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Cooke Optics launches new range of revolutionary prime lenses that help cinematographers to see in the dark
IBC 2009, Amsterdam – 11 September 2009
Cooke Optics Ltd., the premier manufacturer of precision lenses for the motion picture industry, today launched the Cooke 5/i prime lenses, a top-of-the-range set designed for all PL-mounted professional film and electronic cameras. The 5/i range, which will be demonstrated on Stand 11.D10 at IBC 2009, further cements Cooke's reputation for lenses that are optically unrivalled, easy to use and maintain, and deliver the famed 'Cooke Look'.
"The development of the 5/i lenses has been a labour of love for us and we couldn’t be happier with the results," said Les Zellan, Chairman and Owner, Cooke Optics. "We worked closely with customers to create a truly unique prime lens, providing unmatched functionality yet preserving the luminous 'Cooke Look' that marks our lenses out from the competition. Feedback so far has been overwhelmingly positive."
A key feature of the 5/i Primes is a revolutionary, dimmable, illuminated focus ring, with two separately toggled scales (cinematographer and assistant), that allow the focus puller to read the scales in low lighting conditions. The aperture stops range from T1.4 to T22. Lenses available are 18, 25, 32, 40, 50, 65, 75, 100 and 135mm.
Cooke 5/i optics offer superb optical and mechanical performance, control of flare, distortion, veiling glare and spherical aberrations at full aperture. The cam-type focus mechanism allows for smooth focus adjustments, while the modular construction increases ease of maintenance and serviceability. The lenses are colour-matched and compatible with the entire Cooke range including S4/i and the new Panchro by Cooke. /i Technology is included as standard, to provide vital camera information for post-production pipelines.
The Cooke 5/i Prime lenses are expected to start shipping in October 2009.
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Cooke Optics to present first look at iconic Panchro lens at IBC 2009
Leicester, UK – 7 July 2009
At IBC 2009 Cooke Optics will unveil the first working prototype of the highly anticipated Panchro By Cooke lens. The PL mounted lens for 35mm film and digital production, which was announced at NAB 2009, is a modern redesign of the original Cooke Panchro lenses that were instrumental in establishing Hollywood as the centre of 20th century film production.
The Panchro is a small, lightweight and affordable lens, bringing the benefits of Cooke expertise and technology to all filmmakers, including independent filmmakers, film students and documentary makers. It sacrifices one stop of light (T2.8 compared with T2.0 for Cooke S4) and is calibrated and colour-matched to existing Cooke lenses, making it a cost-effective choice when a faster lens is not crucial or when shooting in difficult situations such as crash scenes or VFX shots. The reduced size, weight and true focal length markings also make the Panchro ideal for 3D stereoscopic productions.
The Panchro lens will be demonstrated on booth 11.D10, with first deliveries expected to be at the end of 2009.
In addition, Cooke will showcase a range of its high level camera lenses, including the industry favourite S4/i Prime lenses and the Cooke RED Set of S4 /i lenses. Cooke will also show the /i dataLink, a small box that mounts easily to any camera and records the focus, zoom, iris settings and other pertinent data of each take, allowing the metadata to be passed on to post. /i Technology enables VFX and DI artists to create more accurate, better-looking visual effects, and saves significant time in the post-production process. The growing number of companies that support /i Technology include Aaton, Arri, Avid, Cinematography Electronics, CMotion, Dalsa, The Foundry, Mark Roberts Motion Control, The Pixel Farm, Preston Cinema Systems, RED, Service Vision, Silicon Imaging, Transvideo and Sony.
Cooke lenses have recently been used to shoot Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince, Angels and Demons, The Mummy: Tomb of the Dragon Emperor, Dragon Ball, Snowflake, Frost/Nixon, Milk and Before the Rains.