at a certain point in time. However, that’s now changed, with some manufacturers trying to artificially reproduce the look of older glass with modern lenses, which can be a very difficult task and is rarely as good as the original. At Zeiss, we strongly believe in lenses that are authentic and modern – and that allow creativity by use of filters or additional optical elements. TM: While Arri continues to offer new lenses designed to make the most of modern sensors, we are also aware that many clients want to use existing or vintage lenses. In fact, the biggest reason our latest Alexa 35 camera is Super 35 format is because it allows filmmakers to use the enormous variety of Super 35 lenses out there. We offer the Alexa 35
a particular project or shot. From classic projects like Lawrence of Arabia to recent releases like Chevalier , delivering custom optical solutions in service of filmmakers’ creative intent has been an integral part of Panavision’s DNA throughout our history. TB: What begins as a custom optical solution for an individual cinematographer also often informs the development of future lens series. That customer input and feedback is hugely important, and it’s evident in every full lens series we produce. AP: Lens customisation is popular because it allows filmmakers to develop bold and unique looks that perfectly express their vision for individual projects. However, it is an expensive, highly technical and time-consuming process that only a handful of facilities have the skill set to undertake. At Arri Rental, we have been pursuing this for many years and have built up an in-depth knowledge. We create or modify lenses for entire projects, or sometimes for a specific sequence or shot. For productions that do not have the time or budget to customise lenses in pre-production, we have off-the- shelf options like our Alfa anamorphics, DNA series and Heroes collection that already have a customised look. DK: Atlas Lens Co was fortunate enough to be asked by Linus Sandgren FSF, ASC to modify a set of our Orion Series lenses to lend a unique and specific look to his film Babylon . In a world where many of us are using tools that have become more standardised, having lenses with unique attributes really allows filmmakers to imbue specific tool marks into their projects in a way that may have previously been affected more by colour timing or selection of different film stocks. With more options and more standardisation at the same time in our toolsets, creatives are yearning for something more unique and specific that calls to their vision. How do you adapt vintage or anamorphic lenses to modern camera systems – and what specific challenges do you typically encounter? SE: While Leitz does not offer direct rehousing services, we have modified photography lenses to varying degrees in order to create new lenses for cinematography. First, we took the Leica S medium format glass and created our Thalia series of extra large format primes. In doing so, we made improvements to close focus, gave some lenses macro capabilities and even designed new focal lengths to fill in gaps. With the Leitz M 0.8 lenses, we took existing Leica M
WORLD-SHAPING The Atlas Orion Series will let you capture wide-angle shots with shallow depth-of-field
with an LPL or PL lens mount, and there are many different adapters available, so we’re seeing end users combining the camera with all sorts of different lenses. Those vintage lenses might not have the resolving power to capture all the sensor’s resolution or the contrast to capture all its dynamic range in the way Signatures can, but they do offer wide-ranging options. TB: There are a number of factors we take into account when a lens that was originally designed for use with film is adapted for a modern digital camera. For one, modern sensors have a larger imaging diagonal than 35mm negative, which we need to ensure can be covered by the vintage 35mm format lens. Also, the digital sensor’s lateral colour separation and the camera’s low-
“Lenses with unique attributes allow filmmakers to imbue specific tool marks into their projects”
UNDENIABLY CINEMATIC Beautiful golden lens flares make the Atlas Mercury Series of lenses a special choice
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