anamorphic lens

American  

noun

Movies, Optics.

1. a compound lens or system of lenses that compresses the camera image in the horizontal direction during filming, so that a wide-screen image can fit on the width of conventional 35-millimeter film.

2. a similar system used in projection that horizontally expands the compressed image back to its original wide-screen aspect ratio.

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anamorphic lens British  

noun

1. a component in the optical system of a film projector for converting standard 35mm film images into wide-screen format

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Etymology

Origin of anamorphic lens

First recorded in 1950–55

Example Sentences

Her husband, Patrick Loungway, a cinematographer, suggested that she use an anamorphic lens to replicate the look of a CinemaScope film.

From New York Times • Oct. 26, 2020

It launched its first anamorphic lens for filmmakers in 2018 which, at $149, remains one of the cheapest ways to shoot extra-wide images.

From The Verge • Jan. 28, 2020

We only shot with, at the most, two at a time, using an anamorphic lens adapter that allowed us to shoot true CinemaScope.

From Washington Post • Jul. 17, 2015

After much online research and testing, the film was shot on an iPhone 5S, using an anamorphic lens adapter and $8 app to adjust the image.

From Los Angeles Times • Jul. 3, 2015

The movie’s awareness of its own movieness is underlined by lots of shallow focus and anamorphic lens flares, and one extended shootout at a neon-lit nightclub—the movie’s high point—seems straight out of Collateral.

From Slate • Oct. 24, 2014