How to Build a Real Vintage Anamorphic Lens for $702

[@relaxwithme3266]

This take me back. I did this many years ago on a RED Helium with 44-2 and Kowa 2x. Filmed an entire short film with it. The images were just...chef's kiss. The experience of using the setup though was so frustrating and cumbersome that I never did it again.

[@3darms]

You can use a paint pen and make a line along where the focus changes on the taking lens when you have the focus perfect, that way if it changes you'll see the lines don't line up

[@mahartman]

Glad I am not the only one buying cheap diopters from Amazon... I appreciate being able to see so much example footage. Talk all you want about how great a lens is, but unless you let me SEE it in different situations, I will never know. THANK YOU.

[@lukefletcherfilms]

Let’s use this for a pinkston shoot???

[@Saxuro]

thanks for the video. It's really cool. First of all, I subscribed to cihd and left a like. I have a question, which Schneider Cinelux did you use? When I look for it I find different focal lengths 35mm 40mm 60mm 65mm 75mm. Is it possible to combine it with the Helios with all or only from e.g. 60mm

[@prOkrEAt]

i just bought a SIRUI 1.25x Anamorphic Adapter for $350 and screws right on the lens. works on all my lenses since they are all set to 82mm filters with step up adapters. Love the video though and the creativity of the setup. hello from AVL

[@radekdrayco]

You are right, there really isn't much on this topic, nor is it obvious what those videos are telling you to do. And I don't want to make a purchase with half information. This video, Perfect. You not only showed the final results, but showed it all broken down and slowly put back together. So thanks, now I know what to do. I have always wanted to do this. The Helios, even without this type of setup attached to it, is awesome. I have the 44M, with just a simple Anamorphic mod, no flare wire. It's made dreams come true already.

[@lukefletcherfilms]

Thanks for watching! This is exactly what I was trying to show! Helios 44 is a beast.

[@stuCameraman1]

Started this around 2011 with a Moller32 and canon 50mm f1.8 plastic lens and used close up filters for close up shots... There was few vids around back then and no single focus sollution! I now have 5 projector Anamorphics and last year grabbed a used range finder. I used Anamorphics on the Panasonic gh4 that has anamorphic options and a 4x3 mode, the gh5 has a open gate/full sensor mode too

[@gregallen3398]

Your absolutely right this was the best vid for this subject

[@jimmoss9584]

Answered a few questions I had. Thanks. I will be doing something similar.

[@beatprocess]

A buddy just sold me this setup for super cheap. Rails and all. Included rangefinder. I can't wait for it to get here.

[@lukefletcherfilms]

Hope it’s been awesome for you!

[@pl0xyy]

Everything looks great! I was curious how did you film underwater with this setup? Like on 6:24

[@YoucefXY]

Real solid content, there is literally so many videos about this without giving near the amount of clear information you just gave! Also the not having an ef to whatever camera you have part made me Laugh, Like and Follow ! Keep it up :D

[@lukefletcherfilms]

Thanks for following!

[@georged822]

Great video. I got a Schneider 2x for pennies on the dollar from ebay back when anamorphic was becoming a thing for amateurs thanks to people on eoshd popularizing it. It's the sharpest anamorphic adaptor I have but I think the bokeh had a square shape. I can shoot 5k in 4:3 aspect with the S1r, so unsqueezing a 2x lens gives you 2.67 instead of the crazy 3.55:1. I didn't know SLR magic had a cine adapter as I just shoot stills for fun now a days, thanks for the info! I have always coveted the Panasonic la7200 but a cheaper adaptor would let me re-explore all my anamorphic glass collecting dust. You really got a beautiful film look with your setup, well done.

[@lukefletcherfilms]

Thank you!!

[@collinausbury]

Legit thankful you put this info out there - great video. That thing is one honker.

[@lukefletcherfilms]

Thankful that you pulled focus on this honker many moons ago.

[@ryanleethomas]

5:36 Canon with Magic Lantern!

[@BryceDocherty]

Love your personality and content man. You are an amazing DP and should be so proud of what you have accomplished. I will try this setup I think. It looks so unique and I never would have thought to do this.

[@lukefletcherfilms]

Dang thank you so much for saying that. You definitely won’t regret building this.

[@HussainAl--Khalil]

Thanks so much for posting this because i never knew exactly how to apply these lenses so I never bought one. Now that I know will definitely be getting this soon. Your work looked immaculate btw! Really good stuff, definitely let me know this is well worth the investment

[@lukefletcherfilms]

Good to hear! This is exactly why I made this video!

