Atlas Lens Co.

What Atlas Lens Co. does

Atlas Lens Co. is a privately held American manufacturer of professional anamorphic cinema lenses, founded in 2016 by lead designer Forrest Schultz and cinematographer Dan Kanes in Glendale, California. The company designs and produces in-house four product lines built on proprietary front-anamorphic optical architectures: the Mercury Series (1.5x squeeze, 9 focal lengths 24mm-138mm, T2.2, from $7,995), the Orion Series (2x squeeze, 12 focal lengths 18mm-200mm, T2, $17,995), the Orion Silver Edition limited variant with proprietary coatings ($19,995), and the announced Kaizen Series targeting large-format 65mm sensors. Supporting accessories include interchangeable PL/EF/LPL mount systems, 1.4x and 1.6x LF Extenders for ARRI LF / Sony VENICE / RED Monstro coverage, modular ATA and IP67 cases, shim packs, and Tilta-co-developed lens supports.

The business model is direct-to-consumer e-commerce and in-person sales at the Glendale showroom, supplemented by a 395+ rental-house distribution network spanning 54 countries, an in-house service-and-repair operation, and 0% APR financing through SCL Equipment Finance and Direct Source Capital. Revenue streams consist of one-time lens sales (new, refurbished at ~50% off, and certified pre-owned), accessory sales ($20-$2,499), service and repair fees, and limited branded merchandise. Primary customers are professional cinematographers, directors of photography, and independent filmmakers; secondary distribution flows through rental houses serving enterprise film productions. Notable placements include Sean Baker's Anora (2024 Palme d'Or), Babylon (2022), The Creator (2023), 28 Years Later (2025), Highest 2 Lowest (2025), and Project Hail Mary (2026). The company remains bootstrapped and founder-owned with 11-50 employees and no disclosed institutional funding.

Name

Atlas Lens Co.

Legal name

Atlas Lens Co.

Website

https://atlaslensco.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2016

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Atlas Lens Co. designs, manufactures, and sells proprietary front-anamorphic cinema lenses (Mercury, Orion, and Silver Edition series) plus accessories to professional cinematographers, rental houses in 54 countries, and independent filmmakers, with in-house service and 0% APR financing.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Cinema Camera Lenses

NAICS

Ophthalmic Goods Manufacturing (339115), Optical Goods Retailers (456130)

SIC

Optical Instruments & Lenses (3827), Photographic Equipment & Supplies (3861)

akta.pro primary industry

Lenses & Optical Accessories (Lenses, Filters, Adapters, Teleconverters) (CRACAPAF)

Keywords

• Anamorphic cinema lenses
• Professional camera lenses
• Cinematography equipment
• Lens manufacturing
• Film production optics

Headquarters

HQ city

Burbank

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

Supply Chain, Personnel, Technology or R&D, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Anamorphic Lens Sales: Direct-to-consumer sale of Orion Series ($17,995/lens), Orion Silver Edition ($19,995/lens), Mercury Series ($7,995/lens), and Kaizen Series lenses via the e-commerce storefront and in-person showroom. Pre-orders with deposits and final payment upon delivery.
2. Refurbished & Certified Pre-Owned Lens Sales: Sale of factory-certified refurbished Mercury Series lenses at approximately half the retail price (from $3,997.50). Pre-owned marketplace for used Atlas lenses with professional evaluation and one-year warranty.
3. Accessories & Cases: Sale of complementary accessories including lens cases (IP67 and ATA cases), shim packs, lens caps, lens supports, LF extenders, focus scales, and merchandise. Accessories range from $20 to $2,499.
4. Lens Service & Repair: In-house service and repair including general maintenance, tuning, EF mount calibration, and front/rear element replacement. Warranty-covered repairs and paid service options.
5. Merchandise: Branded merchandise including caps, jackets, enamel pins, and collaborative products with partners like Film Pin Society.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels9 records

Core offering

Atlas Lens Co. designs, manufactures, and sells professional anamorphic cinema lenses under the Mercury Series (1.5x squeeze, 9 focal lengths), Orion Series (2x squeeze, 12 focal lengths), and Orion Silver Edition product lines. The company also offers an announced Kaizen Series, plus accessories such as cases, shim packs, lens supports, LF extenders, lens caps, and a certified pre-owned/refurbished lens program, with in-house service and repair. Sales are made direct-to-consumer through the company's e-commerce storefront and physical showroom, supplemented by a global network of 395+ rental houses across 54 countries.

