Anamorphic S8

[ekoe]

matt,
make sure the bausch & lomb attachments will focus to infinity.

alex,
i didn't realize you were talking about a wide angle attachment. i have the schneider-kreuznach type nizo iii. i'd really like to get something zoom-thru, though.

[Hanthx]

I just saw some footage shot with an anamorphic lens using a Beaulieu Zm2, WOW!
The image looked great!
I have a Zm2, and am looking into buying a sound camera (one that purrrrrs instead of the war CRY!) in the future.
Can anyone lead me in the right directions for a sound camera that accepts a anamorphic lens that wont cost me my other left leg!
And just for the hell of it, anyone know how much might cost (and which one) for the Zm2.

Much appreciated!
Sc:Ott

[8th Man]

I too saw some footage shot with the anamorphic lens at pro8mm and I have to say it was the most impressive thing I've ever seen with this format. Unfortunatly they didn't put it on their demo reel. They instead chose to put some African footage shot with the lens that did't , in my opinion, show it off as well. I am still tempted to buy it ,but for what they are asking, I just don't know if I could justify it too myself.
For the money one could matte 16 and still have more grain to work with.
Mr. Pacini I am interested in knowing more about this Bausch& Lomb lens though. Will you mount it in some sort of braket?

[Matt Pacini]

Yeah, I've just ordered a Monfrotto lens mounting bracket, for mounting big telephoto lenses to 35mm still cameras.
Hey, if you saw anamorphic S8 footage from S8Sound, but it's not on their demo (which I have) they WHERE did you see it?
I would be very interested in seeing that, because I too, was not that impressed with their African footage, or anything else on that demo, for that matter. It seemed they put a lot of intentionally jerky hand held footage, so you wouldn't notice how grainy the pro8 is. Pretty annoying, it was some of the worst camera work I've ever seen. That groovy home movie shaky handheld look, which is OK sometimes, but the whole freakin demo? I smell a conspiracy!
Yeah, I'll let you guys know what I come up with.
And Alex, don't worry, I'm not going to shoot a feature or something without lots of testing, I made that mistake once!
Actually, I'm just going to shoot the trailer for my next film (If I can raise enough money to shoot the whole feature) using the Anamorphics, after I shoot some focus, resolution tests, etc..
I'm excited about it, but also nervous.
Expecially since I paid $190 for EACH lens on ebay! So I hope it works...
Those were the only ones I've seen that have a 70+mm diameter.
There are lots of smaller ones, like 58mm's, but my Nizo has a 67mm, and my Bauer715XL-S has a 72, so I really had to hunt for one.
I hope the glass is good too. In super 8, if you don't have pristine glass, you're screwed!
Matt Pacini

[8th Man]

Matt,
I did see it at s8sound because the guy doing my coloring poped it in after doing my session. It was the 50 asa neg. shot in sunlight and well exposed. I don't remember all that much about it exept it was of some kids in Jamaca or some place. Nice closeups etc. I was tempted to ask for a copy but, you know, I don't even know if it was theirs to give out.It may not have been their own tests. If someone had told me it was 16 I'd have said it was REALLY nice. If they'd said it was 35 I still might have believed it. Of coarse it was on a $10,000 studio monitor. Why is it not on the demo reel?
Beats the snot out of me.
Despite the rep. that Pro8 has around town,I like Phil Vigeant. The few times I've spoken him he's been very nice and helpfull. But I have to say the current demo does't make me want to buy the stuff. I showed the last demo to everyone who couldn't run away, but the new one has shots that I wouldn't show my family.
It made me reconsider their anamorphic lens-oh that and the price tag.

[max tomley]

I'm an extreme novice...super8 sound sells these two anamorphic packages: (this is quoted from them)
ANAMORPHIC PRIME:
A true Cinemascope Lens that provides a squeezed original at a 2.35 aspect ratio. F 1.8 to 16
and closed position. The image can be un-squeezed in Telecine to provide a Cinemascope
master that utilizes the full negative frame of Super 8mm. Anamorphic element can be
unlocked for mesmerizing effects. The popularity of 8mm in 35mm releases and the advent
of HD has focused new attention on the Aspect ratio of modern imagery. This lens provides
the Pro8mm filmmaker the optical resource to work in this dimension. PRICE $ 1500.00 *See
our Show reel 2001 for Demo Shots

ANAMORPHIC ZOOM:
F 1.9 to 22. Lens package includes 8-64mm Lens, Anamorphic Lens, custom adapter and
Matte Box. Anamorphic element is held in Matte Box for independent zoom and Anamorphic
operation. (49mm) PRICE $ 2000.00

Can anyone tell me more about these lenses??? anything. where else can the anamorphic prime lense be purchased?
Thanks so much

[Matt Pacini]

I wish I knew more about these lenses also.
If they follow their usual rules, they are just adapting someting that we could all probably find on ebay for a fraction of the price, and renaming it "ProNegAnamorph" or something cute like that.
I would want to know exactly what lens they are adapting before shelling out any money, especially that much money.
There is good glass out there, and there is bad glass out there, and there's no telling which they are using for these, unless they will be honest and name the manufacturer of the original Anamorphic.
I doubt that they will.
Matt Pacini

[Matt Pacini]

By the way, you're right, Phil at S8 Sound is a great guy, I just have no idea why he seems to think it's OK to hire people who are rude and totally unhelpful to customers.
I can only assume he thinks he has a monopoly on Super 8, and that it doesn't matter what he does. I would deal with him any day, but I've only had him help me once in the store, and once at the Showbiz Expo. The other times, it was someone else in the store, or on the phone, and not once did anyone EVER say thank you when I bought stuff in their store (6 or 7 times over a 9 year period), and my questions were always met with "there are brochures on the wall over there. Everyone is too busy to answer any questions". Or if I called on the phone (this is like 15 or 20 times), EVERY TIME I was told that they were too busy to answer my questions, and that I should just buy stuff, or just come in and get my Rank transfer done anyway, without asking any questions. Yeah, right.
I'm sorry, but I took this as a sign, and I went somewhere else, Sunset Post in Glendale CA specifically, and was treated like a pro, by a REAL pro facility.
Every other post house had someone on the phone answering questions about Rank transfers the very first phone call, and I had been calling S8Sound for about 3 months + before I finally gave up, because they never answered my questions, and never ever called me back. This kind of zero customer service makes people go elsewhere, and the only ones who continue to use Super 8 Sound are those who think that there isn't any other place that sells S8 equipment or services, and it's simply not true. I made my whole film without using Super 8 Sound, and you can too.
Matt Pacini

[max tomley]

When I called super 8 sound and started asking questions about the anamorphic lenses they sell, the most I could get out of them was that the prime lense was a 12mm lense combined with an anamorphic lense....When I asked who manufactured the lenses they said they did. Again I said, "what company specificaly manufactured those lenses" The guy on the phone insisted that they did.

[Matt Pacini]

Yeah, like I believe they have set up their own multi-million dollar R&D & factory just to reinvent the wheel, so they can make their own lenses, because obviously, they would do it better than Nikon, Leica, Schneider, or anyone else who has spent the last century perfecting lens design.
Those guys crack me up.
It's the same thing as them renaming the Beaulieu cameras "the Classic Pro" etc., just because they put a "Pro8" sticker on it, covering the Beaulieu label.
They should be sued for this, I'm suprised Beaulieu hasn't already.
Don't these guys realize that when they blantantly bullshit us about this kind of thing, there is no way we are going to believe them about anything else?
Ever heard the Boy Who Cried Wolf Story?
Maybe someone needs to send that to them...
Matt Pacini