[@cordrellcolbert4550]

Okay camp north end! 🤟🏾Love to see another Charlotte based creative!

[@lukefletcherfilms]

haha yessirrr

[@YourProEntertainment]

Wow I just watched your short and it was exceptionally well done on all aspects. Thanks for the idea how to build a budget anamorphic lens too. I'm not 100% sure on whether I will build one, but it is definitely a truly cinematic image you get from it with 2x squeeze.

[@lukefletcherfilms]

Thanks so much!

[@alenlenia]

im going for it, thank you!

[@wearetrackclub]

Good stuff, Luke! The footage looks amazing, really inspiring :)

[@lukefletcherfilms]

Thanks so much!!

[@connornyhan]

Shot an entire feature this way and I will never do it again. Even if the rig is functional when you start, everything started to fall apart after 3 months of constant use. None of the clamps or focusers really seem like they were put through rigorous testing.

[@lukefletcherfilms]

Yeah I don’t think I would do an entire feature with it. But I haven’t had too many any issues with this set up and I’ve been using it on projects here and there for a few years now. For the price you have to expect you’re going to have some issues and I think the issues are small enough that it’s worth working around.

[@seanfrancis7101]

That’s why P+S evolutions are $18000 ! They figured a way to get this all packed into a manageable set up

[@VILLAGEBOI4005]

Nice. How do you add a vnd and speed booster?

[@alecdelben]

Great video! Also near Charlotte! I've been debating on getting a Helios for my R5 I just got, might have to do this setup!

[@lukefletcherfilms]

Highly recommend!

[@shaynegryn]

Most vintage lenses like the Helios allow you to focus slightly beyond infinity to accommodate for inconsistencies in cameras' flange distance. So when you get the sharpest image, you *are* focusing it to infinity, just that the maximum throw of the lens isn't infinity.

[@lukefletcherfilms]

This makes a ton of sense. Thank you so much.

[@zandermai2220]

Looks beautiful, literally been on the market for these for a few years but now that there are so many anamorphic adapters not sure which route, to take. The adapters are so lightweight, do you think it's still feasible for such a cumbersome and frustrating setup compared to something like the Laowa 1.33x or the Blazar 1.5x Adapter? They're not quite 2x, but these have beautiful images and the prices are pretty comparable for used ones.

[@lukefletcherfilms]

If I didn’t already have this set up I’d definitely look into the Blazar. But ultimately it really just depends on the look you’re trying to achieve.

[@NikeKalisand]

Hello. Thank you for your good video. I have a Black Magic Ursa Mini 4K, which unfortunately does not have anamorphic recording. I have to cut the video. What should be the dimensions of a 4K video with a 2X anamorphic lens? Please help.

[@andrew_nayes]

So inspiring! And the short film looks so great! At around 0:47 you talk about 58mm being the widest one can go on full frame. But I wonder, what is the consequence of using a wider lens like a 35mm? Vignetting? If you are cropping the picture to 2.39:1 anyway, then any vignetting would just be cropped out? Have you experimented with what focal length would be the widest to keep the vignetting outside a 2.39:1 crop of the image?

[@andrew_nayes]

Oh, nevermind. I see now that you example clip is 2.39:1, so I guess that 58mm is the widest one can go without unusable vignetting. I saw another video by another youtuber that I can't recall now, but he seemed to be under the impression that it was the SLR magic rangefinder that was the cause of the vignette, and that bigger helicoids would prevent vignetting. Have you tried with any other focusing adapters?

[@lukefletcherfilms]

@@andrew_nayes Yeah thats right. The example clip was shot on 58mm on the a7siii and you can see slight vignetting even with the 2.39 crop. The wide uncropped version straight out of camera has extreme vignetting. I haven't tried any other focusing adapters so it is possible that the vignetting is coming from the rangefinder and not the anamorphic lens.

[@joshuatimmins2681]

Hey man! Thank you so much for this video! I'd love to build this myself, however the cheapest SLR Magic Rangefinder I can see online costs £600 (From the B&H link in the video description) Are there any other cheeper alternatives for the rangefinder?

[@Mightymitefilms-john]

Which focal length for the Schneider cinelux? Looks like there’s a bunch of different ones

[@ethanartworks1737]

Newbie here :)) can i use the projector lens with a normal lens for the receptor lens? Like a canon 50mm 1.8 ?

[@lukefletcherfilms]

Yes!

[@michelcompagna7750]

Great video and the images look amazing. Good job! Did you also do the color grading on the short film? If so, what did you use for Halation? Is it Resolve's stock effect are a third party plugin? Thank you so much!

