Film School: Anamorphic Video & Lenses

Image source: Ariana Grande, The Weeknd - "Love Me Harder" in Tom Santos - "Ultimate Guide to Anamorphic Video & Lenses"

The widescreen “look”: its how and why, on any budget.

First: what is anamorphic? Tito Ferradans takes a break from his ongoing Anamorphic on a Budget quest to recap the history of the biggest manufacturer of film production equipment, Panavision:

So what about those of us who aren’t working with Hollywood budgets? Until recently, attempts to capture the anamorphic look on DSLR and mirrorless digital cameras involved wrangling a whole bunch of equipment and knowledge, as DSLR Video Shooter details:

Since then, the market has been flooded with a range of more budget-friendly options. Tom Antos’ comprehensive guide covers the spectrum from $1 hacks to $30,000 lenses used on the biggest budget Hollywood features. You’ll never simply overlay or add a letterbox in post ever again:

And to demonstrate how far, or how close, consumer offerings have come, DSLRguide compares $1,500 vs $30,000 Anamorphic Lens:

Further viewing

For an even deeper dive, Tom recommends checking out the Ultimate Anamorphic Lens Test.

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