Sometimes, actually, quite often cinematography is about delivering an image with character and art. Lenses can help one achieve a unique look in-camera. P+S Technik has a series of Technovision Classic 1.5x lenses I found especially interesting. 1.5x anamorphic? Why not 2x? Give me a second and I will explain. 1.5x is a great anamorphic stretch for 16×9 sensors giving an anamorphic image from a camera’s full 16×9 sensor. Why do I want to use my entire 16×9 sensor on, say a Blackmagic Design URSA Mini Pro? Because I can shoot the camera’s fullest resolution of 4.6K instead of the 4:3 3K mode made for 2x anamorphic shooting.
Here is how P+S Technik describes their lenses. The TECHNOVISION Classic 1.5X series of anamorphic lenses are available in two different zoom sizes as well as our newly announced TECHNOVISION Classic 1.5X Prime series made up of a 40mm, 50mm, 75mm, 100mm, and 135mm focal length. The TECHNOVISION Classic 1.5X anamorphic lenses are ideal for 16:9 image sensor capture by making use of the whole sensor. This benefits the filmmaker in capturing the best possible digital negative with the least necessary cropping, if any, in post-production. In other words, you get an anamorphic image into a 16:9 frame with all the inherent benefits of the anamorphic look.
All of the TECHNOVISION Classic series of 1.5X anamorphic zooms and primes feature outstanding optical performance and engineering, along with a large image circle. This means your lenses are ready for both Super35mm and for use with emerging larger sensors. This large image circle means it will more than cover the most common image sensors today at all focal ranges with no vignetting. In fact, at the zoom’s 70mm focal range you can completely cover the Arri 65 camera image sensor. The TECHNOVISION Classic 1.5X series of lenses come standard in PL mount with options for a variety of other standards with our innovative IMS – Interchangeable Mount System.
Genuine Anamorphic Character
The CS refers to Cinemascope which is an old classic widescreen anamorphic presentation. We use our CS to describe a widescreen anamorphic lens for use in 16:9 which includes all the classic properties associated with front based anamorphic such as unique bokeh, nicely formed flares, pincushion distortion, shallower depth of field and a superior wide angle of view.
Anamorphic origination has made a huge comeback and our unique TECHNOVISION Classic 1.5X anamorphic series are meeting this demand, says the founder of P+S TECHNIK, Alfred Piffl. The TECHNOVISION Classic 1.5X series of anamorphic zooms and primes lenses are a competitively priced investment for today and tomorrow.
You can see what Nathan Thompson and I shot a few years ago at NAB with an earlier version of the 1.5X 35-70mm anamorphic zoom on a Panasonic VariCam LT and Sony F5