I Was Under The Impression That Panavison Cameras Were All 2.35:1 (1 Viewer)

[Chuck C]

I hope this is the right place to post this. Anyway, At the end of the credits to Dutch (which still isn't on DVD and thus on a fullscreen VHS), it said it was filmed with Panavision cameras and equipment. I said to myself, I cannot believe Dutch is 2.35:1; I'm missing so much! Later, I checked imdb.com and it said 1.85:1. I read somewhere that Panavision is aka anamorphic scope aka 2.35:1. Is there a disticntion between saying "Panavision" and saying "shot with Panavision cameras" ?

 

[Leo Kerr]

Actually, it's really quite simple.
Panavision cameras are 35mm motion picture cameras. It does not have any determination of the aspect ratio.
"Panavision lenses" are generally spherical lenses, and are used for anything from 1.37:1 to, well, 2.35:1 super 35mm. (Bad idea, but they do it anyway. Of course, using Super35mm for anything over 1.85:1 is a bad idea...)
"Panascope lenses" are anamorphic lenses with a 2:1 horizontal compression. This means that the full open gate for anamorphic photography is 1.175:1, yielding a 2.35:1 final projected aspect ratio with a hair-line between frames. As an extention, most "2.35:1" films are actually shot 2.4:1 to give a little more space for the editors and the movie house to actually put in splices without totally obscuring the frame. At least, that's the theory.
Leo Kerr
[email protected]

 

[Chuck C]

that's interesting, thanks leo

 

[Jesse Skeen]

There are several movies that mistakenly have "Filmed in Panavision" in the end credits and/or in the ads and posters too.

 

[Peter Kline]

For an interesting history of Cinemascope and Panavision go here:
http://www.widescreenmuseum.com/widescreen/wingcs1.htm
Jesse,
Those "Filmed in Panavision" credits are not a mistake. In the beginning the credit meant 2.35:1, but eventually it was used for films using non-anamorphic Panavision lenses as well.

 

[Richard Kim]

In general, when the credits just say "filmed in Panavision", it's anamorphic 2.35:1. If it says "filmed with Panavision cameras and lenses", it's 1:85:1 or Super35. But as others have said earlier, some of these credits are incorrect.