Shane Hurlbut, ASC on Spherical and Anamorphic Lens Choices

Two of cinematographer Shane Hurlbut, ASC’s favorite lenses are the Leitz / Leica Summicron C spherical lenses and Caldwell Chameleon anamorphic lenses. Below we highlight the scenarios Shane uses for each lens choice. 

So, if you’re digging through search engines to quickly find when is the best time to use a specific focal length, you’ve come to the right place!

But first, if you’re uncertain of what they are, let’s break down anamorphic and spherical lenses. That way, you’ll know the difference!

SPHERICAL LENSES

Spherical lenses are the granddaddies of all lenses and encompass both prime and zoom lenses. Being spherical, they function a lot like the human eye and make the audience feel like they’re in the image. What makes spherical lenses so wonderful is how they project images on the sensor. There is no negative effect on the aspect ratio. 

Also, spherical lenses are faster than anamorphic lenses with lower T-stops and are ideal for low-light situations. (But we will explore the differences between the lens types below.) 

Director of Photography Shane Hurlbut, ASC prefers Leitz Summicron-C as his spherical lenses of choice. 

	Close Focus	T-stop	Image circle
15mm	2’7” / 0.78cm	T/2.0	33mm
18mm	2’7” / 0.78cm	T/2.0	33mm
21mm	2’7” / 0.78cm	T/2.0	33mm
25mm	2’7” / 0.78cm	T/2.0	33mm
29mm	2’7” / 0.78cm	T/2.0	33mm
35mm	2’7” / 0.78cm	T/2.0	33mm
40mm	2’7” / 0.78cm	T/2.0	33mm
50mm	2’7” / 0.78cm	T/2.0	33mm
75mm	2’7” / 0.78cm	T/2.0	33mm
100mm	2’7” / 0.78cm	T/2.0	33mm
135mm	2’7” / 0.78cm	T/2.0	33mm

Shane’s Leitz Summicron-C lenses of choice:

• 15mm
• 21mm
• 29mm
• 40mm
• 75mm
• 135mm  

 

15MM LEITZ SUMMICRON-C

The 15mm Leitz Summicron-C allows you to craft a wide shot with little distortion. This is particularly useful for low-angle tracking shots. 

Focal Length	15mm
Max Aperture	T/2.0
Lens Mount	PL
Min. Focus	1 ft
Front Dia.	95mm
Length	4.6”
Weight	Approximately 1.8 lbs.

21MM LEITZ SUMMICRON-C

The 21mm Leitz Summicron-C is an amazing lens for big-scope crane shots as well as wide-angle shots pushed in close.

Focal Length	21mm
Max Aperture	T/2.0
Lens Mount	PL
Min. Focus	1 ft
Front Dia.	95mm
Length	4”
Weight	Approximately 6 lbs.

29MM LEITZ SUMMICRON-C 

Shane believes the 29mm is the best Steadicam lens for walk-and-talk two shots.

Not only that, it’s also great for handheld action! 

Focal Length	29mm
Max Aperture	T/2.0
Lens Mount	PL
Min. Focus	1 ft
Front Dia.	95mm
Length	4.0”
Weight	Approximately 2.9 lbs.

40MM LEITZ SUMMICRON-C

The 40mm lens is an excellent close-up lens for wide shots that are pushed in close. The audience will feel like they are still far enough away, yet close enough to be immersed. 

Focal Length	40mm
Max Aperture	T/2.0
Lens Mount	PL
Min. Focus	1’6”
Front Dia.	95mm
Length	4.0”
Weight	Approximately 1.3 lbs.

75MM LEITZ SUMMICRON-C

The 75mm Summicron-C lens is an amazing close-up lens. 

Focal Length	75mm
Max Aperture	T/2.0
Lens Mount	PL
Min. Focus	2’7”
Front Dia.	95mm
Length	4.0”
Weight	Approximately 2.7 lbs.

135MM LEITZ SUMMICRON-C

The 135mm Leitz Summicron-C creates beautiful bokeh for long lens work. 

Focal Length	135mm
Max Aperture	T/2.0
Lens Mount	PL
Min. Focus	4’6”
Front Dia.	95mm
Length	4.6”
Weight	Approximately 4.1 lbs.

ANAMORPHIC LENSES

From the Greek word “to transform,” anamorphic lenses project a compressed version of the wide-format image and require stretching to span the standard 35mm frame. This lens innovation creates a push-and-pull distortion effect between the background and foreground. 

There are many advantages of anamorphic lenses. For one, they have impressive image quality due to their enhanced vertical resolution. The loss of light toward the edge of the shot also emphasizes the center of the image. Some of the biggest Hollywood blockbusters choose anamorphics, like Matt Reeves’ lens choice for The Batman. 

If you want a crisp image, you may be pleased to know they reduce grain. And let’s not forget as light interacts with the optics of anamorphic lens, it creates that anamorphic flare many of us know and love! 

Let’s take a look at the Super 35+ Caldwell Chameleon anamorphic lenses. 

