ASC restores ASC Todd-AO lenses from the 1950s

Originally crafted for the revolutionary Todd-AO widescreen format of the 1950s, the ASC Todd-AO lenses will now be available on consignment through a rotating selection of premier rental houses.

The American Society of Cinematographers (ASC) revealed that it has unveiled a rare cinematic treasure: the ASC Todd-AO lenses. The newly refurbished set of vintage primes was rediscovered in the Society’s historic Hollywood clubhouse. 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 lenses have now been reimagined for today’s large-format workflows — bridging decades of innovation and artistry in a single, meticulously engineered collection.

“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.”

The ASC Todd-AO lenses, refurbished by the organization and Zero Optik, are an engineered 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).

ASC adds that 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.

“Whenever I get my hands on vintage glass, I’m always kind of surprised,” noted 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 lenses will be available on consignment through a rotating selection of premier rental houses. The set is immediately accessible via rental from Keslow Camera.