Iscomorphot Inflight 16

• Anamorphic Adapter by Isco Precision Optics GmbH
• Double Focus
• Mount: N/A

I started out with great expectations for this one, as a member of the Isco lineup and the first 1.75x I've played with. The Inflight is a beast - down to every meaning this could have. It's big, heavy, cumbersome and delivers some of the most impressive images I've laid my eyes on. If this adapter was single focus, people would be killing each other for it.

There are several Iscomorphots around, with different stretches and sizes, so don't start thinking any Iscomorphot is gonna be this one. Its surname, "Inflight", means this adapter lived up in the air, being used to project scope films on airplanes! Since the screen wouldn't move around, this adapter features a focus-lock mechanism which operates by tightening or loosening the front ring. Focus won't budge if you screw this down.

\This is a projection lens, the exact type I dislike: heavy, big, hard to lug around, this Iscomorphot weighs 1.2kg or 3lb. The front element is 74mm, with a lot of housing all around, and the rear is 54mm - slightly bigger than an Iscorama 54. It's got double focus, super long throw, around 400 degrees, markings only in feet, and it focuses from infinity down to a little under 8ft, or 2.5m.

Stretch is pretty rare and special, at 1.75x, meaning it converts 4:3 footage almost perfectly to Cinemascope 2.35:1, as opposed to 2x, that creates the longer 2.66:1.

Due to the extreme front weight, I made my own rail-supported clamp and still used a lens support on the 15mm rails. Since most of the adapter rotates while focusing, this was an annoying setup to use and incredibly hard to keep safe while shooting. The other annoying part about this adapter is the lack of front threads combined with a thick housing, which means you'll have to be resourceful when coming up with a front clamp or diopter-attaching solutions for closer focus and/or single focus.

Double focusing is extra hard on this lens, but once you get it right, the results are crystal clear even at fast apertures and only get better as you stop down the taking lens.

These flares look like Iscorama pre-36's flares on steroids. They're warm gold, crisper and cleaner than the pre-36's - which for me is a trait of cine-anamorphics and higher priced lenses. They also seem to wrap around the image in a more organic way, almost bending at the edges. Pretty sweet.

In terms of vignetting, I was able to get almost perfect 2.66:1 using Canon's 40mm pancake. If you bump it up to 50mm, you're good for full sensor coverage and the unusual 3.11:1 ratio.

My closing thoughts on this adapter are that the image-making aspects of it are unique in a positive way. Image quality, character, flares, sensor coverage, rare stretch and overall feel are better than most other anamorphics. But the hassle you face to shoot with it is so tough I would think twice or three times before taking it out for an actual project. If you have unlimited time, this lens is amazing. If you have unlimited budget and want to rehouse it, I think it could be one of the strongest adapters out there, especially if combined with a single focus solution.