ep119 - High-End Anamorphics From Filmmakers: Inside Glaswerk's Lenses – CineD Focus Check

In this special episode of Focus Check, Johnnie sits down with our guests David Kellermann and Viola Evang, the co-founders of Glaswerk Optics – a German lens manufacturer developing high-end 2x anamorphic cinema lenses. Tune in to this candid conversation about their seven-year journey: from a client arriving with a box of old projection lenses, to engineering some of the most meticulously designed anamorphic glass currently in development. The Glaswerk ONE and ONE+ prime sets are on the verge of shipping, and the story behind them is anything but straightforward.

(00:00) Introduction

(00:45) Meet David and Viola – filmmakers turned lens makers

(05:30) The moment a client's box of projection lenses changed everything

(09:37) Going full frame and funding the project

(13:08) The decision to go high-end: no compromises

(16:36) First prototype at Cine Gear LA 2019 – the last-screw story

(20:19) The development team: optical designers, mechanics, electronics

(24:48) The ONE and ONE+: lens design, weight, and bokeh

(29:24) Flares, coatings, and customisation

(34:00) Why so long? Perfectionism, COVID, and metadata

(35:52) Clients, pricing, and who buys these lenses

(37:12) DCS metadata: why Glaswerk chose a different standard

(44:31) Simulating lenses in 3D: Lens Sim plugin and Hübner Photonics

(43:01) Final thoughts on the ONE / ONE+ before launch

(44:31) Shipping a cinema lens in 2026: the market has changed

(49:17) Could Glaswerk make lower-end lenses one day?

(52:37) Wrap-up

➡ Visit Glaswerk's website: https://glaswerk-optics.de/

📬 Email us: [email protected]