[@lukefletcherfilms]

Thanks and yes I did color it using the dehancer plug-in

[@michelcompagna7750]

@@lukefletcherfilms Thank you for your quick reply! Again, the images look amazing 🙌

[@qvisionmedia7195]

Been waiting on this video once I seen this video

[@lukefletcherfilms]

Thanks for watching!!

[@YuvalAloni]

Also own the Cinelux! Been wanting to make a video about it for ages but honestly, I don't think I quite have my set-up right at this point. I hate the Rangefinder but other options are too expensive

[@lukefletcherfilms]

I've loved the cinelux, but have never tried anything else so maybe I wouldn't like it if I tried something a lot better haha. Also.. I just watched a couple videos on your channel and subscribed. Super good stuff. Looking forward to watching the rest!

[@chanderprakash3159]

4:22 This distortion effect is identical to the distortion shown in the "Porki" movie when a girl started feeling dizziness after she drank a juice mixed with a pill or maybe a powder of unconsciousness.

[@lukefletcherfilms]

Yeah I could see it working super well for that

[@chanderprakash3159]

@@lukefletcherfilms Did you saw Porki movie and that scene ?

[@chanderprakash3159]

Which lenses are suitable for this anamorphic adapter and from where I can purchase it ?

[@lukefletcherfilms]

I go over what focal length you need in the video. You can purchase the helios and cinelux from ebay@@chanderprakash3159

[@redfoxcreatives]

I got a Helios 44-2 that was rehoused into a e mount config and they add a thin blue(or orange) line so you can get the anamorphic flares. It’s fake anamorphic but it’s still pretty lol

[@lukefletcherfilms]

Noice. Yeah I’ve seen that.

[@testowykana1763]

The image looks gorgeous! I also have a Schneider Cinelux projector lens, but a slightly different model. I would really love to use it, but the price of rangefinder and alternatives is really high 😢

[@lukefletcherfilms]

Yeah kind of a bummer the range finder costs so much but it definitely is a nice piece of glass and the price is justifiable. Maybe keep an eye on eBay and try to snag a used one?

[@markoTardito-BePartOfMyWorld]

you don't think there are enough videos on anamorphic adaptations? have you seen theTito ferradans channel?

[@lukefletcherfilms]

He’s great but doesn’t explain the entire process very thoroughly

[@OtaOtaOfficial]

Just got an Helios 44-4 alongside with a 16D B&H 2X. Im curious to know if it deserves the investment compared to those "false anamorphics" that I see made with the 44-2s

[@lukefletcherfilms]

I think it’s a lot better than just putting an oval shape at the back of the lens which is what those are

[@misaelmovies]

Thank you for this video man! We’re following you from Brazil haha Just one question: how did you attach the adapter and the focus solution to the rods below? I’ve seen some solutions, specially from Rapido Technology but it seem a little expensive to me 😢

[@lukefletcherfilms]

It’s just a small rig lens support and you just raise it until it until the lens is resting on it and then lock it the height

[@misaelmovies]

@@lukefletcherfilms thx bro! You awesome!

[@ChristianTandbergMedia]

Amazing! Does it work with other lenses also? Have you tried wider lenses?

[@lukefletcherfilms]

Yes. Around 50 is the widest you can be with this set up.

[@masonstrother]

This is awesome! Where did you shoot your short film? I'm based in Hickory so it's awesome to see a local creative on KZbin!!

[@lukefletcherfilms]

The majority was in Rock Hill, Lancaster, and Charlotte!

[@masonstrother]

@@lukefletcherfilms Nice dude! Excellent work

[@der.kommentierende.komment5275]

It's a bit big, I already have the helios and I love the look. Do you think it's a viable option for vlogging and travel? I'm looking at the Nanomorphh series from laowa at the moment, they are very small lenses but the price in my area is 1400€ I would emulate a vintage look in post with dehancer (I would have to buy it so the cost increases again). I feel like this could be too heavy and there would be many places that don't let you inside with a camera that is rigged like that. Very nice and informative video, did you specify the weight of this setup anywhere? I might have missed it.

[@lukefletcherfilms]

It definitely wouldn’t be possible to take a video of yourself holding the camera. It’s just too heavy and the focal length is too tight. Probably not the most ideal set up for travel, but definitely possible and maybe worth it for the interesting look.

[@lukefletcherfilms]

I’m not sure what the weight is. Maybe 2 pounds? It definitely wouldn’t be possible to take a video of yourself with this lens. It’s just too heavy and your arms wouldn’t be long enough for the focal length. It’s not the most ideal set up for travel.. or anything for that matter but it has an interesting enough of a look that it might just be worth it and allow you to capture your travels in a different way than most.

