Focus Check

ep119 - High-End Anamorphics From Filmmakers: Inside Glaswerk's Lenses – CineD Focus Check

Focus Check

Show Notes

In this special episode of Focus Check, Johnnie sits down with our guests David Kellermann and Viola Evang, the co-founders of Glaswerk Optics – a German lens manufacturer developing high-end 2x anamorphic cinema lenses. Tune in to this candid conversation about their seven-year journey: from a client arriving with a box of old projection lenses, to engineering some of the most meticulously designed anamorphic glass currently in development. The Glaswerk ONE and ONE+ prime sets are on the verge of shipping, and the story behind them is anything but straightforward.

(00:00) Introduction (00:45) Meet David and Viola – filmmakers turned lens makers (05:30) The moment a client's box of projection lenses changed everything (09:37) Going full frame and funding the project (13:08) The decision to go high-end: no compromises (16:36) First prototype at Cine Gear LA 2019 – the last-screw story (20:19) The development team: optical designers, mechanics, electronics (24:48) The ONE and ONE+: lens design, weight, and bokeh (29:24) Flares, coatings, and customisation (34:00) Why so long? Perfectionism, COVID, and metadata (35:52) Clients, pricing, and who buys these lenses (37:12) DCS metadata: why Glaswerk chose a different standard (44:31) Simulating lenses in 3D: Lens Sim plugin and Hübner Photonics (43:01) Final thoughts on the ONE / ONE+ before launch (44:31) Shipping a cinema lens in 2026: the market has changed (49:17) Could Glaswerk make lower-end lenses one day? (52:37) Wrap-up ➡ Visit Glaswerk's website: https://glaswerk-optics.de/ 📬 Email us: [email protected]

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