In this guest post, Vancouver-based freelance filmmaker and an anamorphic lens freak Tito Ferradans is sharing his thoughts about anamorphic shooting and the ideal sensor size with us. The BMPCC 6K pushed anamorphic modes into Blackmagic’s cheaper models – such modes were previously reserved for the URSA lineup. Anticipating an increase in questions on this subject, I wrote this post. There are lots of misconceptions about sensor size and anamorphic shooting. I believe this started with the Panasonic GH4, but let me first explain the issue. Every other day I get messages from people “informing” me they can’t use 2x lenses because their camera does not have an anamorphic mode. They say they’re limited to 1.33x or 1.5x lenses and they don’t know what to choose. Some are even more hardcore and ask for camera recommendations. The Sony a7S II does not have an anamorphic mode, yet, I’ve been shooting anamorphic on it for three years now and it never gave me trouble. I recently got a Panasonic GH5 which features an anamorphic mode. What is Anamorphic Mode, and why is it Good to Have it? Anamorphic lenses squeeze more field of view onto the sensor. There’s a lot more to them, but this is the aspect we’re dealing with now. Let’s say the ideal anamorphic lens has a 2x squeeze, which means that you have to double the width of your footage in post production for your shot to look correct. Simple math time: shooting 16:9 (and then doubling the width of the frame)...
Published By: CineD - Thursday, 22 August, 2019