This ‘miracle’ lens adapter brought the big screen to the home screen, but history had forgotten it – until now

Summary

The Delrama Anamorphic Lens Adapter, developed by De Oude Delft in the 1950s, aimed to bring cinema's wide-angle view to amateur 8mm and 16mm home movies. It used reflective prisms to achieve a 1.5x image squeeze, allowing wider fields of view with less film. Despite its innovation and zero distortion, the adapter was prone to mold and ultimately confined to history. A YouTuber recently unearthed one and tested its capabilities, bringing this forgotten piece of photographic history back into public view.

Key points

• The Delrama Anamorphic Lens Adapter was created in the 1950s for 8mm and 16mm home cameras.
• It used reflective prisms to achieve a 1.5x image squeeze, expanding the field of view.
• A YouTuber rediscovered a Delrama adapter, highlighting its historical significance and performance.
• The technology was based on an earlier, larger adapter developed for Technicolor's 35mm Technirama process.