Cooke Optics S8/i FF Lens Series – Four New Focal Lengths Announced

Lens News

by Jürgen MoorsMarch 16^th, 2023

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Cooke Optics announced the launch of four new S8/i FF focal lengths: 18mm, 27mm, 35mm, and 65mm, joining the state-of-the-art S8/i Full Frame series range. All four new lenses have a maximum aperture of T1.4 across the focal range. The 27mm, 35mm, and 65mm lenses will be available for $34,650, the 18mm retails for $37,250. So let’s have a closer look at what you will get for your money.

Cooke Optics is a British lens manufacturer that has been creating lenses for cinematographers since 1894. No, this is not a typo. They have been in business for more than 120 years. If you want to know more, I would highly recommend reading about their history.

Cooke Optics S8/i FF spherical lenses

The Cooke S8/i FF series was introduced in March of last year and comprised seven focal lengths: 25mm, 32mm, 40mm, 50mm, 75mm, 100mm, and 135mm. Check out our news article about the launch of their spherical lenses for full-frame production.

Together with the new focal length lenses of 18mm, 27mm, 35mm, and 65mm, the Cooke S8/i FF series lineup comprises 11 lenses, with more focal lengths arriving later in 2023. The complete range of high-speed, full-frame cine lenses will have 16 different focal lengths from 18mm to 350mm.

Today, lens choice is one of the last areas where a cinematographer can shape their individual look and style. With the introduction of digital sensors, some will say that the organic “film look” has gone, but with the Cooke S8/I lenses, you can create the famous Cooke-Look. Check out the video below and try to watch it on a large monitor in full 4K resolution to get an idea of what these lenses can do!

Faster full-frame lenses

With a maximum aperture of T1.4 across the focal range, the S8/i FF lenses are amongst the fastest produced. They also offer complete control over depth-of-field and flare characteristics, whilst still providing good low-light performance without adding grain.

Lighter, but not really light

The S8/i FF lenses were created for a wide variety of situations – and today’s compact cameras. These lenses weigh 2.4 kg / 5.3 lb up to 3.2 kg / 7.1lb for the 135mm focal length.

“Smarter lenses”

All lenses are designed to incorporate Cooke’s latest intelligent /i technology. The S8/i FF lenses include:

• /i data focus and iris position
•  /i motion inertial data
•  /i maps factory-calibrated shading and distortion data

Key features

• Covers Full Frame Format Sensor
• T1.4 to T22
• 104mm Front Diameter
• 9-Leaf Iris
• PL of LPL Mount with /i Technology Contacts
• M99 x 0.75 Front Filter Threads
• Color-Matches All Cooke Lenses
• Focus Markings in Feet and Meters
• