Have you ever wanted to learn about the crazy amount of anamorphic lenses and adapters out in the world?
Created by Tito Ferradans of the Anamorphic on a Budget YouTube Channel, the "Lens-yclopedia" is a community-built library of anamorphic lenses, adapters, diopters, and focusers. According to the anamorphic guru himself, the project has been in the making for several years and is now ready for the community to participate.
But why is such a platform necessary, and what does it offer to the everyday creative? Well, let’s start with a video from Ferradans himself.
A Library of Anamorphic Glass
At its core, the Lens-yclopedia is a database of different anamorphic lenses, adapters, and the accessories that make them function. On the surface, it may just seem like a collection of different lenses, old and new, but when you dig deeper, Ferradans has created something truly useful for creatives.
If you’ve ever wanted to shoot anamorphic on a budget, either with adapters or vintage lenses, it’s hard to figure out what to buy and how it’ll function on your camera rig. The Lens-yclopedia aims to solve that.
Lenses are added to the database either by Ferradans and his network or by the community of filmmakers. But it’s not just about posting a picture and leaving it at that. For each anamorphic tool, be it either a lens, adapter, diopter, or focuser, Ferradans requests a whole heap of information. This includes the name of the lens, the manufacturer, the stretch factor, its coverage, the filter threads, its pitch, weight, focus throw, the size, the mounts—it goes on and on!
If you’re submitting anything to the database, you’ll have to add footage you shot on your own and even your own tests if you can agree with Ferradans about the standards. However, the mad lad already has his own testing set up and running. This is based on the testing that Sharegrid already did, but Ferradans' budget-friendly mindset has him focusing on lenses any creative can afford. The Sharegrid tests used glass we could only dream of owning.
The Database at a Glance
As of this article, the Lens-yclopedia has only been live for a few months, but there’s already a ton of information to dig through. There’s a list of old projection lenses from Bausch + Lomb and even more modern offerings from SLR Magic and Vazen.
What makes this database so valuable is the information creatives have at their fingertips and all in one place. If you’re in search of a vintage anamorphic adapter for your next project, this should be your first stop. Even if you’re looking at modern anamorphic lenses that won’t break the bank, visiting the Lens-yclopedia gives you so much information to get started.
Sure, you’ll probably want to visit a rental house to run some tests, but this database gives you the necessary ammunition to come prepared. The Lens-yclopedia includes all sorts of tests you can use for your prep, as well as footage to glean important details.
Of Historical Importance
Lastly, the Lens-yclopedia is important for posterity. Old glass is highly sought after, but there is only so much information you can find off of eBay listings and forum posts. In the future, this database will be a lighthouse for creatives to better understand anamorphic lenses and their capabilities.
Visit here to dig through the database or if you want to add your own lens.
Knowledge is better utilized when it is collected and shared. There’s a reason the Library of Alexandria was so important. The Lens-yclopedia is similar, a collection of knowledge to make us better creatives. Best of all, it’s free. Shout out to Tito for putting this together.
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