Rangefinder / CoreDNA useful on Century / Optex / Soligor anamorphics?

[Timotheus]

Hi guys,

Just bought a filter clamp from Redstan (this one) for my Soligor 1.33x focus through anamorphic, to be able to attach some diopters. In the text on his website Redstan mentions using the Rangefinder with this clamp. This made me wonder: is there anything optical to gain from using a variable diopter such as Rangefinder / CoreDNA on these kind of focus through anamorphics? (Next to obvious ergonomic / usability advantages such as gearing and long focus throw etc.)

Did anyone try?

[Tito Ferradans]

I haven't tried it myself, but a friend of mine (www.instagram.com/mattleafdirector) got amazing shots from combining his Century Optics (just like a Soligor) with a Rangefinder. You gain the ability to rack focus and get sharp results even at close range.  

[Timotheus]

Thanks @Tito Ferradans! I understand the MFD improves (nice) and rack focussing becomes better? Because you can kind of rack focus using your taking lens using this kind of adapter.

(Oh, and excellent 1.33x shootout on your YT channel btw).

[Tito Ferradans]

When you rack focus with your taking lens is pushing the limits of the anamorphic's image quality, because the anamorphic block is set to infinity. So having a focusing solution ties the whole system together and by having both anamorphic and taking lens at infinity you get their focus to sync. Kind of confusing when put in words, let me know if you get it. hahahah

(thanks, man! it was fun doing it!)

[Guest Ebrahim Saadawi]

You set all your set-up to infinity, fix it at that. Put the rangefinder on the front, and focus with the cine ring on the rangefinder just like any cine lens. It gives yout set-up a close focus of 1 meter to infinity, no matter what you use behind it it gives the MFD.