Anamorphic and Zooms

[artiswar]

In the past, I've found the two usually don't go together. But if you search hard enough, a sharp zoom can cut it. First test I shot using the Anamorphic Shop's Focus Module with a Schneider Cinelux MC and a Nikon 35-70 f3.5 on the a7s. ClearImage zoom was set to 1.3 to avoid vignetting across the full focal range (full coverage on MTF it seems). Most of this was shot wide open on the lens. Just sharp enough for my tastes. Hopefully in the coming days I'll get a test out using the 80-200 f2.8.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LeMMkV9s3-U

Any other experience with zooms and anamorphic?

[DanC1]

Cool, the zoom has a great feel to it.

[BrooklynDan]

I think that was a pretty successful experiment. You zoomed in and out while maintaining focus and preserved that great anamorphic feel. Don't forget, the few front anamorphic zooms out there from Hawk and Panavision are rare and incredibly expensive. This set-up must've cost what a Hawk 45-90mm costs for a single rental day.

[redimp]

I love the way the scene with pets looks.

[racer5]

Really nice. How are you focusing during the zoom?

[Caleb Genheimer]

Works well! One that is on my list to try is the Pentax "stack of primes" 35-105 f3.5. If it works decent, it might just stay on my Kowa/Rangefinder. It always looks best nearer to f4 anyway, on S35/APSC, 35mm is wider even than I can go by a little bit, and 100mm should me more than enough long end. It's an early zoom lens so no crazy complex optics, so I'm thinking it might work ok.

[andrew mcmillan]

i have the 35-105 pentax fun lens but the front rotates when focusing, a real buzz kill for anamorphic 

 

[Tito Ferradans]

Is there a warp stabilizer going on in some of the shots, or is that rolling shutter, or am I just too tired and not seeing things straight?

Anyway, awesome test. I just bought the Tokina 28-70, and expect good results from it. Will post when it arrives and I get the chance to actually test.

[artiswar]

Focus was maintained because I'm using the FM as the focusing device. In theory, this should make any zoom parfocal so long as infinity doesn't change for the focal range of the zoom. The key to a good zoom for this single focus projector lens system seems to be internally zooming (or at least the barrel shouldn't extend) and sharpness. Luckily, this Nikon has both. 

Tito- it's both. Lazy warp stabilizer mixed with rolling shutter. I used no support so the footage was all over the place; a true stress test. 

[Caleb Genheimer]

i have the 35-105 pentax fun lens but the front rotates when focusing, a real buzz kill for anamorphic 

 

Rangefinder, yo. Taking lens stays at infinity!

[andrew mcmillan]

Is there a warp stabilizer going on in some of the shots, or is that rolling shutter, or am I just too tired and not seeing things straight?

Anyway, awesome test. I just bought the Tokina 28-70, and expect good results from it. Will post when it arrives and I get the chance to actually test.

would like to how you slr magic with that lens. 

 

oh range finder thats a good idea

 

[Caleb Genheimer]

Does the Pentax extend when zooming?

[racer5]

Focus was maintained because I'm using the FM as the focusing device. In theory, this should make any zoom parfocal so long as infinity doesn't change for the focal range of the zoom.

That's awesome. I have an FM and love it, but have only put primes behind it. Thanks for the info. Time to play!

[Tim McC]

I like the Nikon 35-70mm f/2.8 when paired with the Iscorama.  It's a push-pull design, but with the focus as a separate mechanism.  Also, it stays at f/2.8 throughout the zoom.

[artiswar]

I like the Nikon 35-70mm f/2.8 when paired with the Iscorama.  It's a push-pull design, but with the focus as a separate mechanism.  Also, it stays at f/2.8 throughout the zoom.

Fellow Burqueño on EOSHD. Small world. 

My 80-200 is push pull, kinda a pain in the ass. This 35-70 has a ring which is really nice. It does seem to have "pockets" on either side of the zoom, meaning it kinda falls hard into 35 and into 70. Maybe I'll open her up.

[artiswar]

I think that was a pretty successful experiment. You zoomed in and out while maintaining focus and preserved that great anamorphic feel. Don't forget, the few front anamorphic zooms out there from Hawk and Panavision are rare and incredibly expensive. This set-up must've cost what a Hawk 45-90mm costs for a single rental day.

