Anamorphic Lens

Commonly used in filmmaking to achieve a cinematic look, an anamorphic lens is a specialized lens that horizontally compresses the image during capture and then expands it during playback or post-processing. Anamorphic camera lenses allow for a wider field of view, creating a distinct widescreen aspect ratio and unique optical characteristics such as lens flares and stretched bokeh.

Anamorphic lenses utilize a cylindrical optical element to horizontally squeeze the image onto the camera's sensor or film frame. This compression alters the aspect ratio, resulting in a narrower, vertically stretched image. During playback or post-processing, the footage is de-squeezed to restore the original widescreen format. This process widens the field of view, providing a distinct cinematic aesthetic with enhanced horizontal resolution and unique optical characteristics such as lens flares and oval-shaped bokeh.

The aspect ratio of anamorphic lenses typically depends on the specific format being used. In the realm of professional filmmaking, the most common anamorphic aspect ratios are 2.39:1 and 2.35:1. These ratios result from the horizontal compression and subsequent de-squeezing of the image during playback or post-processing. The wide aspect ratio achieved with anamorphic lenses allows filmmakers to create expansive, immersive visuals that are synonymous with the cinematic experience.

Yes, there are different types of anamorphic lens. The most common anamorphic lenses are 1.33x, 1.6x, and 2x, and these refer to how much the lens squeezes the horizontal image onto the sensor. For instance, a lens with a 1.6x squeeze ratio will capture 1.6 x the width of the focal length. Our range includes both 1.33x and 1.6x anamorphic lenses as well as a 1.25X adapter allowing for up to 2x on the 1.6x lens range.