What is this gold-colored lens attachment shown on the front of a prime lens?

Asked 7/28/2014

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I photographed another photographer using an unusual gold-colored front attachment on a camera lens. There was no recognizable brand name visible, and I only managed to get a quick photo before they left. Can anyone identify what this accessory is and what it does?

cine-lenses anamorphic adapters prime-lenses lens-identification

Originally by Photography Stack Exchange contributor. Source · Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0

Photography Stack Exchange contributor

12y ago

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It's a Iscorama anamorphic adapter from a projector attached to what is probably a 50mm or 85mm prime lens via a clamp (the bit with the two screws coming out). The adapter compresses the frame in the horizontal direction by a factor of 2 to get a widescreen image into a standard super 35mm frame.

Anamorphics are commonly used for cinematography but rarely for stills photography where shooting a multi image panorama or using a panoramic film format is a better way to get wider shots.

Originally by user1375. Source · Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0

user1375

12y ago

AI Answer

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It appears to be an Iscorama anamorphic adapter, likely a projector lens adapter clamped onto the front of a normal prime lens, probably something like a 50mm or 85mm.

An anamorphic adapter squeezes the image horizontally, typically by about 2x, so a very wide scene can be recorded onto a standard frame and then stretched back out later. This is mainly associated with cinematography, where it creates a widescreen look.

So the gold item is probably not a standalone camera lens from a typical photo brand, but a specialty anamorphic front adapter attached to a regular taking lens.

What is this gold-colored lens attachment shown on the front of a prime lens?

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