Atlas Mercury Anamorphic by Atlas Lens Co., Anamorphic, available for cinema lens hire at The Front in Sydney
Modern Anamorphic

Atlas Lens Co.

Atlas Mercury Anamorphic

6 anamorphic primes 36 – 138mm T2.2 – T2.6 PL

We run this family as standard 3 and 6-lens kits. Bespoke focal mixes are built on request.

A 1.5× squeeze anamorphic delivering the “vintage anamorphic look” with modern consistency.

The sweet spot between 1.3× and 2× aesthetics: classic oval bokeh and notable barrel distortion without extremes. Warm golden flares (tuned for a subtle warmth rather than the cooler blue of Atlas’s Orion series) and a “buttery vintage” image quality. Virtually no chromatic aberration, engineered for high optical performance despite the character. Roughly half the size and weight of typical anamorphic primes.

Character profile

How this lens renders.

1.5× squeeze. Light. Clean anamorphic.

Five axes plotting how this set behaves wide-open vs a neutral modern reference. Larger area = more pronounced trait.

Focal lengths

6 focal lengths in this set

  • 36mm T2.2
  • 42mm T2.2
  • 54mm T2.2
  • 72mm T2.2
  • 95mm T2.2
  • 138mm T2.6
FocalT-StopClose focusWeightFront Ø
36mmT2.218"~1.2kg95mm
42mmT2.224"~1.1kg95mm
54mmT2.230"~1.3kg95mm
72mmT2.23'0"~1.6kg95mm
95mmT2.23'0"~2.0kg95mm
138mmT2.63'11"*~2.1kg95mm

Talking points

Why DPs pick this set

  1. 1.5× squeeze is the sweet spot.

    Enough anamorphic character without the extremes of 2×

  2. Near-zero chromatic aberration.

    A major engineering achievement for anamorphic glass

  3. Half the size and weight of typical anamorphic primes.

    Viable for Steadicam and handheld

  4. Warm golden flares and “buttery vintage” rendering distinguish them from the Atlas Orion series

Technical

Full specifications

Mount
PL
Squeeze
1.5×: front anamorphic
Coverage
Full Frame (36×24mm sensors: covers Alexa LF, Sony Venice 2)
Front Diameter
95mm: standard filter/matte box size

Some figures here are marked *. Our sources disagree on those, so we're checking them against the lenses themselves. Ask us and we'll measure it for you.

Heritage

  1. Origin

    Made by Atlas Lens Co. (USA) and announced in 2022: designed “by cinematographers for cinematographers” after Atlas gathered feedback from Orion (2×) users on what they wanted in a less-extreme companion. The Mercury line is built around modern low-dispersion glass with intentional vintage-like aberrations.

  2. Filmography

    Adopted across commercial, narrative, and music-video work since launch, DPs drawn to the 1.5× squeeze as the sweet spot between 1.3× and full 2× anamorphic aesthetics.

  3. Build

    First three lenses (36, 42, 72mm) shipped in 2023, with 54, 95, and 138mm following in 2024. Warm golden flares tuned for a subtle warmth (rather than the cooler blue of Atlas’s Orion series), near-zero chromatic aberration, and “buttery vintage” rendering. Roughly half the size and weight of typical anamorphic primes: viable for Steadicam and handheld.

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