Product overview

Atlas Lens Co. is a cinema lens manufacturer offering three distinct anamorphic lens series: Mercury Series (1.5x squeeze, 24mm-138mm focal lengths, 9 lenses), Orion Series (2X anamorphic primes, 18mm-200mm focal lengths, 12 lenses), and Orion Series Silver Edition (limited edition with specialized coatings). The company also offers an announced Kaizen Series. Accessories include protective cases (modular ATA, IP67-rated), shim packs, lens supports, LF extenders (1.4x and 1.6x for large-format coverage), and lens caps. The company provides certified pre-owned and refurbished lens programs, service and repair capabilities, 0% financing options, and in-person/virtual demo programs from their Glendale, CA headquarters.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Orion Series: 2X anamorphic prime lenses combining vintage aesthetic with modern convenience, adaptability, and dependability. Features T2 aperture, 14-blade iris, PL mount with 31mm image circle (4-perf Super 35). Available in 12 focal lengths from 18mm to 200mm.
• Orion Silver Edition
• Mercury Series
• Kaizen Series

Products and services

• Orion Series Anamorphic Lenses 2X anamorphic prime lenses available in 12 focal lengths (18mm to 200mm) with T2 aperture, 14-blade iris, native PL mount with user-swappable EF and LPL mounts, and 31mm image circle (4-perf Super 35). Designed for professional cinematographers seeking vintage anamorphic aesthetics with modern mechanical reliability.
• Orion Series Silver Edition Anamorphic Lenses Limited edition variant of the Orion Series featuring precision-adjusted air space tunings and bold Silver Edition coatings that produce expressive, chromatically refined anamorphic flares unique to this variant. Available in the same 12 focal lengths (18mm to 200mm) as the standard Orion Series.
• Mercury Series Anamorphic Lenses 1.5x squeeze ratio anamorphic lenses featuring vintage sun-tinged golden flares, attractive expressionist geometric distortion, and fast T2.2 aperture through most of the range. Available in nine focal lengths (24mm to 138mm) covering sensors from S35 to full-frame and beyond.
• Refurbished Mercury Series Anamorphic Lenses Factory-certified refurbished Mercury Series lenses restored to like-new quality and offered at approximately half the retail price (from $3,997.50). Includes a one-year warranty and is available in the same nine focal lengths as the standard Mercury Series.
• Kaizen Series Anamorphic Lenses New anamorphic series featuring LPL mount, 1.5x anamorphic squeeze factor, T2.6 aperture, 65mm format capable image circle with 44x33mm sensor coverage, 4:3 sensor with 1.5x de-squeeze equals 2:1 final delivery. Available in focal lengths 35mm, 40mm, 50mm, 75mm, and 100mm, with 6.5in length, 4.2 lbs, and 104mm front diameter.
• Atlas LF Extenders Optical accessories that extend Orion Series lens coverage to larger-than-S35 formats. The 1.6x LF Extender enables coverage of ARRI LF, Sony VENICE, RED Monstro, full-frame, VistaVision, and large-format sensors with only 1.3 stops light loss, available in PL-to-PL or PL-to-LPL variants. The 1.4x LF Expander enables full-frame 36mmx24mm sensor coverage with 1 stop light loss and provides stylistic falloff compared to the 1.6x variant.
• Certified Pre-Owned Anamorphic Lenses Pre-owned Atlas Lens Co. anamorphic lenses professionally evaluated by the in-house optical team, with expert inspection, a one-year warranty, and try-before-you-buy options available at the Glendale, CA showroom or via virtual demo.
• Lens Service and Repair In-house service and repair program including general maintenance, tuning, EF mount calibration, and front/rear element replacement. Includes warranty-covered repairs and paid service options for Atlas lens owners, reachable via [email protected].
• Lens Cases Protective carrying cases for Atlas Orion and Mercury Series lenses, including modular ATA cases with custom-cut foam inserts (manufactured by Innerspace Cases) and IP67-rated waterproof hard cases. Priced from $149 to $749.

