Panavision has introduced a new anamorphic-rental-only lens, the Ultra Panatar II. The lens features a 1.3x squeeze, and a warm-hued flare, and covers a 46mm diagonal. That’s a nice way to celebrate 70 years of pure filmmaking.

Panavision Ultra Panatar II

As stated by Panavision: “Built to meet the demands of modern productions, Ultra Panatar II lenses offer a vintage Panavision anamorphic feel with vertical breathing, organic falloff, and a warm-hued flare. Designed for visual effects and virtual production, Ultra Panatar II optics deliver controlled distortion and consistent resolution across the field while covering a 46mm diagonal. With an enhanced anamorphic look that provides the feel of 2x-squeeze optics, Ultra Panatar II’s 1.3x squeeze helps maximize the lenses’ adaptability for different aspect ratios while meeting modern resolution requirements”. The lens is a newer version of the Ultra Panatar and Auto-Panatar series, which top DPs in major blockbuster films have heavily utilized to capture the large format for the big screen.

The Ultra Panatar II comes with 7 focal lengths, featuring 2.8 t-stop. Explore the table below.

Celebrating 70 years of pure filmmaking

Panavision held a very festive booth at the BSC Expo, celebrating 70 years of extraordinary filmmaking. At the booth, Panavision showcased the breadth of its proprietary optics, including Panaspeed spherical primes and Ultra Panatar II demonstrating the use of super 35 imagers. The booth also featured a variety of camera systems from Panavision’s rental inventory, including a Panaflex Millennium XL2 for 35mm film origination and a System 65 camera for 65mm film acquisition, as well as select digital cameras outfitted with Panavision Modular accessories. Here are a few pictures (taken by Panavision):

Panavision rocks in Oscars 2024

As we reported here, Panavision lenses were the dominant glass behind Oscars 2024 films (Best Picture and Cinematography nominees). We also stated that there’s no real competition for Panavision. This company is doing something right. Although Panavision lenses can not be purchased (rental-only glass), acclaimed DPs just love the lenses, and the excellent Panavision service as well. The most used lenses were the PVintage and Sphero 65. Explore the table below:

Price and availability

As explained, all Panavision lenses are rental only. You don’t want to purchase it anyway since is extremely expensive (a stolen lens was sold on eBay for $80,000). More details on the Ultra Panatar II can be found on the Panavision website.