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How could this soft and beautiful look be achieved with other lenses ?

Stefan Antonescu

Stefan Antonescu

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Hi all,

Alexander Alexandrov made un amazing short film :
http://vimeo.com/32437922

The thread in the "Shot on Red" section :
http://www.reduser.net/forum/showthread.php?67343-LA-Je-T-Aime-LA-I-Love-You-Experimental-Short

He used Lomo anamorphic lenses. What I love is the soft and filmic look - it's just gorgeous. I don't mind not having the "anamorphic flares".

Are there any other lenses that can achieve that look ? Maybe combined with some softness in post ? For me, the problem with anamorphic lenses, is that you need to crop. So I'm looking for another solution...
 
Anas also produce the ovular bokeh and have a certain feel.

Part of the look you're liking is the Squarefront Lomo look - it has a bit more softness/cream/dreamy feel (especially at T2.8-T4). The larger Roundfronts are a little more precise and not as '70's' in feel.

What you should look for is maybe something like a Helios 44-M (58mm) F2 (in M42 mount) an old SLR lens - they're cheap (between $30-$50) and you can re-house to PL... it's basically considered as a copy of the Zeiss Biotar and produces a 'Lomo-esque' look and has a very nice 'swirly' bokeh (depending on taste!). It is, however, a very small lens. Advantage is it has click stops and a push-pull system to go to a smooth iris. There are many versions of this lens, so be careful to get the right one (the older version with long green f-stop markings). I presume you could adapt it easily via M42 to Canon (if you're using a Canon mount).

Another look would be to go the Lomo spherical route... this will also give you some of the soft/creamy feel you're looking for. Getting Lomo sphericals has become a bit of a minefield, so be careful as there are two types (OCT-18 and OCT-19 mounts) - both are being converted to PL's, but avoid the ones with small 'butterfly' sty;e focus mechanisms. These are the OCT-18 versions and you're not going to get a follow focus working on them (but they're OK for self operating).

Overall, part of the look you like is the nature of antique lenses but is also the sensor, the way the setup is used, the subtle use of the grade and the skills of the DP/Director (and crew).

In terms of anamorphic cropping, it's not so much of an issue on RAW cameras - but can be a PITA if you're shooting 1920x1080 on 2X - on a compressed codec. But there are plenty of nice things out there that have used this - check out Ryan Glover's Hillsgreen - using the same Squarefront anamorphics you like, but with an old hacked GH1 - http://vimeo.com/18766884

I saw a post from Ryan here recently, so he might want to contribute.

Hope this helps.
 
Zeiss Jena. Old Nikkors. Old Pentax. Gentle color grade in RedLogFilm.
 
Nice camera work. Total bullshit 9 minute movie about absolutely nothing. Wasn't sure if I was watching a fashion commercial or a faux homeless model. Seems the homeless sure are fashionable and with perfect hair and a change of designer outfits - very glamorous.

(oh and Kelly, get on the f-ing subway!!!!)
 
How would you adapt the helios to PL? Supercurious as I have one and love it to death.

Andy White said:
Anas also produce the ovular bokeh and have a certain feel.

Part of the look you're liking is the Squarefront Lomo look - it has a bit more softness/cream/dreamy feel (especially at T2.8-T4). The larger Roundfronts are a little more precise and not as '70's' in feel.

What you should look for is maybe something like a Helios 44-M (58mm) F2 (in M42 mount) an old SLR lens - they're cheap (between $30-$50) and you can re-house to PL... it's basically considered as a copy of the Zeiss Biotar and produces a 'Lomo-esque' look and has a very nice 'swirly' bokeh (depending on taste!). It is, however, a very small lens. Advantage is it has click stops and a push-pull system to go to a smooth iris. There are many versions of this lens, so be careful to get the right one (the older version with long green f-stop markings). I presume you could adapt it easily via M42 to Canon (if you're using a Canon mount).

Another look would be to go the Lomo spherical route... this will also give you some of the soft/creamy feel you're looking for. Getting Lomo sphericals has become a bit of a minefield, so be careful as there are two types (OCT-18 and OCT-19 mounts) - both are being converted to PL's, but avoid the ones with small 'butterfly' sty;e focus mechanisms. These are the OCT-18 versions and you're not going to get a follow focus working on them (but they're OK for self operating).

Overall, part of the look you like is the nature of antique lenses but is also the sensor, the way the setup is used, the subtle use of the grade and the skills of the DP/Director (and crew).

In terms of anamorphic cropping, it's not so much of an issue on RAW cameras - but can be a PITA if you're shooting 1920x1080 on 2X - on a compressed codec. But there are plenty of nice things out there that have used this - check out Ryan Glover's Hillsgreen - using the same Squarefront anamorphics you like, but with an old hacked GH1 - http://vimeo.com/18766884

I saw a post from Ryan here recently, so he might want to contribute.

Hope this helps.
Click to expand...
 
Josh Beadle said:
Nice camera work. Total bullshit 9 minute movie about absolutely nothing. Wasn't sure if I was watching a fashion commercial or a faux homeless model. Seems the homeless sure are fashionable and with perfect hair and a change of designer outfits - very glamorous.

(oh and Kelly, get on the f-ing subway!!!!)
Click to expand...
Happy New Year to you too, Josh...

Any suggestions on the lenses ?
 
Timur Civan said:
How would you adapt the helios to PL? Supercurious as I have one and love it to death.
Click to expand...

Timur, an easy way to get your Helios onto a Scarlet, Epic, F3 (or what have you) is the Allstar mount. They make an M42 adapter.

Yeah, the Helios 44 is a really cool piece of glass that I'm dying to experiment with myself.
 
I enjoyed how the headlights acted on the lens. Maybe this was a streak filter?
 
Stefan Antonescu said:
He used Lomo anamorphic lenses. What I love is the soft and filmic look - it's just gorgeous. I don't mind not having the "anamorphic flares". Are there any other lenses that can achieve that look ?
Click to expand...
No, that's a pretty distinctive look. I think you could duplicate the whites and the basic look just with slightly elevated blacks and mids, plus a little bit of diffusion on the lens (and lots of diffused light on the subject). But anamorphic lens flares are pretty distinctive, particularly with the short depth-of-field.

Me personally, I think they call too much attention to themselves and are too heavy-handed and showy. To me, I think they tend to remind the viewer that they're looking through a lens, not looking at life itself.

But there are some beautiful images in there.
 
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