I really do think this stacks up optically. I'm amazed at the increase in resolution switching from my Hypergonar to the Cinelux. I figure on an APS-C sensor with an additional .3x crop, I'm getting FF equivalent of 66-133mm or 41-83mm APS-C. Pretty close to that Hawk.

Going deeper into lens math, with a 2x desqueeze that's a 33mm horizontal FOV at it's widest FF, and 66mm horizontal FOV at it's longest. APS-C equivalent comes out to 20.5mm at it's widest and 41.5mm at it's longest, in terms of horizontal FOV. Pretty wide, actually. Of course you have to consider I'm using only a 1.2:1 area of the 16x9 frame, a little less than 4:3.

[timpy]

Nice test! I'm also looking for a good long zoom to be used with my Proskar, Kowa 16 and a7rII, but there is no much info around. I think these would be the features we need:

- Around 70-200 focal length (for full frame).
- Not rotating front element.
- Ideally parafocal
- Ideally separate zoom and focus rings.

I'm looking on ebay and there are hundreds of different old zoom lenses for real cheap, but I cannot find the specs anywhere, so I'm kind of frustrated. It would be great if we could make a list of the zooms that could be used with anamorphic adapters. For instance, I'm now looking at the Vivitar Sereies 1 70-210, but have no idea about the front element. Also there are like 5 different versions of it. Does anybody have info about this guy?

[Bold]

Timpy,

If you want a parfocal super zoom, you're unlikely to find one that isn't push-pull.  That is, you won't find one with separate zoom & focus rings.  Your best bet may be the first (and some argue the best) super zoom, the Kiron (Kino Precision) 28-210mm.  It is also found under the name Promaster Spectum 7.  KINO PRECISION was started up by engineers who moved from NIKON to make lenses that equalled, or in many cases, were superior to OEM lenses.  Their fit, finish, mechanics and optics were top quality.

The 28-210mm is a parfocal lens where the front element doesn't turn when focusing.  When focused at 200+mm, focus stays spot on down to 28mm.  When focused at 28mm, it is a tiny bit off when zoomed to 200+mm.  This is attributed to a small amount of human focus error at the low end (28mm) and not a fault in the lens.  It's most commonly found for Canon, but I've seen it in Nikon, Minolta, Konica and Pentax mounts.  It is very affordable.

Here's a little Kiron info from a guy looking for a zoom for his Century Optics and Panasonic anamorphics:

I found it very difficult to find a still photo lens that had a wide focal range (from moderately wide to telephoto, coined a "superzoom") with a constant aperture (didn't drop light emission as you zoom in) maintained focus while zooming (parfocal) and most importantly didn't rotate as the lens was being focused.  It was important that it didn't rotate because it would throw the alignment of the anamorphic off whenever focused was changed, (no good for run and gun.)  I had to concede on the constant aperture part (f4-5.6 isn't terrible) but I was able to find a superzoom that didn't rotate as it was being focused (AKA "internal focusing") and was parfocal...Its called the Kiron 28-210mm f4-5.6 (the f3.8-5.6 version is basically the same.)

 

Hope this helps!
|. . | .|

 

[Tito Ferradans]

Nice test! I'm also looking for a good long zoom to be used with my Proskar, Kowa 16 and a7rII, but there is no much info around. I think these would be the features we need:

- Around 70-200 focal length (for full frame).
- Not rotating front element.
- Ideally parafocal
- Ideally separate zoom and focus rings.

I'm looking on ebay and there are hundreds of different old zoom lenses for real cheap, but I cannot find the specs anywhere, so I'm kind of frustrated. It would be great if we could make a list of the zooms that could be used with anamorphic adapters. For instance, I'm now looking at the Vivitar Sereies 1 70-210, but have no idea about the front element. Also there are like 5 different versions of it. Does anybody have info about this guy?

Based on Alan's review of the Vivitar, I wouldn't expect anything wonderful out of it. He also explains how to identify each version.

http://www.vintagelensesforvideo.com/vivitar-series1-70-210mm-review/

[timpy]

Thanks for the info, Bold. I think I'll go for the Kiron super-zoom and see what the quality is like. It's a pity that the Vivitar has a rotating front element. It really looked like the perfect lens! It's parafocal too apparently.