Anamorphic Lenses 101: Here's Everything You Need To Know

1. What Is an Anamorphic Lens?

Do you ever notice how visually enthralling the latest motion pictures are at your local theater? The explanation behind that yummy cinematic footage you love most about Hollywood blockbusters points to one primary culprit — anamorphic lenses.

An anamorphic lens squeezes the image onto film or digital camera sensors, allowing for wider aspect ratios than would otherwise be possible with traditional lenses and results in more cinematic images with shallower depth-of-field and an oval bokeh effect. This makes them ideal for filmmakers who want to create a high-end, cinematic look without having to crop their shots.

2. Is Anamorphic Better than Spherical?

Utilizing anamorphic lenses for filming movies allows for a wider field of view and produces a more immersive aspect ratio of 2.39:1. These lenses compress the image horizontally, meaning that filmmakers can capture wide-angle shots with standard-sized-sensors while still achieving a unique and distinct look. Anamorphic lenses have the added benefit of producing oval-shaped bokeh and fewer aberration issues than spherical lenses. Most importantly, they create images with a recognizable horizontal stretch effect. Think of those classic Hollywood scenes with juicy flares and super-wide points of view — that image is coming from an anamorphic lens.

Cinematographers using spherical lenses can capture images in the traditional format with no perspective distortion or close magnification, allowing them to achieve a shallow depth of field with prime lenses. However, while zooms offer a wider range of shots, they tend to produce a less shallow depth of field than prime lenses. In addition, these spherical lenses are typically prone to chromatic aberration and round bokeh.

3. What Is 'Aspect Ratio'?

An aspect ratio describes the proportion between the width and height of an image. This is especially important when creating digital video content since different ratios can affect the scene's appearance on the screen.

These lenses are used to compress the width of an image, making it appear narrower than it would with a more standard widescreen lens. This allows for more of the picture to be taken vertically than would be attainable through a normal aspect ratio.

Although they offer a more stylized vibe, anamorphic lenses are commonly used to add extra visual interest and composition to images that wouldn't be possible through conventional lenses.

4. Aspect Ratios for Anamorphic Lenses

If you're a filmmaker looking to make use of an anamorphic lens, you have three main aspect ratio choices: 1.33x (also known as "Scope"), 2.35x (or "Ultra Panavision"), and 1.85x. These lenses will provide you with a wide angle of view along with the classic cinemascope-style distortion.

At Moment, we offer two different anamorphic ranges: 1.33x and 1.55x. But what are the differences between the two, and which one is right for you?

• Using a 1.33x anamorphic lens gives filmmakers the benefit of preserving the scene's original aspect ratio and providing a wider field of view with just one camera. This lens compresses the frame's height while maintaining the image's width resulting in a letterbox effect. The image may appear squished when viewing it on a non-anamorphic monitor. However, this can be corrected post-production, and the original aspect ratio will be restored.
• A 1.55x anamorphic lens creates a much wider image than a non-anamorphic lens, allowing filmmakers to capture wide shots without needing extra camera gear. However, this type of lens also compresses the image vertically at a higher ratio, which distorts the natural geometry of the scene and may cause barrel distortions. Additionally, when viewing the footage on a standard-size monitor, the widescreen image may be more 'pillar-boxed'. Despite this, many filmmakers find the larger ratio attractive due to its cinematic vibe.

To achieve that standard, true-to-life frame with minimal stylization or distortion — the 1.33x is your go-to choice. However, if you're looking for a more stylized, artistic barrel look to your footage, then the 1.55x is ideal.

5. Can You Shoot Image Stills with Anamorphic Lenses?

Definitely! Using the Moment Anamorphic lens for still shots is really fun and pretty inspiring, but it comes with its own set of challenges, especially when you're working with that wide aspect ratio. It gives your photos a unique look that's different from your usual 'wide' shots in photography, which is super cool for creativity but can be a bit limited in other ways.

To get a feel for what still images with an Anamorphic lens look like, check out this great article by our good friend and fellow filmmaker, Steven Schultz.

6. How to Get the Anamorphic Look on Your Phone

Achieving the anamorphic look on your phone is completely doable. Modern smartphones, including the latest models from iPhone and Samsung, are incredibly powerful and capable of producing high-quality footage. With the introduction of features like Apple's ProRes Log footage and increased resolution, there's never been a better time to create short films with your phone.

To elevate your footage even further, get an attachable mobile lens. Moment's Anamorphic lenses are among the most popular and best-selling add-on camera lenses for various smartphone models, spanning multiple generations. We offer the M-Series lens for phones released before 2022, and the T-Series lenses for models from 2023 onwards. Our lenses come in both 1.33x and 1.55x aspect ratios, available in Blue or Gold flare options.

Discover what customers have to say about our lenses and the extensive positive reviews we've garnered over the 10+ years since the launch of our most notable camera accessory.

7. Affordable Gear to Get You Started

Moment's bread and butter is crafting high-quality yet affordable and accessible camera gear for photographers and filmmakers.

It's challenging to obtain a large arsenal of camera lenses, bodies, accessories, lights, audio, and film rolls at an affordable price while still getting the job done right. At Moment, we provide accessibly priced camera gear, third-party favorites, and comprehensive education through articles and Youtube videos to maximize your creativity.

Check out our Youtube channel for more videos on filmmaking gear, tips, and more. Below are additional articles detailing our fan-favorite 1.33xx Anamorphic Lens Adapter that turns any lens into a movie-making machine and our world-famous mobile anamorphic lenses in 1.33x and 1.55x ratios.