Why shoot in Anamorphic?

To achieve the much loved 2.35:1 scope aspect ratio, which gives a very pleasant, epic effect, filmmakers must crop off the top and bottom of standard 16:9 footage when using spherical lenses with modern digital cameras. As a result, 25% of sensor/negative information is discarded.

 

As a commitment to the film industry, SLR Magic developed this 2,0x anamorphic adapter to help filmmakers maximize their image quality by minimizing this loss of vertical resolution. The unique 2,0x squeeze factor is great at optimizing the use of a 4:3 sensor/negative area to achieve a desired ratio suitable for 2.35:1 aspect ratio cropping. The Anamorphot 2,0x – 50 does this by compressing a 100% wider field of view to fit the width of the 4:3 sensor/negative without compressing image height.

 

Modern professional cinema cameras have large sensors capable of capturing an image in the 2.35:1 format directly, using spherical lenses, but film makers still desire the anamorphic “look” which often limits them to using rare vintage lenses.  These present a number of difficulties in practice such as size, weight, lack of close focus, and high price but we sought to overcome such issues with the SLR Magic Anamorphot.

 

The SLR Magic Anamorphot 2,0x – 50 create a unique "artifact" such as horizontal lens flare, commonly referred to as anamorphic streaks, and may create slightly elongated bokeh when achromatic diopters are used.  Over the history of cinema, these same stylish effects have contributed to the cinematic "look" of epic motion picture photography.  Characteristics that shape this anamorphic “look” come from “front-mounted” anamorphic adapter designs such as the SLR Magic Anamorphot while “rear-mounted” anamorphic designs have more suppressed anamorphic characteristics.

 

Taking lens compatibility

Lenses with non-rotating front filter threads must be used.  The front element of the taking lens should be as close to the rear element of the SLR Magic Anamorphot 2,0x – 50 as possible without making contact. It isn't necessary for the taking lens to have an internal focusing mechanism. Trial and error will be involved but, in general, the SLR Magic Anamorphot is best paired with a prime lens whose front element (not to be confused with its filter thread) is smaller than 50mm in diameter.

 

The SLR Magic Anamorphot 2,0x – 50 has a 62mm native rear filter thread. Taking lenses with a front filter thread smaller or larger than 62mm and may be used with third party step-down or step-up rings. Due to taking lens compatibility, some lenses may pair better than others for the same focal length.

 

Suggested taking lens based on sensor size:

 

25mm focal length can be used for S16 sensor.

35mm focal length can be used for mFT sensor.

50mm focal length can be used for S35 and APS-C sensor.

75mm focal length can be used for Full Frame sensor.

 

 

Recommended maximum aperture values:

 

f/4 should be used for 25-50mm focal length.

f/5.6 should be used for 55-75mm focal length.

NORMAL/NEAR dial

For regular shooting, the dial should be set to the NORMAL position. The taking lens will be able to focus from a lens dependent distance (approx. 8 meters) to infinity. NEAR mode should be used when focusing at closer distances that cannot be achieved in NORMAL position (also lens dependent).  Positions in-between NORMAL and NEAR position can be used but there are no distant scale markings as it is also lens dependent. You will need to experiment with your specific taking lens to determine and learn the optimal distance from camera for each mode.

 

The SLR Magic Anamorphot 2,0x – 50 cannot focus to objects below 8m distances when set at NORMAL position. When focusing at close distances, first adjust the focus of your taking lens to achieve the sharpest image possible before turning the NORMAL/NEAR dial towards NEAR to micro adjust focus and find the "sweet spot".

It is strongly advised to use a lens support to prevent taking lens damage from the suspended weight as well as a field monitor for focus confirmation assistance.

 

Flare Tips

Horizontal flares/streaks look best when kept to two or fewer in frame. Flares/streaks from natural lighting usually look better than artificially induced flares from a backlight source. The wider/larger the lights source, the more diffused and appealing its flare will look. Strong narrow/small light sources tend to produce harsh, wire looking flares.

 

It is a misconception that classic anamorphic lenses must be used to create classic looking anamorphic flare streaks. The classic flares came from single light sources. LED light panels should be avoided in frame because each LED creates a unique horizontal flare and multiple rows of LEDs produce multiple rows of horizontal flares/streaks. Some surface mount device (SMD) LED torches produce flares that are more appealing than other LEDs.  It is best to use an SMD LED torch with a single LED and not multiple LEDs.  Some SMD LED torches use multiple SMD modules and are easy to identify but it is also possible for multiple LEDs to exist on the same SMD module and should be avoided too.

 

How to process footage

The SLR Magic Anamorphot 2,0x – 50 increases horizontal field of view by 100%, squeezing it to fit the whole digital sensor.  Several methods exist for un-squeezing and working with anamorphic footage in your editor or effects software.  You could specify a project resolution of 2554x1080 and scale your footage to match the project's height (footage should be shot in 4:3 or 16:9 ratio).  Or, if you're primarily interested in uploading to the web you could instead specify a project resolution of 1920x812 and scale your footage to match the project's height (footage should be shot in 4:3 or 16:9 ratio).

 

The SLR Magic Anamorphot  2,0x – 50 is compatible with variable aspect ratio still and video cameras (i.e. 3:2, 4:3, 1:1).  Simply scale your anamorphic image horizontally by 100%, preserving the image's original height or scale vertically by 50%, preserving the image's original width. The SLR Magic Anamorphot 2,0x – 50 require advanced postproduction techniques. In a 4:3 or 16:9 project, a vertical scale of 50% applied to anamorphic footage will un-squeeze to the correct aspect ratio, creating a "letterboxed" image with black bars top and bottom, while advanced users might specify a project with a pixel aspect ratio of 2:1 and applying this interpretation to the anamorphic footage.  Working in this fashion, user instructs the editor that it should un-squeeze for display purposes without actually modifying the footage. When shooting with a wider taking lens, a crop should be made to remove the vignetting effect. The crop in postproduction to achieve the desired anamorphic look is usually in 2.35:1, 2.39:1, or 2.66:1