Karl Walter Lindenlaub: Vista Vision & Nikon Lenses

From American Cinematographer, This Old House by David E. Williams (August 1999)

"My main concern about using VistaVision was that we had to use Nikon lenses, which I wasn’t happy about. Unfortunately, tests were already done and the decision to use them had already been made, so there was no choice. Personally, I don’t see the point of going to the trouble of shooting in VistaVision if you’re going to use a consumer-grade Nikon lens. The lens calibration was a joke. The difference between a T2 and a T2.8 on these lenses is very unspecific when compared to what you get with motion picture lenses, which are very accurate. There is a VistaVision system that is set up for Leica lenses, and I would have preferred that; however, the resulting footage does look great. You can’t tell the difference between the original VistaVision footage and the digitized and then filmed-out reduction prints, so our effects shots can be successfully intercut with our standard footage. The effects work looks great partially because Phil Tippett not only has technical ability, but also a strong artistic sensibility."

- Karl Walter Lindenlaub, ASC, BVK

Note from RPO:
The decision to use Nikon lenses and his inability to change the circumstance (in my opinion) was most likely because Lindenlaub had taken over production from Caleb Deschanel, ASC after the first week of production.