Auxiliary lens for film projectors that corrects horizontal anamorphic squeeze using a 2:1 decompression factor. 4–6 optical elements, 92–95% light transmission, mounted via 95–127 mm threaded interface.
Standard anamorphic projection lenses operate with a de-squeeze factor of 2:1 and are mounted as an attachment lens in front of projector lenses with focal lengths between 35mm and 160mm. The cylindrical glass elements compensate for the horizontal compression created during recording with anamorphic camera lenses. Modern anamorphic projection lenses consist of 4-6 lens elements and achieve a light transmission of 92-95%. Mechanical mounting is done via standard threads from 95mm to 127mm in diameter, depending on the projector type used.
Henri Chrétien developed the first anamorphic system, "Hypergonar," in 1927 for the French Navy to improve periscopes. In 1952, 20th Century Fox acquired the rights and introduced the system as "Cinemascope" – the first film, "The Robe" (1953), revolutionized widescreen cinema. Bausch & Lomb manufactured the first series-produced anamorphic projection lenses; later, Zeiss, Panavision, and ISCO took over production. With the introduction of digital projection systems from 2005 onwards, mechanical anamorphic lenses were replaced by software algorithms that perform de-squeezing electronically.
Classic CinemaScope productions like "Ben Hur" (1959), "Lawrence of Arabia" (1962), or "Apocalypse Now" (1979) required the installation of anamorphic projection lenses in all cinemas. The projectionist had to check the correct positioning before each screening and readjust the focus. In modern anamorphic productions like "Mad Max: Fury Road" (2015) or "Dune" (2021), de-squeezing is done during the Digital Intermediate (DI) or directly in the digital projector. 35mm film prints with anamorphic compression are now only produced for special screenings or archival purposes.
Anamorphic projection lenses fundamentally differ from spherical wide-angle lenses because they only de-squeeze horizontally. Unlike recording anamorphic lenses, they are optimized for a fixed projection distance and do not have variable focusing. Modern DCP (Digital Cinema Package) projectors replace mechanical anamorphic lenses with pixel-mapping algorithms that display different aspect ratios without lens changes. IMAX projections use their own spherical systems and do not require anamorphic de-squeezing.
Als DoP plane ich bei anamorphotischen Drehs die Bildkomposition bereits für das finale 2,39:1-Format, auch wenn im Sucher das gestauchte Bild sichtbar ist. Moderne Monitore am Set zeigen mir die entzerrte Vorschau, aber bei der finalen Farbkorrektur muss ich die Projektions-Charakteristika berücksichtigen - besonders bei Hauttönen und der Schärfeverteilung an den Bildrändern.
Ich nutze die extreme Breite des anamorphotischen Formats gezielt für epische Landschaftsaufnahmen und Ensemble-Szenen mit mehreren Akteuren. Die horizontale Kompression bei der Aufnahme erzeugt eine charakteristische Tiefenschärfe und ovale Bokeh-Kreise, die dem Film eine besondere Ästhetik verleihen - diese Eigenschaften plane ich bereits im Storyboard mit ein.
Anamorphotische Produktionen erfordern spezielle Kameraobjektive von Panavision oder ARRI, die deutlich teurer sind als Standard-Optiken - etwa 800-1200 Euro pro Objektiv und Drehtag. Zusätzlich muss ich für die Post-Production höhere Kosten für die DI einkalkulieren, da anamorphotische Footage mehr Rechenleistung bei der Farbkorrektur und beim Rendering benötigt.
1. Zu welchem Department gehört „Projektions-Anamorphot"?
2. Wie viele verschiedene Fachperspektiven bietet dieser Eintrag?
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