AaronChicago Posted April 17, 2015 Share Posted April 17, 2015 Question to you anamorphic pros here:What would be a nice/inexpensive starting point with an anamorphic lens? I own nikon mounts and GH4. I'm really wanting to try out the new anamorphic mode when the firmware is released. johnnymossville 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Neumann Films Posted April 17, 2015 Share Posted April 17, 2015 Try just renting an adapter from Vid-Atlantic. That's the cheapest/easiest/quickest way I can think of: http://www.vid-atlantic.com/anamorphic/ I currently have their 1.9x adapter. Works well on the GH4 and Nikkor Ai-s lenses. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AaronChicago Posted April 17, 2015 Author Share Posted April 17, 2015 Try just renting an adapter from Vid-Atlantic. That's the cheapest/easiest/quickest way I can think of: http://www.vid-atlantic.com/anamorphic/ I currently have their 1.9x adapter. Works well on the GH4 and Nikkor Ai-s lenses.Thanks. I shouldve mentioned I have F mount lenses that are 72-77mm threads. Is that a problem for anamorphic? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Neumann Films Posted April 17, 2015 Share Posted April 17, 2015 No, those should work with a step up ring. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AaronChicago Posted April 17, 2015 Author Share Posted April 17, 2015 I was looking around ebay.No, those should work with a step up ring.I was looking around ebay. Is this similar to the one you referenced? Just 2X instead of 1.9?http://www.ebay.com/itm/Isco-Anamorphic-Blue-Ultra-Star-2x-Cinemascope-Lens-TESTED-Panasonic-GH2-3-190-/221719961162?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_2&hash=item339f8a1e4a Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Neumann Films Posted April 17, 2015 Share Posted April 17, 2015 Yeah, that's very similar to the one I have. The downside is obviously you have to focus each lens and make sure it's on straight etc. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bioskop.Inc Posted April 18, 2015 Share Posted April 18, 2015 If you're going to spend $300, then don't buy one of those coloured lenses - they're big & have no character whatsoever.Try searching for a Sankor/Singer 16D or one of the Kowa's 8Z / 16H / Bell&Howell (sometimes rebranded as Elmoscope II) - there are bargins out there & a quick search of Ebay will give you plenty of better options for $300. Hans Punk 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Neumann Films Posted April 18, 2015 Share Posted April 18, 2015 LOL...they have plenty of character. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hans Punk Posted April 18, 2015 Share Posted April 18, 2015 Question to you anamorphic pros here:What would be a nice/inexpensive starting point with an anamorphic lens? I own nikon mounts and GH4. I'm really wanting to try out the new anamorphic mode when the firmware is released.It depends on what you want or expect an anamorphic lens to do for your images.Many users here appreciate the funky artefacts and distortions that anamorphic can impart onto an image as an intended aesthetic choice.Others seem to prefer the 'cleaner' looking image with minimal or no flares, simply wanting to use anamophic to deliver a wider horizontal FOV. A lot of terms are subjective here, and are a matter of aesthetic choice but if you are after a 'filmic' or 'organic' look that can also deliver sharp results on your GH4, Bioskop's got it bang on by recommending 'Sankor/Singer 16D or one of the Kowa's 8Z / 16H / Bell&Howell' - I'd also add iscomorphot 16/2x to what you could be able to grab for around $300 these days. All these lenses are ideal starting lenses.If you simply want to shoot anamorphic to obtain a wider horizontal FOV and dislike the optical characteristics that anamorphic introduces - just buy a wider lens shoot spherical.The larger coloured lenses taken from 35mm projectors can be great for some, but are too bulky and heavy with poor minimum focusing most of the time IMO. They do however deliver incredibly sharp images as the optics were made with the intention of projection as 'lossless' as possible. The gold Cinelux range of lenses would also be in your budget but are terrible to adjust focus with - you need to turn a screw or a knob multiple turns to rack the lens forward and back. It is not impossible to shoot with these, but it is not the friendliest lens type to have as an introduction to anamorphic. Once you work out a decent mounting solution for your camera, you have already spent a lot more money on just getting the oversized thing up and running. The aesthetic these lenses deliver varies slightly - but they tend to fall towards 'clinical' or 'boring' to some, as they do not tend to flare very much, or have a lower contrast look, due to the thicker multi-coated optics that they have. The holy grail is still the iscorama, as it is single focus, very sharp at wide apertures and has modest (but enough) flare and optical character of anamorphic to please most.More character can be milked from it due to being able to work so well at wide apertures - this is when many taking lenses start to get interesting, therefore the look can be unparalleled, especially on full frame. