Panavision is an American
motion picture equipment
company specializing in
cameras and
lenses, based in
Woodland Hills, California. Formed by
Robert Gottschalk as a small partnership to create
anamorphic projection lenses during the
widescreen boom in the 1950s, Panavision expanded its product lines to meet the demands of modern filmmakers. The company introduced its first products in 1954. Originally a provider of
CinemaScope accessories, the company's line of anamorphic widescreen lenses soon became the industry leader. In 1972, Panavision helped revolutionize filmmaking with the lightweight
Panaflex 35 mm movie camera. The company has introduced other groundbreaking cameras such as the Millennium XL (1999) and the digital video
Genesis (2004).