Beloved Vintage Zuiko Lens Flare Recreated for Modern Video Editors

1 week ago 20

Aerial view of a large, rectangular, brick apartment building with birds flying overhead. In the background, a hilly landscape with scattered trees and a smokestack is visible under a clear sky.

Director of Photography Ed Andrews has carefully developed an impressive set of overlay flare effects that capture the trademark charm of vintage Olympus Zuiko lenses.

Matching Footage Shot With Vintage Lenses Can Be Challenging

Andrews’ Zuiko Flares effects asset pack targets a specific, although not uncommon, use case.

“I’m a DoP but also edit a lot. I always love shooting with my set of Zuiko lenses primarily for the flares but when you’ve got to cut in drone shots, fixed lens cameras, camera phones, etc. there can be an obvious mismatch,” Andrews tells PetaPixel. “This flare pack can help give that extra classic character to those more modern and clinical shots and smooth over the cracks in post! They also work as transitions too.”

At its core, the Zuiko Flares effects pack solves the issue of matching the look of footage shot with Zuiko lenses, which offer a characteristic flare that many filmmakers love, with video clips shot using other equipment.

Why People Love Zuiko Lenses

The classic Olympus OM Zuiko lenses — the 35mm format ones — remain popular for modern photographers and filmmakers because they are small and lightweight, easily adapted to modern camera systems, and full of character.

A dark, abstract image with a gradient suggesting a crescent-shaped orange glow at the bottom. Above it, several soft, circular, reddish light spots gradually fade into the dark background.

Abstract image featuring a large, blurred crescent shape in warm orange tones against a dark background, with a faint circular silhouette to the left. The overall effect is soft and mysterious.

Abstract image featuring overlapping, soft-edged shapes in beige and brown tones. Light gradients create a sense of depth and motion, while subtle rainbow hues add a hint of iridescence.

A dark, abstract image with a bright light source in the top left corner creating lens flares, and subtle hues of red and orange fading into black. The overall effect is mysterious and ethereal.

They aren’t as sharp or high-contrast as modern lenses, like OM System’s (Olympus) Micro Four Thirds lenses that are very popular with aerial filmmakers today, but old Zuiko lenses are charming. Cinema lens designers today continue to spend considerable time and money to chase the look and feel of old lenses like the Zuiko primes Andrews uses.

Andrews notes that the Zuiko lenses deliver “wonderful warm arcs,” and the entire Zuiko series of lenses features pleasing bloom across the frame, mainly when shot wide open.

“Stop them down and they are a lot more subtle. I shoot a lot of drone stuff, and those shots tend to have minimal flare — very clinical — so these overlaps help add that extra classic character to them.”

Aerial view of a narrow path cutting through dense autumnal forest, with trees displaying orange and green foliage. A person is seen walking along the path, surrounded by the vibrant colors of fall.

Aerial view of a wooded area in autumn, with trees displaying orange and brown foliage. A narrow path runs through the center, surrounded by dense forest on either side. A small figure walks along the path. Sunlight casts a warm glow over the scene.

Creating the Zuiko Flares

Creating these Zuiko flare effects was a labor of love. Andrews shot each lens in a homemade studio.

“I shot using an Alexa Mini LF open gate as these are full frame lenses I was capturing. I made a studio in my living room! I had a dedo tungsten Fresnel, lots of black cloth to shoot against black. The dedo was on the side of the camera about a meter away and I pointed it at the lens at varying angles (frame side, corner, and top) and intervals: one, three, and five seconds,” Andrews tells PetaPixel.

Andrews created flare overlays using his 21mm, 28mm, 40mm, 50mm, and 85mm Zuiko lenses, each shot wide open and at f/2.8. He created overlays with extra bloom using Glimmer Glass and amber color using a gel on his Fresnel light. With his different flare angles, intervals, and styles, video editors have “a huge amount of options.” He says he even threw some “wildcards” in the pack, too.

A person rollerblading alone down the center of a deserted parking lot surrounded by greenery. The lighting creates a rainbow lens flare effect across the lower part of the image.

A person rollerblades alone in an empty, sunlit parking lot surrounded by greenery. They are wearing a colorful shirt and casting a long shadow on the ground.

“They’re very easy to use. Just drop them on the timeline, select ‘screen’ opacity, and then adjust the opacity levels to taste,” Andrews recommends. “A spot of gaussian blur can help at times too if you want to soften some features out.”

As a director of photography and editor himself, he knew what people would want — they’re what he would want to use for his own edits.

“I shot [the flares] with editors in mind,” Andrews says. Since he shot them at 4.4K resolution, they’re flexible overlays that should adapt to most modern workflows.

Wide-angle view of a city skyline at sunset, with a partially cloudy sky. Sunlight creates an orange and purple gradient, illuminating the horizon. Darkened buildings and structures are visible in the foreground.

A city skyline is silhouetted against a dramatic sunset. Dark clouds blanket the sky, with a strip of orange and yellow light near the horizon, casting a warm glow over the scene.

“I’m pretty happy with the results,” he says, although he did burn himself on the Fresnel during shooting and the entire process “took way more time than I thought.” So far, he has gotten a good response from other DoPs, colorists, and editors.

“I’d say they’ve got pretty wide appeal — content creators, indie filmmakers, editors, colorists, and VFX people [can use the Zuiko Flares],” Andrews says. “I’d like to think these would come in handy for anyone shooting Zuikos who’d like to help match other cameras in the edit. But also more generally, they can add that extra character and interest to any shots. I feel they’re pretty classy.”

Although Andrews wanted the flare effects for matching footage across camera rigs, the appeal of Zuiko lenses means his flares can add vintage charm to any video project, whether it requires look matching or not.

A close-up of a small fly sitting on a green leaf. The background is blurred, highlighting the insect's detail. The fly has a shiny body and translucent wings, with soft lighting enhancing the natural setting.

A close-up of a fly resting on a sunlit leaf. The background is dark and blurred, creating a strong contrast with the illuminated leaves.

An Accessible Price Point for Over 180 Assets

He also aimed to keep them accessible to a wide audience. Despite spending a lot of time making these flares — and even getting burned in the process — the Zuiko Flare pack is just £25, or about $31.

Image credits: Ed Andrews / Zuiko Flare

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