8mm Forum: Panavision

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Posted by Paul Adsett (Member # 25) on September 17, 2003, 05:45 PM:

There is a very interesting article in this months issue of the American Cinematographer (John your copy is in the mail), detailing the technical superiority of Panavision projection/Camera lenses Vs Cinemascope projection/Camera lenses. Apparently the Panavision lenses use a pair of prism's to get the lateral squeeze of the image, whereas Cinemascope used cylindrical lenses. Cinemascope cylindrical lenses proved very difficult to manufacture by American Optical Corpn, and suffered from variable compression across the field of view ( a person walking from left to right would be slightly fatter in the center of the picture than at the edges). So the Panavision Company was formed to provide the thousands of projection lenses required for theatres. The Panavision lenses proved to be vastly superior and has now become the standard widescreen process. The Iscomorphot Anamorphic lens that I use to project 8mm Cinemascope prints is clearly a cylindrical lens design. I wonder if any 8mm scope lenses were ever built utilising the Panavision prism design? What is considered to be the best quality scope lens for 8mm?

Posted by John Clancy (Member # 49) on September 18, 2003, 04:40 AM:

Sounds like a trip to the local Odeon is in order to nick a Panavision lens!!!

Posted by Mal Brake (Member # 14) on September 18, 2003, 05:26 AM:

Hello Paul,
I don't know what the best quality lens for 8mm is, however we have been using the KOWA Z8 since the late 1970's and it performs beautifully with 8mm and 16mm. It can focus from 5ft to infinity and gives excellent results as long as you have a decent projector lens. There are no problems with the GS and other machines with a good light output.
Mal

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