CLeW

Introduced in 2004, the Panavision Anamorphic Wide-Angle Zoom (AWZ2) is the first modern zoom to use anamorphic elements at the front of the lens. The industry often refers to the AWZ2 as the “Bailey zoom,” after John Bailey, ASC, whose creative thirst for a superior wide-angle anamorphic zoom inspired Panavision’s engineers to develop this groundbreaking technology. In 2007, the AWZ2 was joined by the Anamorphic Telephoto Zoom (ATZ), the second modern zoom lens to use anamorphic elements at the front of the lens.

Both zooms represent a new standard of high-performance, compact anamorphic optics. Thanks to advanced computer-aided design, internal mechanical improvements, and modern optical glass, these lenses offer high contrast, sharp resolution, and minimized veiling glare, ghosting, distortion, and breathing. The front-anamorphic design substantially reduces stop loss, mitigates aberrations, and improves field illumination.

Thanks to their high-performance imaging, these zooms are fully functional as in-shot zooms or as variable primes. The lenses offer constant aperture at all zoom and focus positions, and constant focus at all zoom positions. The symmetrical housing prevents mechanical interference with camera viewing systems. The performance and size characteristics make these zoom lenses comparable to E Series anamorphic primes.

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