(EXCLUSIVE) KESLOW CAMERA ANNOUNCES AVAILABILITY OF THE ASC TODD-AO 65MM PRIMES
KESLOW CAMERA WILL BE THE EXCLUSIVE HOME OF THE ASC TODD-AO 65MM PRIMES FOR A PERIOD OF 12 MONTHS.
LOS ANGELES, CA – Keslow Camera, the largest privately-held cinema rental house in North America, is honored to announce the exclusive availability of the fabled ASC Todd-AO 65mm Prime lenses. After decades out of commission, this singular, historically significant set of cinema lenses has been meticulously restored and rehoused, and is now ready for a new generation of filmmakers.
The newly refurbished set of vintage primes was rediscovered in the Society’s historic Hollywood clubhouse. Originally crafted for the revolutionary Todd-AO widescreen format of the 1950s, these lenses have been reimagined for today’s large-format workflows—bridging decades of innovation and artistry in a single, meticulously engineered collection.
Since January 2024, Keslow Camera has worked closely behind the scenes with the president of the ASC, along with Alex Nelson at ZERO OPTIK, to resurrect these iconic lenses. To finalize the tuning of the set, Alex traveled to London to collaborate directly with esteemed DP, Greig Fraser, ASC, ACS. With their historical provenance, and with only one complete rehoused set in existence, the ASC Todd-AO 65mm Primes may very well be among the rarest cinema lenses on earth.
“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,” said ASC President Mandy Walker, “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.”
“Whenever I get my hands on vintage glass, I’m always kind of surprised,” notes Greig Fraser, ASC, ACS, who tested the new set. “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.”
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 feature 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.
Beautifully rehoused with modern mechanics, these lenses are ready for your next project. Available for rent exclusively at Keslow Camera. For more information, please contact Keslow Camera Inc. at 310 636 4600.
For additional information about the ASC, visit theasc.com.
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About Keslow Camera
Founded by former camera assistant Robert Keslow in 1990, Keslow Camera has served the filmmaking community across the globe with the very best cinema cameras, lenses, and support in the industry for over three decades. Keslow Camera has helped our clients achieve their vision in Emmy®-award winning network television shows, Academy Award®-winning feature films, nationally broadcast television commercials, and award winning music videos. Our inventory features cameras from top vendors such as SONY, RED Digital Cinema, ARRI, Panasonic, and more. Our extensive collection of new and vintage lenses features offerings from top optical providers such as Angenieux, Leitz, Cooke, and Ancient Optics. As the largest privately-held cinema camera rental house in North America, with locations in Los Angeles, Vancouver, Calgary, Salt Lake City, Albuquerque, Fort Worth, New Orleans, Chicago, Atlanta, Sudbury, Toronto, and Halifax, Keslow Camera is ready to support your craft, no matter where in the world you might find yourself.