A STUDY ON
LENS CHARACTERISTICS
CHROMATIC ABERRATION
Chromatic aberration is a failure of a lens, as a result of which light rays focus at different points depending on the wavelength. Lateral Chromatic Aberration is only seen at the edges of an image. Some lenses create complex color fringing that often combines two complimentary color types: red & cyan and/or blue & yellow.
PETZVAL FIELD CURVATURE
“Lens Blur / Petzval’s curvature of field” is an optical problem that causes a flat object to appear in focus only in a certain part of the image, instead of being consistently sharp over the entire image area. It does this because of the curved nature of optical elements, which project the image curved rather than flat.
LENS DISTORTION
Distortion takes place when the straight lines of an image appear curved or misshapen in an unusual way for the eye. Lens distortion is primarily characterized by very regular and symmetrical patterns. The three most common types are known as “barrel distortion”, “pincushion distortion” and “mustache distortion”.
Here are some stills from movies and TV shows with these lens characteristics.
Some are captured “in camera”. Others were made in post-production.
CHROMATIC ABERRATION
The Assassination of Jesse James by
the Coward Robert Ford (2007)
Directed by Andrew Dominik
© Warner Bros. Pictures
Cinematography by Roger Deakins
Digital intermediate colorist: Michael Hatzer / EFilm
Camera & Lenses:
Arricam LT, Arriflex 535B,
Cooke S4,
Arri Macro,
Kinoptik Tégéa and
Kardan Shift & Tilt Lenses
Phantom Thread (2017)
Directed by Paul Thomas Anderson
© Universal Pictures
Cinematography by Paul Thomas Anderson
(uncredited)
Colorist: Gregg Garvin
Camera & Lenses:
Panavision Panaflex Millennium XL2,
Panavision Ultra Speed Z-Series MKII Lenses
Sex Education (TV series / 2019 – 2021)
Created by Laurie Nunn
Production company: Eleven Film
© Netflix
Cinematography by Jamie Cairney, Oli Russell
Colorist: Thomas Urbye / The Look (23 episodes, 2019-2021)
LENS BLUR / PETZVAL FIELD CURVATURE
Homecoming (TV Series – 2018)
Directed by Sam Esmail / Kyle Patrick Alvarez
© Amazon Prime Video
Cinematography by Tod Campbell, Jas Shelton
Colorist: Walter Volpatto
Camera & Lenses:
Panavision Millennium DXL,
Panavision G-Series Lenses
Homecoming (TV Series – 2018)
Directed by Sam Esmail / Kyle Patrick Alvarez
© Amazon Prime Video
Cinematography by Tod Campbell, Jas Shelton
Colorist: Walter Volpatto
Camera & Lenses:
Panavision Millennium DXL,
Panavision G-Series Lenses
Homecoming (TV Series – 2018)
Directed by Sam Esmail / Kyle Patrick Alvarez
© Amazon Prime Video
Cinematography by Tod Campbell, Jas Shelton
Colorist: Walter Volpatto
Camera & Lenses:
Panavision Millennium DXL,
Panavision G-Series Lenses
Homecoming (TV Series – 2018)
Directed by Sam Esmail / Kyle Patrick Alvarez
© Amazon Prime Video
Cinematography by Tod Campbell, Jas Shelton
Colorist: Walter Volpatto
Camera & Lenses:
Panavision Millennium DXL,
Panavision G-Series Lenses
LENS DISTORTION
Knives Out (2019)
Directed by Rian Johnson
© Lionsgate / MRC
Cinematography by Steve Yedlin
Colorist: Aidan Stanford
Arri Alexa 65, Arri Prime 65 Lenses (one shot),
Arri Alexa Mini, Panavision Primo, PCZ, PZW and
Zeiss Master Prime Lenses
Panavision PSR R-200, Panavision Primo and
PCZ Lenses (some scenes)
Knives Out (2019)
Directed by Rian Johnson
© Lionsgate / MRC
Cinematography by Steve Yedlin
Colorist: Aidan Stanford
Arri Alexa 65, Arri Prime 65 Lenses (one shot),
Arri Alexa Mini, Panavision Primo, PCZ, PZW and
Zeiss Master Prime Lenses
Panavision PSR R-200, Panavision Primo and
PCZ Lenses (some scenes)
Homecoming (TV Series – 2018)
Directed by Sam Esmail / Kyle Patrick Alvarez
© Amazon Prime Video
Cinematography by Tod Campbell, Jas Shelton
Colorist: Walter Volpatto
Camera & Lenses:
Panavision Millennium DXL,
Panavision G-Series Lenses
