Atlas Mercury 54mm T2.2 1.5x Anamorphic Lens Prototype – First Look

by Francesco Andreola2023.4.17

Atlas Lens Co. has unveiled a prototype version of their upcoming Mercury series 54mm T2.2 1.5x anamorphic lens at this year’s NAB. This is the first member of the second group of Mercury front anamorphic glass, consisting of three additional focal lengths: 54mm, 95mm and 138mm.

The Atlas Mercury series first debuted back in September 2022. This family of “professional, but still relatively accessible” 1.5x anamorphic lenses is designed to cover full-frame sensors and currently consists of three pieces: 36mm, 42mm and 72mm – all sharing the same fast aperture of T2.2.

If you’d like to dive deep into the design choices behind these products, make sure to watch our IBC 2022 coverage here. Now, during NAB 2023 in Las Vegas, we stopped by Atlas’ booth to discuss the future of the Mercury series with CEO and Co-Founder Dan Kanes.

Atlas Mercury 54mm T2.2 1.5x – the first of 3 new lenses

Right before the beginning of the NAB Show, the company managed to produce a few prototype copies of the upcoming 54mm T2.2 1.5x, which will be followed by a 95mm and a 138mm. This second group of lenses will complement the existing 36mm, 42mm and 72mm in a 6-lens set.

The 54mm shares many of the specifications of its 3 existing siblings, starting from full-frame and large-format sensor coverage, an ARRI PL mount as well as a relatively compact and lightweight design for a lens of its kind.

The reduction in size compared to the Atlas Orion 2x series is also due to the lower squeeze ratio of 1.5x. According to the company, this value represents a sweet spot to achieve a variety of final aspect ratios (2:1 / 2.25:1 / 2.66:1 / 2.4:1) using different sensor modes (16:9/3:2/4:3).

The Mercury series was designed to offer a warm, vintage look with a carefully-calibrated amount of optical imperfections. The lenses have a recognizable character with classic anamorphic barrel distortion, smooth bokeh transitions and golden streak flares.

Price and availability

The company opened pre-orders for the original trio of Mercury lenses (36mm/42mm/72mm) back in September 2022. According to Dan, the first pre-order batch should start shipping towards the end of Summer 2023.

Each of the 3 existing lenses is priced at $7,995, while the 3-lens costs $23,985. Pre-order deposits are $1,295 for a single lens and $3,395 for the 3-lens set. There’s currently no pricing and availability info for the second group of lenses (54mm/95mm/138mm).

For more information on the Atlas Mercury series, please visit the company’s website here.

How do you like the look of the Atlas Mercury series? What do you think of the upcoming focal lengths? Let us know your thoughts in the comment section below!