The Evolution of the Cinema Lens—Part 1: The Postwar Cinema: 1945 to 1962

Metadata

Publisher: SMPTE — White Plains, NY, USA
Doc Type: Journal Article
Content Type: Original Research
Abbreviated Title: SMPTE Mot. Imag. J
Volume: 113, No. 12, pp. 430–442
Abstract: Since 1896, starting with the Edison/ Jenkins Vitascope movie demonstrations in New York, all motion picture film projectors have required a cinema projection lens. Unlike film projector manufacturers, the cinema lens businesses were only a sideline of larger optical firms. The many optical designs were never fully integrated into the engineering of the projection systems. This historical paper series will review lens design changes and their effects during the past six decades. It will also consider why cinema lenses always yielded less than optimum focus quality when used with new formats. It will explain the mysteries of “overall focus” and “more light.” Also included are salient events on the business side of the motion picture industry. The key question remains: “Are cinema lenses still the most misunderstood component in the film projection system?”
Publication Date: 2004-12-01
DOI: 10.5594/J16249
ISSN: Print: 1545-0279 | Electronic: 2160-2492
Link: https://doi.org/10.5594/J16249
Author(s): Glenn Berggren
bio
Glenn Berggren, a Life Fellow of SMPTE, entered the cinema equipment industry in 1962, joining Kollmorgen Optical. After years with firms such as Chrysler (car engineering) and General Electric (stereo sound), he accepted the challenge of non-military marketing with Kollmorgen, the submarine periscope maker. After two years with Kollmorgen, Berggren became the cinema industry's “lens-man.” Because of complaints about faulty screen images, he sought answers from the specialists at Kodak, Century, Strong, Simplex, and other cinema equipment makers, but answers were rarely found. Between 1962 and 2004, he completed Ultra-Vision and other major R & D programs and inventions and is solely responsible for six different cinema lens series. Berggren moved to Wil-Kin/Atlanta in 1968 to join the Ultra-Vision R & D program. He later went to ISCO in 1976, then Optical Radiation Corp. in 1980. He obtained six Academy Technical Awards for screen image factors: two for Kollmorgen, one for Ultra-Vision, and the other three for ISCO lens series. His primary contributions to the cinema industry are the permanent change in design concepts for all film cinema lens designs; the six lens series, the RP-40 test film, and the SMPTE performance standards of the Theatrical Projection Technology Committee where he was chair on four separate occasions. He has authored hundreds of articles and technical papers and continues to work as a consultant.
Copyright: © 2004 Society of Motion Picture and Television Engineers, Inc.

Bibliographic Reference(s)

