KOWA CINE 2x ANAMORPHIC PL: 40mm T2.3, 50mm T2.3, 75mm T2.8, 100mm T3.4 with Optional Wide Angle Adapter = 32mm
Beautiful Warm Flares
Low Contrast
Strong Shadows
Extremely Compact
Cinematogrphaer Christopher Blauvelt recently used the Kowa Prominars on the Oscar Nominated May December. He choose these lenses when shooting on the Alexa 35 in order to give a more filmic grainy look to the film and to ensure that the image was not too clean. Blauvelt said he used the Prominars to “disarm the eye for perfection of digital”
What is an Anamorphic lens?
There are two main types of lenses; those being spherical and those being anamorphic. Anamorphic lenses have asymmetrical optical curves that render more compressed images in its width and is stretched more in its height. This compression and stretching is determined by the squeeze factor. An anamorphic lens with a 2x squeeze factor will be two times as wide as the focal length on the respective lens. (Meaning a 50mm would have the field of view of a 25, but the depth of focus as a 50mm). However there are many different squeeze factors: 1.5x, 2x, 1.3x, 1.8x etc.
These are Japanese Anamorphic lenses from the 60s. Their compactness is a real standout among many other anamorphic lenses. Usually when anamorphics are compacted there is a compromise, there is not a 2x de-squeeze or the lens is not as fast. This is not the case with the Kowas as they have a 2x de-squeeze and are pretty fast. Due to how light these are, they compliment steadicam work, gimbal work or any kind of handheld run and gun type of shooting.
These lenses have similar coatings as the spherical Kowa Cine Prominars. Low in contrast and warm in color, they can be made to flare easily. The flare is warm in color rather than the standard blue anamorphic flare.
