Koerner Camera Systems

What Koerner Camera Systems does

Koerner Camera Systems is a privately held cinema and high-definition video equipment rental house founded in 1994 and headquartered in Portland, Oregon, with a secondary office in Seattle, Washington. The company rents high-end digital cinema cameras, an extensive inventory of prime and zoom lenses, and a comprehensive range of production accessories to professional production companies, independent filmmakers, and freelance cinematographers working on film, television, commercial, and documentary productions in the Pacific Northwest. Its catalog spans flagship bodies from ARRI (Alexa 35 and 35 Xtreme, Mini LF, Amira, Classic), Sony (Venice 2, Venice, FX9, FX6, Burano, Rialto/Rialto 2), RED (V-Raptor XL X, Komodo, Helium, Monstro), Canon (C500 Mark II, Sumire, K35), Blackmagic, and Freefly, alongside lenses from Cooke, Angenieux, ARRI/Zeiss, Leitz, Zeiss, Atlas, Canon, Fujinon, Sigma, NiSi, Tribe7, and curated vintage glass. Complementary accessories cover matte boxes, filters, monitors, wireless video, power, media, communication, follow focus, tripods, and specialty optics including macro probes and periscope lenses.

The business operates a project-based, transaction-fee revenue model, quoting daily and weekly rental rates via direct phone and email contact, with no publicly listed pricing. Distribution is entirely direct through its two physical offices, each offering spacious prep bays and dedicated camera technicians who test, maintain, and support equipment. The company markets primarily through its website, an active Instagram presence, industry trade coverage in CineD and Film & Digital Times, and the annual Pacific Northwest Lens Summit, which it hosts as a regional convener for lens manufacturers and cinematographers. The firm is founder-owned, with Michael Koerner listed as owner and president, and operates with a small (1–10) headcount.

Name

Koerner Camera Systems

Legal name

Koerner Camera Systems

Website

https://koernercamera.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1994

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Koerner Camera Systems is a privately held cinema camera and equipment rental house serving production companies and independent filmmakers in the Pacific Northwest from offices in Portland, OR and Seattle, WA, offering high-end ARRI, Sony, RED, Cooke, and Zeiss equipment.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Cinema Equipment Rental

NAICS

Consumer Electronics and Appliances Rental (532210)

SIC

Photographic Equipment & Supplies (3861)

akta.pro primary industry

Camera, Grip & Lighting Equipment Rental (MPADAFAB)

Keywords

• Cinema camera rental
• Professional film equipment
• Camera lens rental
• Production equipment rental
• Digital cinema cameras

Headquarters

HQ city

Portland

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Supply Chain, Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Equipment Rental: Short-term rental of cinema cameras, lenses, and accessories to film and video production companies. Revenue generated through daily/weekly rental rates for professional cinema equipment including ARRI, Sony Venice, RED, Cooke, Angenieux, Zeiss, and other premium brands.

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Koerner Camera Systems is a digital cinema camera rental house that rents high-end production cameras, cinema lenses, and a full suite of production accessories to film, television, and commercial productions. Operating from offices in Portland, OR and Seattle, WA, the company provides meticulously maintained equipment from leading brands such as ARRI, Sony, RED, Cooke, Angenieux, and Zeiss, supported by spacious prep bays and dedicated camera technicians. Customers request quotes via phone or email and pick up gear directly from the office locations.

