BETTER LATE THAN…

          On September 30, a rare treasure was introduced to the world – the ASC Todd-AO Lenses – a newly refurbished set of vintage primes that were recently discovered by member Steve Gainer in deep-storage at the Clubhouse.  Originally created for the revolutionary Todd-AO widescreen format of the 1950’s, they’ve been redesigned to serve today’s large-format workflows, bridging decades of innovation and artistry to a meticulously engineered collection.

Photo courtesy of Keslow Camera

            The ASC Todd-AO Lenses, modernized by Zero Optik, comprise a set of nine:   

18mm T5.3

28mm T3.7

40mm T2.8

50mm T2.2

55mm T2.8

60mm T2.1

80mm T2.9

105mm T3.3

135mm T4.1.

            Close focusing distances range from eight to forty-seven inches.  Uniform focus and iris gear placement ensure seamless lens swaps, while all but the 18mm share a 95mm front diameter.  The new housings are also custom-built to support Panavision, PL and LPL mounts, making them easily interchangeable within any workflow.

            Admittedly, the widely varying T-stop range and close-focus limitations won’t be familiar to those of us engaged in today’s accommodating environment.  But the unique texture these lenses deliver surely compensates for any challenges on those fronts.

            Todd-AO was created by producer Mike Todd in collaboration with the American Optical Company as a response to Cinerama.  As such, they offered a high-resolution, single-camera alternative to the complexity of a huge, triple-lensed camera and multiply-synchronized projectors.  Among the best-known films originated in Todd-AO were Oklahoma! (1955; Fred Zinneman\Robert Surtees, ASC), The Sound of Music (1965; Robert Wise\Ted McCord, ASC), Cleopatra (1963; Joseph L. Mankiewicz\Rouben Mamoulian; Leon Shamroy, ASC & Jack Hildyard, BSC) and The Alamo (1960; John Wayne\William Clothier, ASC).

            The ASC Todd-AO Lenses will be available on consignment through a rotation of premier rental houses.  Over the next twelve months, they can be rented through Keslow Camera. For more information or to schedule a demo, contact them at 310-636-4600 or visit keslowcamera.com.