A lens that squeezes the image horizontally so that a wide scene fits on a narrower film frame or sensor. Later, the image is stretched back to normal during projection or editing. This gives a very wide picture, for example in the 2.39:1 widescreen format. Anamorphic lenses became common in cinema after CinemaScope was introduced in 1953.
They are still used in filmmaking today, also with digital cameras. Filmmakers like their look, which includes oval bokeh and horizontal lens flares.
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