Does anyone know what the difference (besides almost $2000) is between these? They are both made by Optex. Is the quality that much bette or what?

Also, the XL Anamorphic Adapter is made speciafically for the 16X Manual, why doesn't it work on the standard 16X IS II?

Anyone hear anything about a 72mm anamorphic? I just don't think I can deal with the loss of wide angle.

The Optex anamorphic is specifically designed for the XL1/s 16x servo lens. This was done b/c the smaller adapter 58mm, while available for use with the xl1/s, creates major vignetting issues and limits the use of the widest point of the lens.

The difficulty according Optex was creating the anamorphic element in a larger form for the 72mm lenses. This is quote the reasoning for the price difference, I suspect that optex also realizes that the xl1/s user that wants anamorphic is playing in the higher range of production and therefore justifies the cost, or that there is very few people using the concept and that the limited production of the element causes the price difference.

I do not know why you cannot use the element on the standard lens provided with the xl1/s cam, yet I can say that the 16x servo lens provides a nicer optics and may compromise the image being utilized on the consumer auto lens; just a hunch.

Also, with the Optex anamorphic attachment you receive a support system similar to a matte box system. It is pricey but if you are bound and determined for anamorphic this is truly the only practical element for the xl1/s. Might I say that I have used the 58mm anamorphic and found it nifty, but not something I would ever shoot with professionally or for a festival bound creation, it is just not necessary.

Email the guys at optexint.com about the element they will send you several PDFs about the element, with a little time you know all there is to know, the price, truly is ridiculous.

Hope that this helps, shoot with a taped monitor and play in post.

Cheers,

Dick Steele
3rd Coast Cinematics

I think were talking about different things (sort of) there are two lenses on the ZGC website, an XL Anamorphic adapter for $2640 (which APPEARS to me to be 72 mm, but I can't really tell from the picture, all I know is it still only zooms down to 12mm, but goes up to 84 mm), and an anamorphic attachment for $774. I emailed ZGC for product info, but they haven't gotten back to me yet.

Thanks for the input though.

http://www.xl1s.com/

checkout this web site the first picture on the right hand side is a customized XL1S with the new Optex anamorphic element.

The website that I accessed this from is OpTex (http://www.optexint.com).

Email simon at Optex International for more info, very helpful.

cheers,

Dick Steele
3rd Coast Cinematics

Nic,

have a look at http://www.megameme.com/vx1609.htm as it might be the kind of information you're looking for.

HTH,

Kai.

Has anyone tried these anamorphic adapters/attachments?

I really would like to rent the XL Anamorphic Adapter (72mm). Does anyone know where I can rent one in the New York City area?

I would very much like to maintain full resolution if I need to blow my film up to 35mm but I am not sure I want to jeopardize the major vignitting that some of the threads talk about with the anamorphic attachment (58mm).

I guess if I can't find a place to rent the XL Anamorphic Adapter, I would just crop the film in the post.

If anyone has any experiences with the cheaper Anamorphic Attachment, please let me know.

Tom