Mechanical attachment mechanism securing anamorphic lens adapters and associated components to camera support system.
Technical Details
Standard anamorphic clamps operate with a clamping force of 15-25 Nm and feature precision-milled contact surfaces with tolerances of ±0.02mm. The construction consists of anodized aluminum or stainless steel with integrated O-rings for sealing. High-quality clamps such as the Panavision series or ARRI/Zeiss variants possess additional micrometer adjustments for pitch and yaw corrections of ±2 degrees. The total weight ranges between 450-800g depending on the diameter (95mm, 104mm, 114mm, 136mm standard sizes).
History & Development
Panavision developed the first professional anamorphic clamps in 1954 for their CinemaScope system, after early installations with makeshift mounts led to optical problems. Zeiss followed in 1961 with their own designs for the European markets. The breakthrough came in 1976 with ARRI's modular Master series, which allowed for various lens diameters without adapter rings. Modern CNC-milled clamps since the 1990s achieve significantly higher precision than the original castings.
Practical Application in Film
Ridley Scott used specially modified Hawk clamps for extreme wide-angle anamorphic combinations in "Gladiator" (2000). Christopher Nolan prefers Panavision C-Series clamps with a 136mm diameter for his IMAX sequences with heavy Ultra Vista lenses. The workflow requires daily calibration of the optical axes using a collimator and regular cleaning of the clamping surfaces. Disadvantages include the additional weight of 0.5-1kg on the lens and increased setup times of 3-5 minutes per lens change.
Comparison & Alternatives
In contrast to permanent screw connections, clamps allow for quick lens changes without tools. Magnetic mounts like the RED Magnetic Mount do not achieve the required rigidity for heavy anamorphic constructions. Modern alternatives include integrated anamorphic lenses such as the ARRI Signature Primes or Atlas Orion series, which do not require separate clamps. Hybrid systems with bayonet mounts offer a compromise between speed and precision but do not achieve the optical quality of classic clamping systems.