Isco-Optic 16:9 Video Attachment Mk I

• Anamorphic Adapter by Isco Precision Optics GmbH
• Single Focus : Variable Diopter
• Mount: 77 MM

So what's up with this guy? Long story short, it's an Isco 54 in disguise. That is EXACTLY what this lens is. It has the exact same metal body of the Iscorama 54, same size, same weight (900g), same alignment mechanism by pushing this button here and rotating it. Focus also ranges from 2m to infinity and you need to focus your taking lens to infinity and just focus on the Isco. Front thread is 95mm and the rear is 77mm. You can use redstan's clamps or just go with a bunch of step rings.

So, where did this come from? At some point Isco started making home projector lenses and the traditional video aspect ratio was 4:3, which needed to be stretched out to 16:9. It's good to know there are two other versions of this lens, mark II and mark III, but they're much bigger and way heavier than this one, to a point which is impractical to use them.

The Isco Video Attachment delivers outstanding results, at even the fastest apertures. Edges are very slightly compromised, but this thing is razor sharp. So sharp that the quality cap is probably set by the taking lens instead of the anamorphic. If you have great taking lenses, you don't need to worry at all. Due to it's big front element I had to tape a diopter in front of it.

Being newer than the Iscoramas, these are multicoated lenses to reduce flare. That being said, it shows a faint greenish-blue flare when a strong light source is pointed directly at it.

Just as its older siblings, this one is vignette free from 50mm and up on full frame.

As easy to use as an Isco. Actually, I should be saying this is an Isco and be done with it. Focus at 2m is the single issue I have with this lens, but you can get around it with diopters. Images are pretty and clean, if you're not a fan of the anamorphic artifacts, such as bokeh, flares and crazy distortion, this would be a perfect pick since it stretches 16:9 to 2.36 Cinemascope and introduces very few artifacts.