GEAR. LENS ROUND TABLE
lens there in exactly the same way. Our major facilities have test rooms, lens projection rooms, and high-end screening theatres where clients can test and tweak lens performance and examine the results in detail, taking their tests all the way through a post workflow if required. What are the key technical and creative benefits of using vintage, anamorphic and zoom lenses – and how are they defining the new standards in cinematography? CC: Anamorphic lenses will give a very special look that is not only linked to the oval-shaped bokeh, but rather to a certain softness of the skin tones. This comes mainly from the fact that an anamorphic lens has two focals, vertical and horizontal, each with a different focusing point. While the optical designer will try to match these points to the exact same focusing distance as best they can, there will always be a very small difference. It is this slight difference that means one direction (horizontal or vertical) will be slightly softer than the other – due to it being slightly out of focus – which helps to soften the image a little bit and render skin tones in a more organic way. Vintage lenses are especially interesting because they can stir feelings of nostalgia. I strongly believe that vintage lenses are particularly charming because they may bring back memories of a film that one would have watched in childhood. But they will also bring some sense of uniqueness – there are fewer and fewer vintage lenses of each series available due to their age, inability to obtain spare parts etc – and their availability will only decrease over time. Finally, zooms are mainly used for practical reasons (eg changing focal length without needing to change the lens), but they can also be utilised for certain special effects, like the dolly zoom shot in Jaws that would change the perspective while keeping the frame and the focus – both wonderful and dramatic. TM: Vintage lenses are primarily a creative choice, and anamorphics such as the Arri/Zeiss Master Anamorphic series have the benefit of providing a widescreen image while also maximising sensor area on cameras such as the Alexa 35. Regarding zoom lenses, at Arri we feel that we have made a significant step forward with the Signature Zooms. Designed to complement and perfectly match the Signature Primes, they offer a level of optical quality that dispels the misgivings filmmakers have historically held about zooms. The four zooms and the extender cover a focal length range of 16mm to 510mm, allowing productions to work fast and free without suffering visual compromises.
STEADY AS SHE GOES A Mercury lens on-set – as part of a fully rigged-up system including stabiliser and monitor
iris functionality, gear ring torques, optical and mechanical cleanliness and LDS functionality. Arri service centres worldwide offer extensive after-sales support and testing facilities, with high- level lens servicing available in locations across Europe, the US and Asia. CT: Our offices around the world are resourced with the tools and knowledge to deliver a global standard of prep, service and repair for our optics inventory. Additionally, whichever Panavision office they’re working with, cinematographers can come in during pre-production to shoot tests under various conditions, indoors and out. And in cases where a cinematographer isn’t able to come in and shoot the test in person, we offer several remote services from numerous Panavision facilities. AP: At Arri Rental, we have a sizeable inventory of machinery and optical testing equipment that ensures the highest quality of technical support and quality control. We have worked hard to standardise lens offerings across our global facilities, even to the extent of being able to record and repeat customisation processes. You could detune a DNA LF lens with us in London, then fly to New York and we’d detune a
pass filter can result in what had been a properly controlled aberration becoming overexaggerated in an undesirable way. By understanding these factors, we’re able to make adjustments that lend the digital image more pleasing, interesting textures. AP: Sometimes vintage lenses need complex engineering work to function on modern cinema cameras; this can involve rehousing and the introduction of additional glass elements. Modern sensors show any lens imperfections very clearly, so technical performance needs to work hand in hand with the native look of vintage or anamorphic lenses, which is often a nuanced space where compromises have to be made. One of the most important adaptations is lens data chips that convey valuable metadata for on-set and post workflows, which are standard in Arri lenses and also built into all exclusive Arri Rental lenses. This has allowed our DNA lenses with vintage glass to be used on VFX-heavy productions such as The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power and House of the Dragon . DK: At Atlas Lens Co, our mission is to create vintage-style anamorphic lenses with modern conveniences that make them bulletproof and reliable for a whole host of cinematographers and assistants around the world. We want to give people access to the feeling of a unique, but classic anamorphic lens with greater reliability and accessibility worldwide. Can you describe the testing services you offer for lenses and how they help filmmakers ensure optimal performance and image quality for their projects? TM: All Arri Signature lenses are designed with state-of-the-art optical precision for exceptional image quality. Each Signature lens comes with a test certificate confirming the successful completion of quality control tests, which include MTF measurements, correct alignment of back focal distance,
LOOK SHARP Unique large format Look lens from Arri Rental
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