[@JunoMusonda]

Thanks for the tip homie!

[@lukefletcherfilms]

Thanks for watching!

[@the_allens_]

This is such a great video on a topic I have always wanted to know more about! Does it matter which cinelux you get with this setup?> It seems like there are a lot of variations on focal length and such. Etc.

[@lukefletcherfilms]

I’m sure each one gives an ever so slightly different look, but they’ll work!

[@akuhietikko]

What u think about adding this to 8mm super-8 film camera lens? Lens is Angenieux 8-64MM f/1.9.

[@lukefletcherfilms]

Could be awesome. Would love to see the results you get!

[@CrunchyDiopter]

It's a great video, but I feel like Scott should have featured more heavily. 0:44 We never got his take on your adapter setup.

[@lukefletcherfilms]

Scott’s a huge fan

[@foolgaze]

this is so amazing i have to try this

[@lukefletcherfilms]

You definitely should!

[@NikeKalisand]

Hi If we connect a helical focuser to the main lens, is it possible that everything will work properly, even infinity focus? Thank you

[@lukefletcherfilms]

I’m not familiar with a helical focuser

[@reantixxmangata7302]

Thank you so much

[@seanfrancis7101]

You deserve a like sir. This looks like a real pain in the ass…. Could I use a Kowa instead of a Schneider? And I’m not noticing much of any flaring at all btw. But that swirly distortion looks really cool

[@lukefletcherfilms]

@@seanfrancis7101 yeah I’m sure you can.

[@johnstrasheim5583]

What was your reasoning with going with the ursa 4.6k vs the P6k? Just curious if it’s worth an ursa upgrade

[@lukefletcherfilms]

The ursa is a better build and has more inputs. It also has better dynamic range. The 6k is just janky when it’s built out. I have a 6k pro but only use it for rigging in tight places.

[@johnstrasheim5583]

@@lukefletcherfilms would it be worth getting the 12k?

[@lukefletcherfilms]

@@johnstrasheim5583 i personally don’t have a need to shoot that high of resolution and you also loose a stop of dynamic range.

[@johnstrasheim5583]

@@lukefletcherfilms ahh gotcha. Thanks for the reply!

[@celeriereric8744]

Very interresting and nice job . Could i say that For 200 dollars more you have a Brand new ISCO 2x full lens kit and no headache ?😊

[@lukefletcherfilms]

Hey! Sorry I’m not aware of what you’re talking about.

[@easee28]

​@@lukefletcherfilmsno problem just Google " red isco full kit " 👌

[@UC25vWPq3]

Hi, what about the glare? I mean, like from car headlights. In anamorphic optics they are like lines, is this solution the same?

[@lukefletcherfilms]

That is coming from the lens, not anything in post.

[@beatprocess]

Awesome brother

[@akpevbe]

This looks really good dude, looks really FILMIC. I remember wanting to get this set up but didn't really know so much about the extra's i needed to get so i invested in the "moment anamorphic adaptor " instead. Did you grade with Dehancer?

[@lukefletcherfilms]

Yessssirr

[@Miniaminism]

Swap that SLR Magic for a proper focuser (Rectilux or Rapido). It will improve sharpness so much man ;)

[@jimmoss9584]

Good Video.

[@UC25vWPq3]

Hi, is it good for BMPCC 4K?

[@lukefletcherfilms]

Yes, it is

[@ajinkyabhonde]

This lens is available on ebay for 130USD right now

[@UC25vWPq3]

Is it just me or in some moments some objects seem to have 3d stroke (red and blue color)?

[@lukefletcherfilms]

The short film Is God the Same Here is color graded with halation so that’s probably the red stroke you’re seeing

[@chanderprakash3159]

3:46 4:01 4:21

[@_Sisyphus]

GH5 allows opengate.

[@CMgraffix]

nice moody imagery

[@lukefletcherfilms]

Thank you!!

[@arturoargumedo4089]

Recommending a new camera after you saved and used a 1000 year old lens is a bold move buddy...

[@lukefletcherfilms]

@@arturoargumedo4089 I’m a bold boy

[@RushOrbit]

Does this mean that you’re locked into the 50mm of the Helios? So basically you just back up more if you want a bigger frame and get closer if you want a tighter frame? Also, what stabilizer are you using?

[@lukefletcherfilms]

You can put any lense that is longer than the Helios in front of the Cinelux. There is no zooming once you have the lense on so you would need to get closer if you want it to be tighter. The stabilizer is an ez rig for the handheld shots and a steadicam for the smoother shots.