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: podcast@cined.com
