Ever wanted to get the cinematic or anamorphic look that remains popular for photo and video content? Weird lens enthusiast Mathieu Stern comes to the rescue with yet another interesting experiment!

As Stern mentioned in his intro, the anamorphic look can be difficult to achieve. But, he found four different ways to get this cinematic effect using just a single lens — any lens, in fact! Of course, he had to put them to the test as well to find out which one works best.

For this experiment, he used a rare Cinetar 75mm f/1.9 projector lens that has no aperture and creates a nice swirly bokeh. He also printed a DIY lens adapter so he could put it inside a focusing helicoid ring. With this hack, he was finally able to focus with the lens.

Next, he needed to build four rigs, ranging from the cheapest to the most expensive. He evaluated each based on three criteria: usability, budget and looks created. While these setups tend to be challenging to use, it’s always interesting to see how Stern’s experiments and DIY projects turn out, don’t you think?

That said, which of the four rigs do you think produced the best results? Share your insights in the comments below, or in our group discussions if you’re already part of the Photofocus Community!