During IBC 2022, we sat down with Forrest Schultz, President of Atlas Lens Co., to learn more about the thought-process behind their newly-announced Mercury 1.5x full-frame anamorphic series. The first three family members (36mm/42mm/72mm) are now available for pre-order. The final price for each single piece is set at $5,995. The popular Atlas Orion 2x anamorphic series owes its fortune to the peculiar position it covers in the market, filling a gap between low-budget anamorphic lenses and crazy expensive high-end glass, without compromising on image quality. If you’d like to learn more about the philosophy behind this lens series, I highly recommend taking some time to watch this interview we shot back at NAB 2022. The company’s new full-frame Mercury series seems to follow the same principles and is aimed at a similar target, which obviously includes big productions and rental houses, but also solo operators looking to own a professional anamorphic lens set. So let’s take a closer look at what this new series is all about. Image credit: CineD Atlas Mercury: 1.5x full-frame anamorphic lenses Although the existing Orion lenses can achieve full-frame coverage with the help of Atlas’ 1.4x LF Expander, the new Mercury series offers the benefit of native compatibility with full-frame sensors, with a claimed imaging area of 36.7×25.54mm. Initially, this new anamorphic family will consist of three focal lengths: 36mm T2.2, 42mm T2.2, and 72mm T2.3. Two additional 54 and 95mm lenses will join the series next year, while a sixth focal length is...
Published By: CineD - Saturday, 10 September, 2022