Bolex-Anamorphot 16/32/1.5 (Möller system).

Bolex-Anamorphot 16/32/1.5 (Möller system)

The Bolex-Anamorphot 16/32/1.5 (Möller system) is an anamorphic lens attachment manufactured in the late 1950s by the optics manufacturer Möller & Wedel for Swiss Bolex H16 16mm film cameras. The attachment has a horizontal squeeze factor of 1.5x. This expands the standard 16mm aspect ratio of 1.33:1 to a widescreen format of 2:1 during projection, while resulting in a format of approximately 2.66:1 for Super 16. The model designation 16/32 refers to the intended 16mm film format and the maximum front lens diameter of the prime lens of approximately 32 mm.

As this is an attachment adapter and not a standalone lens, the system is mounted directly in front of a taking lens. The optimal focal length range for prime lenses is 25 mm to 50 mm, as shorter focal lengths result in vignetting at the edges of the frame. Focusing is performed via a dual-focus system in the range from approximately one meter to infinity. This means that the same distance must be set manually on both the prime lens and the anamorphic attachment. Originally, the attachment was fixed via a special metal bracket in the C-mount lens turret of the Bolex H16. When used on modern digital camera systems, adapter shells and, if necessary, upstream single-focus systems are used to simplify the focusing process to a single control element.