In an interesting story of preservation and, perhaps, chance luck, a set of ASC Todd-AO prime lenses from the 1950s has been found, restored, and made available to the general filmmaking public once again.
Announced to be available for rent exclusively at Keslow Camera, these ASC Todd-AO 65mm Primes helped to shoot Hollywood classics such as Oklahoma!, Around the World in 80 Days, The Sound of Music, South Pacific, Cleopatra, The Alamo, Hello, Dolly!, and Patton.
Let’s take a look at these iconic primes and explore how they were refurbished by the ASC and Zero Optik and brought back to life for large-format projects today.
ASC Todd-AO Prime Lenses
Todd-AO Prime Lenses
Credit: Keslow Camera
Designed originally as part of a groundbreaking cinematic system developed in the early 1950s to revolutionize widescreen filmmaking, these Todd-AO primes were created by producer Mike Todd in collaboration with the American Optical Company.
The Todd-AO system was designed to compete with Cinerama by offering filmmakers of the era a high-resolution, single-camera alternative that could deliver immersive visuals without the complexity of multiple synchronized projectors.
Refurbished by the ASC and Zero Optik, the Todd-AO lenses have been re-engineered as a collection of nine prime lenses designed for large-format cinematography. This newly refurbished set spans focal lengths from 18mm to 135mm and each 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).
Available to Rent at Keslow Camera
Todd-AO Prime lens on a modern large format camera
Credit: Keslow Camera
Now available to rent exclusively at Keslow Camera, the ASC Todd-AO 65mm Primes are being billed as an excellent pairing option for any large-format camera platform, covering sensors up to 65mm in size.
“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 new, contemporary housings are now custom-built to support PV, PL, and LPL mounts and are easily interchangeable to help with any modern production workflows. The housing also now features a unique distressed metal finish, designed to patina over time and is full of modern mechanics.
You can find out more info about these ASC Todd-AO 65mm Primes on Keslow Camera’s site here.
