My Experience with Atlas Orion Anamorphic Lenses

Anamorphic lenses have long been cherished by filmmakers for their ability to create a cinematic look that standard spherical lenses cannot achieve.

They deliver unique flares, bokeh, and a wider aspect ratio that adds a distinctive character to any film. If you want to know more about anamorphic lenses, watch this:

In the last few years, Atlas Anamorphic Orion lenses have emerged as a popular choice for both independent filmmakers and large-scale productions. I recently had a chance to use it for a short film I made for Smooth Camera Gear (SCG).

Here’s the finished short, called Palindrome:

There are tons of reviews out there already, so I just wanted this to me my experience of the lenses I had in my kit, which were 32mm, 50mm, 80mm and 100mm. I used all of them at some point.

I shot on the Arri Alexa Mini in Open Gate 4:3, cropped to a 6:5 frame for a 2.39:1 DCI 2K Scope finish.

Introduction to Atlas Anamorphic Orion Lenses

The Orion series is designed to offer the aesthetic qualities of classic anamorphic lenses with modern reliability and at a more attainable price point. They are made by the Atlas Lens Co. for a Super 35mm sensor size (31mm image circle). There is an adapter that allows you to use it on full frame lenses, but I didn’t use that so won’t review it here.

Unfortunately, their website as of this writing is confusing, so I’ve put together this table of lenses currently in the Orion series:

All lenses have 14 aperture blades and a front diameter of 114mm. The Orion lenses are available in PL and EF mounts.

Each lens in the series offers a 2x squeeze factor, providing a classic anamorphic experience. I prefer 2x, and don’t really like anamorphic lenses with smaller than a 1.8x squeeze factor.

Build Quality and Design

The 40mm seems like an odd lens in their lineup, but otherwise they have a reasonably consistent range as far as weight and close focus is concerned, You have to remember these are anamorphic lenses.

However, the lengths vary wildly. The 32mm is tiny, but the 80mm is like a totally different lens. You’re going to have to change the counterbalance (and/or balance) swapping out these lenses.

These lenses are constructed with metal and glass. They are designed to withstand the rigors of professional use.

The lenses feature smooth, geared focus and aperture rings. The focus throw is long, providing the ability to make fine adjustments, crucial for maintaining sharp focus on moving subjects. However, the focus ring is not as smooth as the best cinema lenses on the planet. At least this is the feedback I received from my focus puller.

The focus and aperture markings are clear and easy to read, even in low-light conditions. They do stand out and are easy to identify on set!

Optical Performance

I’ll be honest here. At T2 the lenses I used don’t really match in terms of sharpness or optical performance. The flare behaves differently, too.

Inconsistent Flare at T2 and T2.8

On the telephoto end, with the 80mm and 100mm, there are weird flare artifacts that are really distracting (and colorful!). These are prominent when you have specular highlights at the edges and you’re moving the camera. It improves at T2.8 and is mostly invisible at T4.

I made a conscious effort to avoid flare in my short, even though I filmed in T2. It was a low budget shoot so I didn’t have enough lighting firepower to film at T4. The downside of it was that the images are soft, and don’t match from shot to shot. I tried to hide a lot of that in the grade.

At T2.8 things are a bit better, and I would say if you want to match lenses you’ll be better off starting at T2.8. However, having said that, I think these are really a T4 lens series.

Best aperture for sharpness and matching

At T4 the lenses are sharp and match a lot better. You also get those oval bokeh effects anamorphic lenses are known for. With flare controlled, the contrast is decent across the four focal lengths I tested.

If you really like the current flare-based, low-light-kind of aesthetic these lenses don’t disappoint. T4 is a great aperture to film anamorphic in anyway. It makes focus pulling a lot easier. T2 is just brutal for pulling focus.

I avoided matching issues by sticking to 50mm and 80mm, and using 32mm and 100mm only one shot each. For the latter I used a +2 Diopter for the close focus shot of the eyes and lighter. It was not easy to pull focus on that, I assure you!

Distortion and vignetting

Anamorphic lenses are known for their distortion, which many filmmakers find desirable (Not me!). The Orions exhibit let’s just say, the requisite amount of barrel distortion, particularly at the wider focal lengths. However, you do see a lot of barrel distortion even at 50mm.

Vignetting is definitely noticeable at T2, but it adds to the aesthetic and can be minimized by stopping down. You know what you’re getting into with these lenses, and you can decide if this is the brush you want to paint with.

Comparisons with Other Anamorphic Lenses

If you compare them with other anamorphic lenses on the market, the Cooke Anamorphic/i lenses deliver the “Cooke look”, but are significantly more expensive than the Orions. The Arri Master Anamorphics are my favorite anamorphics, and at T1.9 those lenses blow the Orions out of the water. But again, they’re a lot more expensive.

The Hawk V-Lite is probably a closer competitor, but they are priced higher, too. I just think the Orion is more accessible to filmmakers, and this is why you’ll find them in most rental houses. Not so with the Hawks.

Price and Value

Anamorphic lenses have historically been expensive The Atlas Orion series, while not cheap, offers a more affordable option without compromising on quality.

Considering their build quality, optical performance, and the distinct anamorphic look they provide, the Orions offer excellent value for money. But you already knew that. No wonder they are popular!

Unfortunately, the new Mercury series, being 1.5x, isn’t appealing to me personally.

Bottom line, the Atlas Anamorphic Orion lenses offer a vintage anamorphic look with modern build quality and reliability, all at a price point that makes them accessible to a broader range of filmmakers. Just don’t shoot at T2 and expect everything to match!

I hope you found this quick review useful. If you have experience with the Orions please let me know what you think in the comments below.