Anamorphic lenses have a very special party trick. They squash a wide scene horizontally to fit the width of the camera sensor so that you can stretch the footage on output to get much wider cinematic aspect ratios than native sensor widths are designed for, while still using the full sensor area – so you’re not cropping out large chunks at the top and bottom of the frame.
That’s not all. Their unique construction means they create particular visual effects which are really on-trend right now, including horizontal blue streaks from highlights and oval rather than round bokeh. The anamorphic look is in demand!
