Cooke

BRINGING A CLASSIC LOOK TO MODERN CINEMA

Cooke lenses are known in the industry for their venerable history and, of course, the famous “Cooke Look”. The new Cooke S8/i Full Frame Primes update this aesthetic for modern cinematography.

Handcrafted in Leicester, UK using state-of-the-art technology and techniques that draw on over a century of experience, Cooke lenses are appreciated by cinematographers for their unique look. With an inherent “warmth” and a color palette that is similar to what the human eye perceives, they are a popular choice for dramas, character pieces, or any genre that focuses on people. Cooke lenses’ gradual focus roll off also contributes to this natural look, while they still provide the sharpness that high-resolution cinema requires.

Cooke’s S8/i series is designed for full format cinematography, covering an image circle of 46.31mm (for most lenses). All Cooke lenses are color-matched so they can be easily inter-cut during production. The S8/i lenses are approximately 25% lighter than the S7/i primes with a more compact design, making them suitable for applications such as handheld and Steadicam use. Although the new housing is lighter weight than previous generations, it is durable and scratch resistant to stand up to all environmental conditions.

Cooke Anamorphic/i Primes and Anamorphic/i Full Frame Plus lenses are specially manufactured with a coating that allows cinematographers to take full advantage of flares, pleasing oval bokeh, and other desirable aberrations. The famous “Cooke Look” has been preserved while accounting for the demands of digital cinematography. These anamorphic lenses offer attractive shape, depth, and form in beautifully rendered images, with aberrations like astigmatism and longitudinal color corrected exceptionally well, thanks to unparalleled optical and mechanical performance.

Cooke continues to evolve their pioneering lens metadata /i (“intelligent”) technology, which stores key lens data for each frame in-camera. This information is passed on from production through post and can help create more efficient VFX and editorial workflows.