Optimizing DIY Anamorphic Camera with Enlarger Lens Without Mechanical Shutter

bernard_L · Oct 31, 2025

You did not provide a sketch.
You did not answer my questions (1) and (2) above, that were meant to help you sort out your ideas and firm up your design.
You answer with questions "where the normal exposure will be on film?" "will lens be able to expose top of the film?"

I quit.

Mustafa Umut Sarac · Oct 31, 2025

OAPOli said:
For a pinhole I can conceptualize the image formation by drawing straight lines from the subject to the film via the pinhole. But I'm not sure what the image would look like for a lens given that the film is parallel to the optical axis. Something similar surely when the aperture is stopped down, but still I think you would get a only narrow band where the subject is in focus. Or maybe it's okay if the subject is parallel to the axis as well. Could be cool.

The length of the frame would be decided by the diameter of the cylinder, and the diameter by the image circle of the lens, not the focal length I think. I think this a 6x6 enlarger lens, so ~80mm diameter circle, meaning a 250mm circumference.

its 2 X Pi X radius

but its not simple as that

we must draw a triangle , height is 6 cms - film camera cylinder height -
hipotenus is 80mm focal lenght
if you 80X80 - 60X60 : 2800

ROOT OF 2800 is 53mm

camera total width is 106mm

2XpiX53 : AROUND 33CM CIRCLE

FORMAT CAN BE 6X33

BUT THE PROBLEM is will lens light reach to the top of the film ?

OAPOli · Oct 31, 2025

Mustafa Umut Sarac said:
its 2 X Pi X radius

but its not simple as that

we must draw a triangle , height is 6 cms - film camera cylinder height -
hipotenus is 80mm focal lenght
if you 80X80 - 60X60 : 2800

ROOT OF 2800 is 53mm

camera total width is 106mm

2XpiX53 : AROUND 33CM CIRCLE

FORMAT CAN BE 6X33

BUT THE PROBLEM is will lens light reach to the top of the film ?

Sorry, not following the logic here. Again, a sketch of sorts would help.

Here is something you can do. Grab a piece of white paper, roll it in a cyclinder and cover it with black paper. Tape a cover on one side with a hole for the lens. Hold the lens in front of the hole and check what sort of image you get on the paper.

koraks · Oct 31, 2025

@Mustafa Umut Sarac I think the suggestion that @Dan Fromm gave you is worthwhile pursuing: try to build the camera from the Instructables website. See how that works. When/if you get it to work, try to convert it to using a lens. But try a pinhole first. I think you'll run into some additional issues with the lens.

Optimizing DIY Anamorphic Camera with Enlarger Lens Without Mechanical Shutter

bernard_L

Mustafa Umut Sarac

OAPOli

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