Product overview

Koerner Camera Systems is a cinema camera rental house serving the Pacific Northwest film industry with offices in Portland, OR and Seattle, WA. Operating for over 30 years, the company offers a comprehensive inventory of high-end production equipment available for rent, including digital cinema cameras (ARRI Alexa 35/35 Xtreme, Alexa Mini LF, Alexa Mini, Amira, Classic; Sony Venice 2, Venice, FX9, FX6, FX3, Burano, Rialto 2; RED V-Raptor, Komodo, Helium; Canon C500 MK II; Blackmagic Pocket Cinema Camera; Freefly Ember S5K), an extensive selection of cinema lenses (Cooke S4/i, S4/i Uncoated, Mini S4/i, Panchro/i Classic, Speed Panchro, Anamorphic, SP3, Varotal/i; Angenieux Optimo, Ultra Compact, Type EZ, Ultra 12x; ARRI Master Primes, Ultra Primes, Signature Primes; Zeiss Super Speed, Standard Speed, CP.2, CP.3, Supreme, Supreme Radiance; Leitz Summilux-C, Summicron-C, ELSIE; Atlas Orion Anamorphic, Orion Silver Edition, Mercury Anamorphic; Canon CN-E, Sumire, K35, FD; Fujinon Premista, Cabrio, MK, Premier; Sigma High Speed; NiSi Aureus, Athena; Tribe7 Blackwing7; vintage lenses including Bausch & Lomb Super Baltar, Nikon AI-S, and specialty optics), and full production accessories including tripods, filters, matte boxes, monitors, power, media, wireless video, and communication equipment. The company also hosts the annual Pacific Northwest Lens Summit.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Digital Cinema Cameras (Rental) Rental of professional digital cinema camera bodies for film, television, and commercial production, from brands such as ARRI, Sony, RED, Canon, Blackmagic, and Freefly. Aimed at production companies, DPs, and freelance cinematographers in the Pacific Northwest.
• Cinema Lenses (Rental) Rental of prime and zoom cinema lenses from leading optics manufacturers for professional film and video production. Targets DPs, cinematographers, and production companies seeking high-end and specialty glass.
• Camera Accessories (Rental) Rental of the full range of production accessories required to operate cinema cameras on set, including follow focus, matte boxes, media, support, monitors, power, filters, wireless video, and comms.
• Communication Equipment (Rental) Rental of wireless headset systems such as Hollyland Solidcom C1 Pro for on-set crew communication during film and video productions.
• Camera Power Systems (Rental) Rental of cinema camera battery solutions including Gold Mount, V-Mount, and Block Battery systems from Anton/Bauer, Core SWX, and RED.
• Matte Boxes (Rental) Rental of 4x5 and 6x6 matte boxes from ARRI and Bright Tangerine for light and flare control on cinema cameras.
• Camera Media (Rental) Rental of professional camera recording media including Codex Compact Drives, Sony AXS, CFexpress (Type A and B), RED Mini Mag, Cfast 2.0, Sony XQD, SxS Pro+, and SDXC cards.
• Wireless Video Systems (Rental) Rental of Teradek wireless video transmission systems, including Bolt 6 XT MAX and Bolt 4K MAX, paired with compatible monitors with built-in receivers.
• Production Monitors (Rental) Rental of professional on-set and production monitors from SmallHD, TVLogic, Sony Trimaster EL, Flanders Scientific, and Atomos in field, HD, and 4K configurations.
• Camera Filters (Rental) Rental of optical filters for cinema cameras including ND, IRND, polarizers, diffusion, diopters, graduated filters, and electronic variable ND from Tiffen, Schneider, ARRI, and Cmotion.
• Tripods and Camera Support (Rental) Rental of camera support gear including tripod heads (O'Connor, Sachtler, Cartoni), Easyrig body rigs, specialty heads, sliders, camera carts, and handheld accessories.
• Focus and Zoom Accessories (Rental) Rental of wireless and manual follow focus systems, focus assist tools, and zoom controls from ARRI (Hi-5, WCU-4, RIA-1, RF-900), Preston (Light Ranger 2), and Cmotion.
• Lens Accessories (Rental) Rental of lens-related accessories including directors finders, extenders, expanders, servos, drive units, and specialty optics.
• Specialty Optics (Rental) Rental of specialty lenses for unique shooting scenarios, including Laowa and DZOFilm macro probes, periscopes, shift/tilt lenses, ultra-wide angle lenses, and telephoto lenses.
• Sony Rialto Camera Extension System (Rental) Rental of the Sony Rialto camera extension system that detaches the sensor block from a Sony Venice 6K camera body via cable tether for compact and remote camera placement.
• Sony Rialto 2 Camera Extension System (Rental) Rental of the Sony Rialto 2 camera extension system, compatible with all Sony Venice models (6K and 8K), with 9.8ft or 39.4ft extension lengths and an integrated gyroscopic sensor for VFX metadata.

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Six partnerships are on record, tiered minor.

• Portland Film OfficeminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership with Portland Film Office supporting local film production in Portland, Oregon. Displayed on company credits/partner page.
• Oregon FilmminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership with Oregon Film supporting film and media production in Oregon. Displayed on company credits/partner page.
• Washington FilmworksminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership with Washington Filmworks supporting film production in Washington State. Displayed on company credits/partner page.
• Oregon Media Production Association (OMPA)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership with OMPA supporting media production community in Oregon. Displayed on company credits/partner page.
• Portland State University Film ProgramminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership with Portland State University Film program supporting film education. Displayed on company credits/partner page.
• Hollywood TheatreminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership with Hollywood Theatre for film events and screenings. Displayed on company credits/partner page.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• ARRI Rental: ARRI's own rental division operating globally, providing ARRI ALEXA cameras, Signature Prime lenses, and full production packages. Direct competitor particularly for productions specifying ARRI systems; also benefits from manufacturer-direct inventory access Koerner must go through distribution to obtain.
• Keslow Camera: Major US cinema equipment rental house with locations in Los Angeles, Atlanta, New York, and New Orleans. Rents ARRI, RED, Sony, and Panavision cameras plus lenses and accessories — directly competing for the same production clientele on larger feature and episodic work.
• Birns & Sawyer: Los Angeles cinema rental house serving Hollywood feature, episodic, and commercial productions for over 40 years. Comparable in product breadth (cameras, lenses, lighting, grip) and customer base (production companies, cinematographers).
• Clairmont Camera: Vancouver-based cinema equipment rental house serving the prolific Canadian film/TV production market. Closest geographic and operational analogue to Koerner among North American rental houses — competes for productions that may scout either side of the PNW.
• Procam Take 2: UK-based cinema equipment rental house serving British and European productions with high-end digital cinema cameras, lenses, and accessories. Comparable business model and premium brand inventory (ARRI, RED, Sony, Cooke, Zeiss).
• Panavision: The largest cinema camera and lens rental house in North America, providing cameras (including proprietary Millennium DXL2/Panaflex systems), lenses, grip, lighting, and post-production services. Direct competitor for high-end feature and episodic production rentals, though at national scale.
• Otto Nemenz: Long-established Los Angeles cinema rental house (since 1962) supplying cameras, lenses, and accessories to feature, episodic, and commercial productions. Comparable in inventory depth of premium brands and target customer (DPs and production companies).

Regional players

• Cinequipt: Minneapolis-based cinema camera and lighting rental house serving the Upper Midwest. Closest regional analogue to Koerner with similar customer base (production companies, indie filmmakers) and product mix (ARRI, RED, Sony cinema gear), though geographically distinct.
• Hand Held Films: Atlanta-based cinema rental house serving the booming Georgia film market. Comparable product offering (high-end digital cinema cameras and lenses) and similar role as the regional 'go-to' for local productions.
• Rule Boston Camera: Boston/New England-based cinema equipment rental house serving East Coast productions. Similar service model (cameras, lenses, accessories, technical support) and target clientele (production companies, indie filmmakers, commercial shoots).

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Instagraminstagram.com/koerner_camera
• Xx.com/koernercamera

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

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 Koerner Camera Systems