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ken Posted April 18, 2015 Share Posted April 18, 2015 If you're going to spend $300, then don't buy one of those coloured lenses - they're big & have no character whatsoever.Try searching for a Sankor/Singer 16D or one of the Kowa's 8Z / 16H / Bell&Howell (sometimes rebranded as Elmoscope II) - there are bargins out there & a quick search of Ebay will give you plenty of better options for $300.One 16H can buy more than 3 of this ISCO integrated lens. 16D, I think is still more expensive than ISCO's. It has very good optics, only except flare. But I thank every one at least need 2 anamorphic lenses, one of them with best optics without flare. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AaronChicago Posted April 19, 2015 Author Share Posted April 19, 2015 Thanks. Im open to it looking funky and flaring. More resolution doesnt matter a whole lot to me. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nikkor Posted April 19, 2015 Share Posted April 19, 2015 I would try to get a good deal on a kowa 16h/8z Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
johnnymossville Posted April 21, 2015 Share Posted April 21, 2015 Thanks Aaron for starting the thread. I'm in the exact same boat as you. The GH4 firmware update has me wanting to wade into the anamorphic pool as well. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
silvertonesx24 Posted April 21, 2015 Share Posted April 21, 2015 One 16H can buy more than 3 of this ISCO integrated lens. 16D, I think is still more expensive than ISCO's. It has very good optics, only except flare. But I thank every one at least need 2 anamorphic lenses, one of them with best optics without flare.I agree with this. It's nice to have something with "character" but a smeary lack of sharpness at lower f stops on many lenses with might frustrate you for certain shots (shooting in low light/night for example). So it's good to have a few options at your disposal depending on the shoot. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dhessel Posted April 21, 2015 Share Posted April 21, 2015 Of all the anamorphic lenses I have used including the Lomo square fronts and Iscorama 54, the Kowa 16H/8Z is still one of my favorites. A lot of character, nice warm flares in sun light and it is very sharp. If you can live with the dual focus it is a great lens and would be my recommendation for a starter anamorphic as well. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bzpop Posted April 24, 2015 Share Posted April 24, 2015 Of all the anamorphic lenses I have used including the Lomo square fronts and Iscorama 54, the Kowa 16H/8Z is still one of my favorites. A lot of character, nice warm flares in sun light and it is very sharp. If you can live with the dual focus it is a great lens and would be my recommendation for a starter anamorphic as well.16H is a beautiful lens, and i actually also like it better than Lomo square Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jaime Valles Posted April 27, 2015 Share Posted April 27, 2015 Any thoughts on this ISCO Micro 2X for use with the GH4? http://www.ebay.com/itm/Isco-Micro-2X-Anamorphic-Lens-for-DSLR-EXTREMELY-Sharp-close-focusing-light-/181444226398?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item2a3eeb2d5eWhich taking lens would work best with this one? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ken Posted April 27, 2015 Share Posted April 27, 2015 Any thoughts on this ISCO Micro 2X for use with the GH4? http://www.ebay.com/itm/Isco-Micro-2X-Anamorphic-Lens-for-DSLR-EXTREMELY-Sharp-close-focusing-light-/181444226398?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item2a3eeb2d5eWhich taking lens would work best with this one?Based on the calculation from FF's 100mm , 50mm lens on M43 is safe to use. But if you have small front glass lens, it might work down to 40mm I guess. BTW, I think the link's price is a little bit over. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nikkor Posted April 28, 2015 Share Posted April 28, 2015 I have that lens (and it's not micro, it's about the same size as a sankor) On full frame you can go 75mm if you find a lens that's compact enough to get very close to the optics. I payed 100€ for it, and that's what you should pay for it Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bzpop Posted April 28, 2015 Share Posted April 28, 2015 Any thoughts on this ISCO Micro 2X for use with the GH4? http://www.ebay.com/itm/Isco-Micro-2X-Anamorphic-Lens-for-DSLR-EXTREMELY-Sharp-close-focusing-light-/181444226398?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item2a3eeb2d5eWhich taking lens would work best with this one?this is normal ISCO ultrastar with removed back housing, saves you some size and a bit of weight, i removed that housing from mine, looks the same good lens, sharp, better flares then Kowa H16, but Kowa, to my eye, is more anamorphic, on S35 works great with 50mm Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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