Guillermo Navarro Using Angénieux Optimo Lenses on Pacific Rim

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Mon, 08/13/2012 - 20:00 -- Nick Dager

“The [Angénieux] Optimos are my first choice in approaching the story I’m telling because they are such a loyal translator of my vision ” said Guillermo Navarro. “For me they are literally the most important pieces of equipment along with the camera.  What I see with my eyes is perfectly translated by the lens and because of its truthfulness either the film gets printed with that or if it’s digital the media registers very very accurately what I’m intending to do.” Along with Breaking Dawn the cinematographer is also using the Optimo zoom lenses on his most recent project Pacific Rim.   “Pacific Rim is my first digital movie and since the weight of the camera is so light I can use the 15-40 zoom on the Steadicam which I am using every day ” he said. “The door has really been opened for me to use the close focusing 15-40 as well as the 28-76 as hand-held or Steadicam lenses.” There is no testimonial for cinematic lenses that is perhaps more telling than to have the DP actually purchase and own the lens. But when that DP owns two or even three sets of a particular brand of lenses the numbers start to have a voice and the endorsement becomes even stronger. As Navarro puts it “I not only use them – I own them. I have a set of Optimos with me on every project. I don’t leave home without them.” Navarro renowned for his award-winning cinematography on Pan’s Labyrinth and more recently for the films I Am Number Four and The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn is a long-time user of Angénieux lenses. The Optimos including the 15-40mm 17-80mm 28-76mm and 24-290mm are his zoom lenses of choice and were used every day while shooting Breaking Dawn-Part 1 and Part 2.