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There is much speculation
and misinformation surrounding the Kowa Prominar Anamorphic lenses. I have seen
it repeatedly claimed these lenses date back to the 1960s. My own research into
this indicates that that is not the case. The coatings alone place the set of
four lenses in the early 1980s (or late 1970s at the earliest.)
Regardless, for many these lenses combine several factors that are
appealing to anamorphic shooters. They are comparatively among the smallest
monobloc anamorphic made, they have a desirable vintage feel in contrast and
flares, they are relatively fast in speed and at one point were affordable to
own.
The lenses are far from perfect. Depending on the
particular set you encounter, they may be tack sharp and easy to work with, or
may be softer, needing to be closed down to get a decent image and have
mechanical slop making them an annoyance to tolerate. It comes down to the road
the lenses traveled to reach your hands, and how well they were maintained
along the way. Even in the best of cases, Kowas exhibit some imperfections such
as barrel distortion (especially on the wider focal lengths), breathing and
limited focus rotation. My love affair with the lenses stretches back nearly a
decade now and understanding their characteristics and limitations can help work
around some of their design shortcomings. A lack of maintenance or a bad apple
amongst the bunch is another matter entirely; which is why I baby my personal
set and need to have them serviced frequently.
The first time I ever shot anamorphic was with these lenses. They offer some very beautiful results, especially the 40mm. They are extremely light and compact and very popular for gimbal and handheld work. Shooting with these was extremely liberating. I was able to hop onto a subway train and shoot in ambient light with these lenses without being completely over burdened by the weight. These lenses let you shoot anamorphic in roughly the same size housing as a Zeiss Super Speed. Depending on the set, they offer some creamy contrast wide open and very nice ghosting flairs.
A well-kept set of Kowa anamorphic lenses are
one of the sharper vintage anamorphic options available, even wide open.
Sharpness decreases on the sides and in the corners, and distortion increases
as you get toward the edges of the frame especially on the wider focal lengths,
so it might be good to keep people’s faces in the center two thirds of the
frame. The image they produce is very three-dimensional thanks to all that
distortion. The bokeh is really beautiful on the 50mm and 75mm, but not quite
as pretty on the 40mm and 100mm. Lens flares are really nice. They give you
what you expect from a vintage anamorphic.
Kowa anamorphic lenses are very popular lately.
They have a lot of character, but one of the biggest reasons for their
popularity is definitely their compact size. Unlike some sets of vintage lenses
we tested, the Kowa’s front elements do not move or rotate when focusing, so
they are very matte-box-friendly. They also have 80mm fronts, which is an
industry standard size, and it allows you to use inexpensive 77mm screw-in
diopters (and other filters), which is a big advantage. They are very lightweight
so Kowas are one of the most popular choices for people shooting handheld or
with gimbals. Their small size did seem to create a few limitations. The widest
lens Kowa made is 40mm, but there are sets out there, that allow you to use a
wide-angle adapter on the 40mm, which turns it into a 32mm and allows the lens
to focus a little closer. Some other side effects of making anamorphic lenses
this small is some extreme distortion especially the 40mm (which is a good
thing to many DPs), heavy focus breathing, and some kidney-bean shaped bokeh on
the 40mm and 100mm. Also, the Kowas seemed to stretch our model’s face possible
more than any other lenses tested, so if you are shooting a lot of close-ups,
you should keep that in mind.
Kowa anamorphics are very expressive lenses.
Their good qualities outweigh their flaws, and since no other lens comes close
to their compact size and light weight, they are often the only choice for
certain projects. It’s hard to believe they found a way to cram that much
optical wizardry into such tiny housings.
Traditionally my favorite of the true anamorphic primes. The Kowas are among the smallest, lightest, most character-rich anamorphics you can find. I have a personal taste for the Kowas, not just for the results they produce, but also as a lens technician having opened up so many of them over the years. Just watch the clips on these little power-houses and enjoy. I won’t go into too much detail since I’m obviously biased.
The Kowas
were the first set of anamorphics I ever used. And I picked them up at a time
when I only had a passing understanding of the unique challenges and benefits
of the format. And they spoiled me. I just assumed that every anamorphic lens
out there had the same lightweight and easy to handle size, and effortless
flares people love to pepper their frames with. It wasn't until I had a bit
more experience that I realized this glass was special.
The enduring
popularity of these lenses is mostly due to their lightweight. No other set I
can think of gives you the flexibility and small footprint of the Kowas.
Putting them on gimbals, drones (if you're brave), or placing your camera in
small nooks and crannies becomes easy because of their size.
They flare
regularly and in sometimes surprising ways. And while it can be hard to
control, they usually end up helping you rather than hindering and you usually
end up liking the flares that pop up. And while they have the characteristic
blue streakiness to them, they also occasionally flare in different ways as
well.
They aren't
as tack sharp as newer glass, but especially stopped down have more than enough
sharpness for most applications. I try to stay at f4 or higher if I'm concerned
about sharpness. Distortion is of course present. If you have a set with a
wide-angle adapter that can be used with the 40mm focal length, you're in for a
real treat as that just heightens the flare and distortion qualities and makes
for some truly crazy images. It's a favorite for music videos.
One thing to
consider is that not all Kowas are created equal. They are very old lenses and
as such every set behaves a bit differently and has its own quirks to be found.
Before starting any long-term project spend a bit of time with the glass you'll
be using to learn its eccentricities. Also due to their age they can require
expensive and frequent service to keep them shooting, and if you break an
element you're going to have a hard time finding a replacement.
It's a real
testament to these lenses excellent design that they are still so popular
decades after they were introduced. Take the time to get to know your set or
demo a few different sets if you can, and you'll be sure to capture unique
footage that will get your audience to sit up and take notice.