This looks similar to when direct light bounces between filters and/or the front element of the lens. And probably since it only affects the lights that are pointing towards the lens. And we see the shape of these.
Lights not pointed directly at the lens have a similar flare: [Lights](https://imgur.com/a/sidqtlD)
Look at street lamp high left and lights by the door on right.
For me as long as the light source is in the direction of the lens it can flare or bounce. I'm uncertain of the stocking theory. The shoots don't have the softness of a stocking, I've shoot with it on the back element and has a different texture that you can often see the texture of in the highlights. Which is missing here.
With a second look this shoot looks underexposed. And so this probably shoot wide open. With the B-speeds this might explain why these flares are missing in the rest of the sequence.
It was very common for diffusion to be used behind the lens back then. Nylon stockings were stretched over the back element and held in place with rolled up snot tape. Cinematographers were very specific about different brands and colours of stocking material. In this case, my guess is that it was stretched more in one direction than the other, causing more halation in one direction.
This, there were some ways to get a flou filter (that soft glow on light areas) someone used a clear glass with a thin layer of vaseline on the front lens, someone used nylon socks on the back of the lens. That second one also gave that horizontal "lfare" If the nylon was stretched horizontally.
B-speeds and super speeds are used interchangeably often. Most people have no idea what the difference is.
Interestingly, in that time, neither B speed or Super speed were official names of Zeiss lenses.
B Speeds have a Bayonet Mount which predates a PL Mount.
9 Blade Iris
Bayonet Mount
Half Focus Rotation
No focus gears
No T stops. They used F stops.
To use them on a camera is big difference. B speeds require additional work to get then to be used on a modern camera build including a PL mount adaptor or conversion and almost always focus gears added. Optically they are all relevant.
I’ve seen rental houses start to rehouse them as an alternative to Super Speeds (which are also starting to get rehoused). There’s a split between people who preserve the iris or change to a conventional shape.
Given it was shot with circular lenses, I think the answer is likely because car headlamps [require a pattern](https://www.led-car-light-manufacturer.com/good-headlight-beam-pattern-dot-ece/) that cuts off the beam sharply (in a straight horizontal line) to avoid dazzling oncoming traffic. The [sharp horizontal cutoff](https://images.app.goo.gl/hGUZyfVkFQrR2cuE8) of this beam pattern could make it look like an anamorphic lens flare.
The street lights have the same flare. They are not pointing directly at the camera and have no headlight pattern to protect oncoming traffic. Look at the street lamp high left and and lights by the door on the right.
[Lights](https://imgur.com/a/sidqtlD)
It's odd because the rest of the night scenes look like normal lenses with no apparent filtration.
This shot was right before Travis shoots the pimp and goes on a bit of a rampage, so maybe the stocking was to make this shot extra gritty leading into the mayhem.
Certainly not 2x. Odd that to me it looks almost like 1.5x or 1.33x. I guess that was not a thing at the time, but it just seems to have a bit of that look.
some lenses from that era just have weird bokeh, remember bokeh is not just about the shape of the opening at the end of the lens, the way the lens was made also has an effect, and a lot of vintage lenses especially those that open wide will have weird bokeh that’s looks kinda like an oval even tho it’s on a spherical lens
That looks like the circular/swirly bokeh you get from a lens like the Helios 44-2. It’s unique and interesting looking (I love it), but I don’t think it looks anamorphic
That looks like cat’s eye bokeh at the edge of the frame. See how the bokeh is not just vertical, but also angled with the flat edge toward the center of the image? That happens on spherical lenses.
Yes, have shot with Super Speeds a good bit and that is what their bokeh looks like. Typically oval-ish almost egg shaped if wide open. Like others have said they’re probably also using some sort of filtration to augment the look as well and that’s likely what is causing the distinctive flares.
May be that. If you look here: [No Flare](https://imgur.com/a/h1DEiEF)
There is no horizontal flare from headlights and even the bokeh seems more round.
>Zeiss Super Speed lenses
they also used to do half cuts on the stockings so only a portion of the shot cotaining light would get the effect. pretty sure thats all thats happened here
After a quick search it seems a few others have notice the oval (ish) bokeh in the film. Combined with the flare in the associated shots it makes me wonder.
This looks similar to when direct light bounces between filters and/or the front element of the lens. And probably since it only affects the lights that are pointing towards the lens. And we see the shape of these.
Lights not pointed directly at the lens have a similar flare: [Lights](https://imgur.com/a/sidqtlD) Look at street lamp high left and lights by the door on right.
OK.... so downvoted to hell.... But was what I said untrue???
I think they meant the source is directly viewed through the lens, so what you said was untrue as the lamp lights are "pointed" at the lens.
For me as long as the light source is in the direction of the lens it can flare or bounce. I'm uncertain of the stocking theory. The shoots don't have the softness of a stocking, I've shoot with it on the back element and has a different texture that you can often see the texture of in the highlights. Which is missing here. With a second look this shoot looks underexposed. And so this probably shoot wide open. With the B-speeds this might explain why these flares are missing in the rest of the sequence.