Historical Paper: The Development of CinemaScope by Twentieth Century-Fox [Active]
Todd-AO: A History [Active]
Modulated Air Blast for Reducing Film Buckle [Active]
Air Cooling of Motion Picture Film for Higher Screen Illumination [Active]
Effect of Gate and Shutter Characteristics on Screen Image Quality [Active]
1. The f/number is the relative aperture of the optic, e.g., for a 5-in. focal length, a 2. 50-in. glass diameter yields 2. 5/5 = f/2. 0. It also relates to the acceptance angle of the cone of light from the lamphouse, as the lamphouse also has an f/number. The smaller the f/number, the larger the “opening” or glass diameter for a given focal length. EXTERNAL
10. See Appendix for industry data. EXTERNAL
11. MacGowan Ken , Film Opening Dates from “Behind the Screen,” p. 94 , Dell Publishing : New York , 1965 . EXTERNAL
12. Crandell F. Freund K. , “New Photoelectric Brightness Spot Meter, Part II,” SMPTE J. , p. 215 . Aug. 1953 ; L. Clark, “Picture Quality of Motion Pictures as a Function of Screen Luminance,” p. 241; and R. L. Estes, “Effects of Stray Light on the Quality of Projected Pictures at Various Levels of Screen Brightness,” p. 257. EXTERNAL
13. Quigley Martin Jr. , New Screen Techniques , p. 94 , Quigley Publishing Co. : New York , 1953 . EXTERNAL
14. Goetz William , New Screen Techniques , Quigley Publishing Co. : New York , 1953 . EXTERNAL
15. Widescreen Motion Picture Systems , edited by Aden Alex , p. 202 . SMPTE : New York , 1965 . EXTERNAL
16. Sound for The Robe on opening night came from a separate sound reproducer. EXTERNAL
17. “Screen Design and Lens,” The Cinema , published by Twentieth Century-Fox, pp. 14 and 19 , 1954 . EXTERNAL
18. Five national theatrical service firms were brought in for this task. Only a Fox engineer could approve the opening (Aden). EXTERNAL
19. Huntley Stephen , “Sponable's CinemaScope,” Film History , 5 , 3 : 298 – 320 , Sept. 1993 . EXTERNAL
2. The Gauss triplet in double form was 6 elements and the Petzval 4-element was old and common. Each named for the inventor. EXTERNAL
20. Bragg Herbert E. , “The Development of CinemaScope,” Film History , Vol. 2 , No. 4 : 359 – 371 , American Museum of the Moving Image , Astoria, N.Y. , 1988 . EXTERNAL
22. Taking a 5. 00-in. lens design, one can multiply by a factor, such as 0. 5, for every diameter, thickness, etc., and result with a 2. 50-in. lens design. This can be done for various focal lengths, so that a whole range from 2. 00 in. to 5. 00-can be derived. EXTERNAL
23. Schuller Edgar , “Historical Equipment Collections , SMPTE J. , 111 : 206 , May 2002 . EXTERNAL
25. Hynes Fred was Executive V.P. of Todd-AO for many years. EXTERNAL
26. Mitchell Robert A. , Robert A. Mitchells Manual of Practical Projection , International Projectionist Publishing Co. : New York , 1956 . EXTERNAL
3. Standard Academy sound format of 0. 600 in. × 0. 825 in. (.825/.600 = 1. 375 aspect ratio on film and on screen). EXTERNAL
4. Endres R. O. , formerly with Radio City Music Hall Projection Department Radio City Music Hall opened in Dec. 1932 . EXTERNAL
5. Kollmorgen Optical Corp ., Brooklyn, NY, by 1950 at Northampton, MA, was the sole source of U.S. Navy submarine periscopes. EXTERNAL
6. Wollensak Optical, Projection Optics, and Bausch & Lomb Optical were all in Rochester, NY, in the 1950 . EXTERNAL
7. Carver E. K. Talbot R. H. Loomis H. A. , “Effect of High Intensity Arcs Upon 35mm Film Projection,” J. SMPE , XLI : 69 , July 1943 . EXTERNAL

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Glenn Berggren; The Evolution of the Cinema Lens—Part 1: The Postwar Cinema: 1945 to 1962, SMPTE Motion Imaging Journal ( Volume: 113, Issue: 12, December 2004); SMPTE, 2004. Available at https://doi.org/10.5594/J16249

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Glenn Berggren; The Evolution of the Cinema Lens—Part 1: The Postwar Cinema: 1945 to 1962, SMPTE Motion Imaging Journal ( Volume: 113, Issue: 12, December 2004); SMPTE, 2004. Available at https://doi.org/10.5594/J16249

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<span class="citation">Glenn Berggren; <cite>The Evolution of the Cinema Lens—Part 1: The Postwar Cinema: 1945 to 1962</cite>, SMPTE Motion Imaging Journal ( Volume: 113, Issue: 12, December 2004); SMPTE, 2004. Available at <a href="https://doi.org/10.5594/J16249" target="_blank" rel="noopener">https://doi.org/10.5594/J16249</a></span>

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Glenn Berggren; The Evolution of the Cinema Lens—Part 1: The Postwar Cinema: 1945 to 1962, SMPTE Motion Imaging Journal ( Volume: 113, Issue: 12, December 2004); SMPTE, 2004
doi: 10.5594/J16249
url: https://doi.org/10.5594/J16249

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Glenn Berggren; <cite id="bib-10-5594-j16249">The Evolution of the Cinema Lens—Part 1: The Postwar Cinema: 1945 to 1962</cite>, SMPTE Motion Imaging Journal ( Volume: 113, Issue: 12, December 2004); SMPTE, 2004
<span class="doi">10.5594/J16249</span>
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Referenced By

The Evolution of the Cinema Lens—Part 2: The Cinema Revival: 1962–1974 [Active]