# D-Cinema and ISCO



## Mark Techer (Jan 17, 2008)

Sorry I don't have any images at this time, but I thought I would just share this anyway - Yesterday, I got see the almightly ISCO lens. This lens is not the ISCO III, but is the same size. Where it differs is the fact that it is 1.25x, not 1.33x as the ISCO III is. The reason it is 1.25x is becuase this lens is designed to work with the BARCO 3 Chip DLP D-Cinema projector which is 2064 x 1080 (1.91:1), not the traditonal 1920 x 1080 (1.78:1). 

However, when used wih a 1.25:1 lens, the image becomes 2.37:1...

The lens was huge, at 6" or 150mm diameter, and heavy at about 22 pounds or 10KG. 

I am hoping to be involved in the installation of this beast, as it currently sits in its shipping carton.

Very cool...

Mark


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## Prof. (Oct 20, 2006)

Man..that's one heavy lens!!..I wouldn't want to be lifting it up and down, as many times as I do with the Aussiemorphic lens..:whew:

Mark..Do you know how many elements that ISCO lens has?


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## Mike P. (Apr 6, 2007)

I'm also curious what the lens cost. I can't seem to find it on their website.


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## Mark Techer (Jan 17, 2008)

That lens is probably the same as the ISCO III in regards to pricing where the ISCO III can be had for about $6K USD. I believe they both have 4 elements and one very precise alignment system - the alloy case...

Mark


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## Prof. (Oct 20, 2006)

Mark Techer said:


> The lens was huge, at 6" or 150mm diameter, and heavy at about 22 pounds or 10KG.


That's very interesting...I actually have a 6" diam. 3 element lens..
Obviously not an Anamorphic lens, but I also have a Multi Element Lens Design Calculator..that gives the focal lengths of the individual optical elements and spacings needed between each element.
If I knew what types of elements ISCO use, and providing my supplier of optical elements has them..I could probably put something together!..

The lens that I have, is designed to taken apart to either change the elements and or spacings, or add additional elements..
It would be an interesting exercise..:bigsmile:


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## Mark Techer (Jan 17, 2008)

Plano concave and plano convex elements with 6 and 4 diopter (not 100% sure of the term) should produce an anamorphic lens with 1.33x expansion...

Mark


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## Prof. (Oct 20, 2006)

Mark Techer said:


> Plano concave and plano convex elements with 6 and 4 diopter


I was afraid that might be the case...
I have the plano concave and the plano convex elements, but you can't get Diopters off the shelf in that diam..They have to be specially made and they will only do that for a large quantity..


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## Mark Techer (Jan 17, 2008)

Sad but true. If you could buy those elements off the shelf, DIY Anamorphic Lenses would not use prisms...

Mark:daydream:


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## Mark Techer (Jan 17, 2008)

Anyway, I finally got some images for you. Sorry that they are a bit out of focus, but all I had on me at the time was my camera phone...
http://cavx.blogspot.com/2008/07/isco-dlp-cinema-lens.html

Mark


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## Prof. (Oct 20, 2006)

A very nice lens from the looks of it..but obviously very expensive as well..

Mark, I see on your Blog that you're not producing the Mk.111 lens.!!?
What's happened to change your mind?..:scratch:


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## Mark Techer (Jan 17, 2008)

Prof. said:


> A very nice lens from the looks of it..but obviously very expensive as well..
> 
> Mark, I see on your Blog that you're not producing the Mk.111 lens.!!?
> What's happened to change your mind?..:scratch:


Yes the ISCO is an awesome lens. I am lucky to have seen and held it :yay:

Attn Mods: The following is NOT intended as a commercial post.

Prof, 

There just simply has not been enough interest to warrant spending the money needed to fund this project. Whilst I have the cash, I see no point in outlaying that amount of money unless I can get a return. I was going to produce the first batch at no profit, but in order to do so still required 100 orders at $600ea. To date, I have just 21 expressions of interest. 

Fear not though - I have something very special coming soon (small order amounts only) but I will not disclose anything more about it at this time...

Mark


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## Prof. (Oct 20, 2006)

Sorry to hear that there hasn't been much interest in the Mk.111...I guess money is tight for everyone these days..

The new development sounds very interesting..:T
Looking forward to hearing more about it..


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## Mark Techer (Jan 17, 2008)

Mark Techer said:


> Plano concave and plano convex elements with 6 and 4 diopter (not 100% sure of the term) should produce an anamorphic lens with 1.33x expansion...
> 
> Mark


Correction, it is actually 6 and 4.5 because 6 / 4.5 = 1.3333333 where 6 /4 is 1.5 which is too much for HT unless you have a HTPC for additional scaling. This has been done by the way by a guy in the US who has an ISCO D Cinema lens with a 1.5x magnification. Basically, he only uses the full panel for 2.66:1 presentation, which is rare, and I really don't see the point in doing, but he does...

Mark


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## Vern Dias (Oct 31, 2008)

Yes, I do. :yay:

2 more recent points: How the West Was Won (2.85:1) and Sleeping Beauty (2.55:1).

Vern


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## Mark Techer (Jan 17, 2008)

Welcome Vern  Great to have someone with your expertise make comment. 

I guess for me, I am only really interested in modern cinema (which I would class as being from the introduction of Dolby Stereo) so therefore only really having to deal with two major ARs for film - Scope and Flat. Video will always have it limitations, but it seems to work out ok for everything I watch...

Mark


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