Quantifiable outcome

• Refurbished lenses offered at 50% off retail price, making anamorphic cinematography more accessible
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers12 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature8 records

Partnerships

Four partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.

• Innerspace CasesminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerBurbank, CA-based case manufacturer producing professional road cases with custom-cut modular foam inserts for Atlas Orion Series lenses. Products feature steel split rivet construction, ATA-approved latches, and Atlas Lens Co. logoplate.
• Film Pin SocietyminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorCollaborative merchandise partner producing Atlas Lens Co. Orion 50mm enamel pins sold through Atlas's e-commerce storefront.
• RevarminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorProduces Revar Cine Mini camera cages designed for RED V-RAPTOR combined with 65mm Orion lens kit, sold through Atlas's e-commerce storefront.
• 395 Global Rental HousescoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ Distributor395 rental houses across 54 countries listed in Atlas's Rental House Directory, enabling global filmmakers to rent Atlas anamorphic lenses. Includes AbelCine, Keslow Camera, Cine Visuals, and many others.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Zeiss (Supreme Prime Radiance, eXtended Data): Zeiss competes in the premium cinema prime space with the Supreme Prime Radiance—anamorphic-inspired flare control—and is widely stocked at major rental houses, putting it directly in Atlas's shelf-share competition despite a different optical philosophy.
• Panavision: Panavision offers C-Series Anamorphic, Ultra Vista, and T-Series anamorphic lenses primarily through its own rental network. As a vertically integrated rental-and-lens company, it competes with Atlas across high-end feature and episodic production.
• ARRI (Master Anamorphic): ARRI's Master Anamorphic and DNA LF lines are the premium reference for anamorphic cinematography. ARRI also manufactures cameras and dominates the rental ecosystem, giving its lenses unparalleled market reach that mirrors and exceeds Atlas's value proposition.
• Fujifilm Fujinon (Premista, MK Series): Fujinon's Premista large-format zooms and MK cinema lenses offer modern mechanically reliable alternatives to Atlas's anamorphic specialty. Strong in rental houses and increasingly competing on affordability.

Direct peers

• Cooke Optics: British cinema lens manufacturer with a long-established anamorphic lineup (Cooke Anamorphic/i, S7/i) directly competing with Atlas in the anamorphic prime market for narrative and commercial productions.
• Vantage (Hawk V-Lite / V-Plus): Vantage's Hawk anamorphic series remains a vintage aesthetic alternative popular in commercial and music-video cinematography. Sells into the same production-anamorphic segment as Atlas Mercury.
• Leitz Cine (Thalia, M 0.8): Leitz Cine's Thalia anamorphic lenses are a direct aesthetic competitor at the high-end anamorphic segment. Leitz's brand heritage and clinical optical quality position it against Atlas's Orion Silver Edition and premium offerings.

Others

• Keslow Camera: Major US cinema camera and lens rental house that stocks Atlas Orion and Mercury lenses. Illustrates Atlas's rental-channel distribution model and is among the most important channel partners alongside AbelCine and Old Fast Glass.

Emerging players

• DZOFILM (Arles, Catta Ace): China-based DZOFILM has rapidly entered the cinema prime market with affordable Arles and Catta Ace lines, including 2x anamorphic options. Competes with Atlas Mercury on price-sensitive indie productions.
• SIRUI (Venus, Cinda): SIRUI has entered the cinema anamorphic segment with the Venus 1.5x line at sub-$2K per-lens pricing, directly undercutting Atlas Mercury and competing with refurbished Mercury for indie and student filmmakers.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks7 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/@atlaslensco
• Facebookfacebook.com/atlaslensco
• Instagraminstagram.com/atlaslensco
• TikToktiktok.com/@atlaslensco
• Xx.com/atlaslensco

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Atlas Lens Co.