	Close Focus	T-stop	Image circle
32mm	2’7” / 0.78cm	T/2.0	33mm
40mm	2’7” / 0.78cm	T/2.0	33mm
50mm	2’7” / 0.78cm	T/2.0	33mm
60mm	2’7” / 0.78cm	T/2.0	33mm
75mm	2’7” / 0.78cm	T/2.0	33mm
100mm	2’7” / 0.78cm	T/2.6	33mm
150mm	2’7” / 0.78cm	T/4.0	33mm

Shane’s favorite Caldwell Chameleon lenses:  

• 32mm
• 40mm
• 50mm
• 75mm
• 150mm 

Shane utilized the Caldwell Chameleons on his most recent projects. However, since they’re not out yet, below are references from other cinematographers. 

32MM CALDWELL CHAMELEON

The 32mm Caldwell Chameleon lens is a great technocrane lens and flares for amazing results! Also, the Chameleon gives you that vintage anamorphic look with a beautiful blue flare without the heavy weight. 

Focal Length	32mm
Max Aperture	T/2.0
Coverage	S35+ (FF/VV optional)
Lens Mount	PL
Min. Focus	2’6”
Front Dia.	95mm
Length	5.5”
Weight	Approximately 6 lbs.

PRO TIP: Never roll out without a diopter kit — and in that kit make sure you have a 1/4 in addition to the 1/2, 1, 2, and 3. This will allow you close focus with anamorphic lenses. Learn more from Shane Hurlbut, ASC’s Camera, Lenses & Filters Masterclass!

40MM CALDWELL CHAMELEON

The 40mm Caldwell Chameleon is an excellent lens choice for capturing sprawling vistas and master shots. It also flares beautifully! 

Focal Length	40mm
Max Aperture	T/2.0
Coverage	S35+ (FF/VV optional)
Lens Mount	PL
Min. Focus	2’6”
Front Dia.	95mm
Length	5.5”
Weight	Approximately 6 lbs.

Lens Test by One Stop Films.

Watch the OSF Lens Test: Caldwell Chameleon 40mm. 

The minimum on a spherical 100mm lens focus is 2.6 feet, whereas on an anamorphic it’s at 5 feet. This means you’ll be around twice the distance away for the closeup. 

NOTE: Compared to a 100mm spherical lens, a 100mm anamorphic lens feels like a 50mm spherical. So, anamorphic is about 2 times as tight as a spherical lens.

50MM CALDWELL CHAMELEON

The 50mm Caldwell Chameleon anamorphic lens is best for wide-angle shots pushed in close. 

Focal Length	50mm
Max Aperture	T/2.0
Coverage	S35+ / FF / LF
Lens Mount	PL
Min. Focus	2’6”
Front Dia.	95mm
Length	5.5”
Weight	Approximately 6 lbs.

 

75MM CALDWELL CHAMELEON

The 75mm anamorphic lens is a wonderful two-shot lens. 

Focal Length	75mm
Max Aperture	T/2.0
Coverage	S35+ / FF / LF
Lens Mount	PL
Min. Focus	2’6”
Front Dia.	95mm
Length	5.5”
Weight	Approximately 6 lbs.

150MM CALDWELL CHAMELEON

If you need to get extremely close, the 150mm Caldwell Chameleon anamorphic lens is an amazing ECU lens. 

Focal Length	150mm
Max Aperture	T/4
Coverage	Full Frame and Vista Vision
Lens Mount	PL
Min. Focus	2’6”
Front Dia.	95mm
Length	6.4”
Weight	Approximately 6 lbs.

HOW DO SPHERICAL AND ANAMORPHIC LENSES DIFFER?

The difference between spherical and anamorphic lenses is pretty clear. Most obvious is the image size and cropping of the image. For instance, the anamorphic has a wider aspect ratio (i.e. 2.35:1) and the spherical is more square (i.e. 1.33:1). Black bars are added to anamorphics once the image is decompressed in the edit bay.

One easy indicator of a spherical or anamorphic lens is its bokeh. Spherical is simply circular and anamorphic has oval-shaped bokeh like a football.  

Anamorphic delivers a more cinematic depth of field that is shallow at the same magnification of the subject. However, anamorphics are softer along the edges while spherical lenses are sharper. 

Overall, anamorphic lenses add character to the imagery, stretching and squashing the image as you grab focus. Spherical lenses are more traditional, sharper, and preferable in low-light settings. 

CAMERAS, LENSES & FILTERS MASTERCLASS

In this 3-hour Masterclass, you will learn how a feature film DP develops their look for the big screen.

Join Shane Hurlbut, ASC as he dives into his setups for his feature film and commercial work. Shane talks about working with the technology behind the RED Digital Cinema camera platform, and how he rolls out on set maximizing this camera system to its potential.

Shane then dives into working with Tiffen filters, which he deploys on his digital negative to make the most film-like quality possible on a digital camera. Last, but not least, he goes through some of his favorite lenses, specifically the Leitz Cinema Prime lenses, and discusses different ways to use focal lengths to tell the story on screen.

This Masterclass was offered live for participants to join Shane virtually, asking questions and getting laser focused with him throughout the day.

ACCESS THE CAMERA, LENSES & FILTERS MASTERCLASS TODAY!