1 The Director of Photography – an overview

Lenses 57
Modern lens designs
Panavision Primo
A few years ago, Panavision introduced a new range of prime lenses
called Primos. These were a very successful attempt to offer the cinematographer
a new set of lenses that would have, as near as was attainable,
totally matching characteristics across the whole range of focal
lengths – at this they very much succeeded.
Since the first edition of this book, I have had considerably more
experience with Panavision lenses and have had to reconsider my
views on them, very much upwards. They appear to have what I can
only describe as a clarity, not a very technical term but the one that
seems most appropriate. The images they produce are remarkably
true to the way my eye sees the set before me and they are superbly
sharp, which extends the possibilities of the use of filtration. Their
accurate colour correction and consistency from lens to lens makes a
DP’s life very satisfying when shooting with Primos. Though it’s not
strictly applicable to the film world, I feel I would like to comment on
a couple of Panavision Digital Primos. In the last two years I have had
the luck to shoot quite a few projects using the Panavision High
Definition cameras and have frequently used the matched pair of 4.5:1
zooms.The wider zoom has a range of 6–27 mm at T1.8 and the longer
one a range of 25–112 mm at T1.9.The pictures I have shot using these
two lenses on both Panavision’s 900 and 750 series cameras have
impressed me beyond measure – they are probably the finest lenses
I have ever had the pleasure to use.
It would be fascinating to try these Digital Primos reconfigured for
Super 16.
Once Panavision had embarked on designing the Primos, all the lenses
were calculated to match very closely on many parameters. These
included colour rendition, maximum aperture (T1.9), outer barrel
configuration and, a great feature of this range of lenses, the optimum
definition that is maintained at the maximum aperture.
All the Panavision Primo lenses have the exceptional ‘user friendliness’
well known and much loved of all Panavision equipment.This, in
particular, makes them very popular with all members of the film crew.
Zeiss
Zeiss were one of the earliest lens manufacturers to gain worldwide
recognition long before man was able to capture a moving image.They
continue to keep a very fine reputation today, having been one of the
first manufacturers to produce very high speed lenses, with all the
other parameters still of the highest quality.
The Zeiss Distagons, when first introduced, virtually revolutionized
shooting 16 mm film overnight. I remember filming in a French restaurant
at night with no additional lighting whatsoever.A man passing our
unit table mumbled ‘It will never come out’ with a Gallic shrug and
moved on. I wrote on the back of my business card, ‘Zeiss Distagon
T1.3’ and asked a waiter to take it over to his table. Moments later
he was by my side holding one of my early Distagons with what can
only be described as reverence. Such was the impact of this new and
wonderful lens set.