The Frazier lens is a special
camera lens designed by Australian photographer
Jim Frazier. The Frazier lens provides an appearance of a massive
depth of field, allowing the foreground and background of an image to be in
focus
Focus, or its plural form foci may refer to:
Arts
* Focus or Focus Festival, former name of the Adelaide Fringe arts festival in South Australia Film
*''Focus'', a 1962 TV film starring James Whitmore
* ''Focus'' (2001 film), a 2001 film based ...
. Frazier's lenses have been widely used in Hollywood and wildlife cinematography. In addition to its unique depth of field properties, the Frazier lens is significantly smaller than previous deep focus lenses allowing more versatility and flexibility to cinematographers. The main feature of the lens, an extended tube with a rotating
prism
Prism usually refers to:
* Prism (optics), a transparent optical component with flat surfaces that refract light
* Prism (geometry), a kind of polyhedron
Prism may also refer to:
Science and mathematics
* Prism (geology), a type of sedimentary ...
, allows cinematographers to place the camera in a variety of positions for a given shot. Cinematographers then rotate the prism to correct the horizon. This feature allows directors and cameramen to achieve shots in minutes that previously took cinematographers hours in rigging and designing special sets to accommodate shooting positions.
Patent claims
A United States patent was issued on 10 March 1998 for the lens and the
Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences
The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS, often pronounced ; also known as simply the Academy or the Motion Picture Academy) is a professional honorary organization with the stated goal of advancing the arts and sciences of motio ...
awarded a Technical Achievement Award to Frazier for his lenses. The patent was licensed to Panavision for production and marketing of the lens. In 2003, Panavision and Frazier brought suit against Roessel Cine Photo Tech, Inc. for violating the patent.
At the trial, it was discovered that the 60-minute Panavision educational video that the Frazier lawyers had submitted ("in the interests of demonstrating to the Examiner the features and uniqueness of the optical system of this patent application") had eight seconds of a shot that had been created with a different lens. Although Frazier reshot the footage in question with the Frazier Panavision lens the patent was declared unenforceable for inequitable conduct and attorney's fees were awarded to the defendants.
References
External links
Frazier Lens US Patent 5,727,236 PDF at Google PatentsOfficial page with pictures
at panavision.com
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Photographic lenses
Australian inventions