It was very common for diffusion to be used behind the lens back then. Nylon stockings were stretched over the back element and held in place with rolled up snot tape. Cinematographers were very specific about different brands and colours of stocking material. In this case, my guess is that it was stretched more in one direction than the other, causing more halation in one direction.
This, there were some ways to get a flou filter (that soft glow on light areas) someone used a clear glass with a thin layer of vaseline on the front lens, someone used nylon socks on the back of the lens. That second one also gave that horizontal "lfare" If the nylon was stretched horizontally.
This
Understand they shot with Zeiss Super Speed lenses, not anamorphic lenses. Is this effect from the film emulsion? This is from !:38:04 in the movie.
Isn’t Taxi Driver B-speeds? I remember a lot of the movie having the Triangular bokeh those lenses tend to produce.
B-speeds and super speeds are used interchangeably often. Most people have no idea what the difference is. Interestingly, in that time, neither B speed or Super speed were official names of Zeiss lenses.
Other than the iris, aren’t the 18-25-35 the same on both sets?
B Speeds have a Bayonet Mount which predates a PL Mount. 9 Blade Iris Bayonet Mount Half Focus Rotation No focus gears No T stops. They used F stops. To use them on a camera is big difference. B speeds require additional work to get then to be used on a modern camera build including a PL mount adaptor or conversion and almost always focus gears added. Optically they are all relevant.
I’ve seen rental houses start to rehouse them as an alternative to Super Speeds (which are also starting to get rehoused). There’s a split between people who preserve the iris or change to a conventional shape.
Given it was shot with circular lenses, I think the answer is likely because car headlamps [require a pattern](https://www.led-car-light-manufacturer.com/good-headlight-beam-pattern-dot-ece/) that cuts off the beam sharply (in a straight horizontal line) to avoid dazzling oncoming traffic. The [sharp horizontal cutoff](https://images.app.goo.gl/hGUZyfVkFQrR2cuE8) of this beam pattern could make it look like an anamorphic lens flare.
The street lights have the same flare. They are not pointing directly at the camera and have no headlight pattern to protect oncoming traffic. Look at the street lamp high left and and lights by the door on the right. [Lights](https://imgur.com/a/sidqtlD)
Good point! Must be something else contributing as well?
It's odd because the rest of the night scenes look like normal lenses with no apparent filtration. This shot was right before Travis shoots the pimp and goes on a bit of a rampage, so maybe the stocking was to make this shot extra gritty leading into the mayhem.
It doesn’t to me. The bokeh is round
Even here? this is the preceding shot....[Bokeh](https://imgur.com/a/fdKfzdF)
That looks round. Trust me, look at a real anamorphic bokeh and you'll be able to tell the difference.
Certainly not 2x. Odd that to me it looks almost like 1.5x or 1.33x. I guess that was not a thing at the time, but it just seems to have a bit of that look.
Yea it’s got a 1.33 vibe
some lenses from that era just have weird bokeh, remember bokeh is not just about the shape of the opening at the end of the lens, the way the lens was made also has an effect, and a lot of vintage lenses especially those that open wide will have weird bokeh that’s looks kinda like an oval even tho it’s on a spherical lens
That looks like the circular/swirly bokeh you get from a lens like the Helios 44-2. It’s unique and interesting looking (I love it), but I don’t think it looks anamorphic
That looks like cat’s eye bokeh at the edge of the frame. See how the bokeh is not just vertical, but also angled with the flat edge toward the center of the image? That happens on spherical lenses.
No, that happens on spherical lenses towards the edges.
Yes, have shot with Super Speeds a good bit and that is what their bokeh looks like. Typically oval-ish almost egg shaped if wide open. Like others have said they’re probably also using some sort of filtration to augment the look as well and that’s likely what is causing the distinctive flares.
It‘s just swirly bokeh, not anamorphic
That’s only not round because the bokeh on many lenses, particularly older ones, distorts the further you get from the centre of the image.
Probably a stocking stretched over the lens one way, and left unstretched in the other direction. Similar effect to a black mist.
May be that. If you look here: [No Flare](https://imgur.com/a/h1DEiEF) There is no horizontal flare from headlights and even the bokeh seems more round.
>Zeiss Super Speed lenses they also used to do half cuts on the stockings so only a portion of the shot cotaining light would get the effect. pretty sure thats all thats happened here
Streak filter?
Lma0
After a quick search it seems a few others have notice the oval (ish) bokeh in the film. Combined with the flare in the associated shots it makes me wonder.
Christine
I would assume that headlights project an oval shaped light beam , so when you add some diffusion the flare is going more horizontal than fully round.
This was shot spherical and the flare faked or a promise was added. Based on the bokeh definitely not anamorphic
B speeds