a blog by Matthew Duclos
Cooke has announced the S4 FF/i series, a set of six full-frame prime lenses that brings the S4 name back in a new format. The set covers 18mm to 100mm at a constant T2.0, in PL or LPL mount, and is built around a 43.3mm image circle for full-frame cameras such as the ARRI Alexa LF, Sony VENICE, and RED V-Raptor VV. Each lens is priced at $15,000.
Continue reading “Cooke Introduces S4 FF/i Full-Frame Primes”
The news that Cooke Optics is ceasing production of the S4/i prime lenses is, for many in the cinematography world, like saying goodbye to an old friend. For over two decades, the S4 series has been a benchmark of optical excellence and mechanical precision. Its contribution to the art of visual storytelling—and its role in defining what we now universally recognize as the “Cooke Look”—can’t be overstated.
Continue reading “Cooke Retires S4 Series After 20+ Years of Excellence”
Here’s a few bits from around the internet, just in case you missed them. Enjoy! Continue reading “Weekly News Roundup #7”
The gentlemen at True Lens Service (TLS) in the UK displayed a fully functional prototype of their 18mm Cooke Speed Panchro at IBC last year which garnered a respectable amount of interest. But what about the rest of the set? If you’re not familiar with the Cooke Speed Panchros, they’re basically the standard by which other prime lenses were measured between the 1930’s and 1950’s. George Eastman estimated that approximately 90 percent of 16mm films shot during that time in America were using Cooke Speed Panchros. There have been several revisions of the Panchros in Series II and III which can be a bit confusing, kind of like Cooke as a company in general. Surely you’ve seen “Taylor, Hobson” “Taylor, Taylor & Hobson” “Rank, Taylor & Hobson” or just plain “Cooke”. They’re all the same lineage with an extremely rich history in photographic optics and industrial revolution. Cooke was a true innovator in their infancy and continues to produce motion picture optics that push the boundaries of quality. Enough with the history… The Speed Panchros are relevant here because they are notorious for producing beautiful images that are simply not duplicated in post production. They have a character to them that defined the “Cooke Look” and gave thousands of films a warm romantic feel that cinematographers, directors, and colorists strive to reproduce with lackluster results (most of the time).
Continue reading “TLS Cooke Speed Panchro Re-housing Project”