I once read an interview with someone who had worked with Kubrick. He was talking about how deep Kubrick's knowledge of his tools went.
It went something like this- Stanley knew everything there was to know about the lenses he used. But he didn't just know the lenses, he knew the man who designed the lenses. And he didn't just know the man who designed the lenses, he knew how that man's daughter was doing in school.
He learned his tools thoroughly, often from the people who built them. And he knew the people, which is just as interesting in its own right.
Here is an article, where a lens maker recalls his experience designing special lenses for the film Barry Lydon. Kubrick wanted to shoot inside castles in only candle light...
No mention of knowing the lens makers daughter though...
Or Kubrick was a past master at getting the upper hand in his directorial decisions
Stanley, we really should shoot the Obelisk with this Panaflex
No, use that one, it was ground out last year by hendrickson in June, when his daughter was doing well in her exams and he always does a better job when his daughter is happy
(holy fuck how do I argue with that)
Lenses are a different class of camera component. The camera itself is just a dark box to advance film, the lens is everything in terms of image quality. The only other component on the same level of importance is the film stock itself.
It went something like this- Stanley knew everything there was to know about the lenses he used. But he didn't just know the lenses, he knew the man who designed the lenses. And he didn't just know the man who designed the lenses, he knew how that man's daughter was doing in school.
He learned his tools thoroughly, often from the people who built them. And he knew the people, which is just as interesting in its own right.