The American Society of Cinematographers (ASC) has unveiled the ASC Todd-AO Lenses. Originally built in the early 1950s, the legendary Todd-AO 65mm Primes helped create such classics as Oklahoma!, Around the World in 80 Days, The Sound of Music, South Pacific, Cleopatra, The Alamo, Hello, Dolly!, and Patton. After decades in disrepair, they were eventually donated to the American Society of Cinematographers and forgotten in the ASC Clubhouse basement, until now.
Todd-AO lenses were originally part of a groundbreaking cinematic system developed in the early 1950s to revolutionize widescreen filmmaking. Created by producer Mike Todd in collaboration with the American Optical Company, the Todd-AO system was designed to compete with Cinerama by offering a high-resolution, single-camera alternative that could deliver immersive visuals without the complexity of multiple synchronized projectors.
“The restoration and refurbishing of these lenses, which was spearheaded by our own Shelly Johnson, reflects the ASC’s commitment to preserving the tools that shaped our visual language.
By restoring the Todd-AO lenses, we’re doing more than simply honoring cinematic history — we’re empowering filmmakers to explore new creative frontiers with the soul of classic optics.”
ASC President Mandy Walker
The Todd-AO lenses, refurbished by the ASC and Zero Optik, are a collection of nine prime lenses designed for large-format cinematography.
Spanning focal lengths from 18mm to 135mm, each lens offers unique T-stop and close focus characteristics, with standout specs like the ultra-wide 18mm T5.3 (CF: 1’1″) and the versatile 60mm T2.1 (CF: 1’7″). Uniform focus and iris gear placement across the set ensures seamless lens swaps, while all but the 18mm share a 95mm front diameter (the 18mm features a 114mm front).
The ASC Todd-AO 65mm Primes are an excellent pairing with any large-format camera platform, covering sensors up to 65mm in size. The new, contemporary housings are custom-built to support PV, PL, and LPL mounts, and are easily interchangeable to allow flexibility in any production workflow.
The housings features a unique distressed metal finish, designed to patina over time. This one-of-a-kind housing will only get better with age – just like the optics within each lens.
“Whenever I get my hands on vintage glass, I’m always kind of surprised. These lenses revealed themselves to be quite beautiful and subtle. They fell off in such a natural way, and I especially appreciated how they rendered skin tone. We worked to create an element of resolution and sharpness without ever feeling ‘sharp,’ and were able to draw out more of a three-dimensional feel.”
Greig Fraser, ASC, ACS
The ASC Todd-AO lenses will be available on consignment through a rotating selection of premier rental houses. The set is immediately accessible via rental from Keslow Camera.
For more information or to schedule a demo, please contact Keslow Camera at 310-636-4600 or visit keslowcamera.com.
