Panavision Ultra Panatar II 1.3x Anamorphic Lenses Introduced

Lens News

by Francesco AndreolaFebruary 19^th, 2024

Panavision has just expanded their family of rental-only glass with a new anamorphic option. Coming in 7 focal lengths, the new Panavision Ultra Panatar II lens series offers a 1.3x squeeze, warm flare, and large-format sensor coverage.

When it comes to leading innovation within our film industry, Panavision is definitely at the forefront. The brand is well-known for producing rental-only cameras and optics aimed at high-end productions, and it’s quite likely that your favorite blockbuster movie was shot using some of their exclusive equipment.

The company has recently unveiled a new series of 1.3x anamorphic optics, the Ultra Panatar II, that now sit in their lens portfolio next to legendary giants like their C series anamorphics. Let’s take a closer look!

Panavision Ultra Panatar II – features

The new Ultra Panatar II series consists of 7 focal lengths – 35, 40, 50, 65, 85, 100, and 135mm – all sharing the same maximum aperture of T2.8. With a generous image circle of 46mm, the lenses are designed for large-format cinematography and can be a great match for cameras like the ARRI ALEXA Mini LF, for example.

Although these lenses have a 1.3x squeeze factor, Panavision claims that they provide a similar feel to 2x anamorphic glass. Apparently, the choice to go with a 1.3x squeeze was dictated by the needs of modern productions and the demand for deliverables with different aspect ratios.

I couldn’t find any sample footage shot on the Ultra Panatar II lenses, but the company claims that they provide:

“a vintage Panavision anamorphic feel with vertical breathing, organic falloff, and a warm-hued flare”.

Panavision

As you can tell by taking a look at the table below, the lenses seem to be well-balanced when it comes to both contrast and sharpness, while distortion was maintained under control.

Most lenses can focus as close as 61cm/24”, with the exception of the 85mm (91.4cm/36”), 100mm (76.2cm/30”), and 135mm (106.7cm/42”). Their weight ranges between 2.6kg/5.7lbs and 3kg/6.5lbs, while their length varies between 16.6cm/6.5” and 18.9cm/7.4”. The size of the front diameter is 126mm on all lenses.

Availability

Like all other lenses in Panavision’s collection, the Ultra Panatar II are exclusively available for rent through Panavision facilities around the globe.

For more information, please visit Panavision’s website here.

Have you ever had the chance to work with Panavision glass on set? What do you think of this new addition to their portfolio? Let us know your thoughts in the comment section below!