Welcome to Old School Cameras, where cinematic dreams are focused with maximizing your creative potential. This month in our exploration of the world of vintage glass, we take a look at Bausch and Lomb SUPER BALTARS. Before we do that just want to mention our FREE STEALTH PRODUCTION PACKAGE FROM HOLLYWOOD COOP. Hollywood Coop is our brother company and they are offering a free stealth production package with any camera package rental from Old School Cameras. The economics are obvious but the logistics of one location, one stop to cover your needs is awesome. This is something we are hoping to develop and improve further, so check back and see how we can improve your bottom line! Please see the banner at the bottom of the page or contact us to learn more. info@oldschoolcameras.com or info@HollywoodCoop.com give us a call: 818 847 1555.
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Super Balters: Most Beautiful lenses Ever Made?
Without a doubt that is a bold claim! Obviously very subjective, as with all artistic and visual subjects. Super Baltars have a great many fans and their legacy is earned through their history in this industry. Whether they are the most beautiful lenses ever made, or not, they deserve recognition and have a valid place in any cinematographer’s palette. If you have used them you know, If you have not, then you need find out, and most importantly you need to give them a test!
The Super Baltars are possibly one of the most famous sets of lenses in film history. Made from the 1950’s until the 1970’s, these lenses are warm, slightly infrared creating a surreal image unique with a multi-colored green blue flare, ultraviolet and sharp (from the cobalt glass). This gives images of high contrast with warm flesh tones and cool flares. A beautiful image is a beautiful image, but these lenses throw some magic in the recipe, which you will not get from a modern lens set.
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he You can witness the images captured by the Super Baltars from many great films from the 1950’s through to the 70’s. including the first two Godfather films, Carrie(1978, not the new one!),a considerable number of Hitchcock films(The Birds!), Fox adapted Super Baltars for their early CinemaScope movies, such as The Robe. Throw in some John Ford movies and you get the picture!
They are popular again, cinematographers love to match the Super Baltars with the newer digital cameras. The combination of old glass and new technology gives a natural and organic imagery that has a depth of character that modern ultra-sharp prime lenses sacrifice in their pursuit of perfection. The softer more artistic images bring a classic look as seen in the film Rush by Ron Howard. The cinematographer Anthony Dodd Mantle used the Super Baltars for their low contrast and flare to give the film a very specific vintage look. The Super Baltars have also enhanced the Music videos of many artists including, Paramore, One Republic, Lana Del Rey, Terri Clark, Black Moth Super Rainbow, The Veronicas, Laurieann Gibson, Zed’s Dead.
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The Super Baltars were made by Bausch and Lomb, now renowned for their contact lenses, eyeglasses and sunglasses. Bausch and Lomb are no longer in the camera lens business, but in their earlier years were very involved in the development and production of lenses for camera, in fact Bausch and Lomb developed the CinemaScope lens! Massive restructuring in the 1980’s axed these core divisions leaving the sunglasses and contact lenses as the main priority. You will find no mention of Super Balters on their website or any other corporate affiliation. What was made in those short few years is all that remains.
Making these lenses rare jewels!
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The rise of the digital camera has generated a surge of interest in older “legacy” cine lenses. Far from perfect technically, but full of character and a welcome contrast to clinical digital imagery. Super Baltars have their distinct character and form a vital part of a cinematographer’s palette. While probably not the most beautiful lenses ever made, their character and scarcity surely makes them a coveted and essential tool. In combination with other vintage lenses such as Canon K35, Cooke S2, Kowa Cine Prominars, Lomo, Zeiss Super Speeds, Hawk Vintage ’74 anamorphic,(and vintage anamorphics by Lomo, Cooke, and Kowa), make a complete toolbox for a cinematographer to tackle any project. These in no way replace modern lenses, such as ARRI Master Primes, merely add welcome diversity to the art form. While filters and manipulation in post can simulate the character of vintage lenses, the lenses themselves conjure their unique magic, organically adapting to real world lighting. As a side note , the Kowa's were made to be exact copies of the Super Baltars, while close they still have their own character that yields a slightly warmer orange coating.
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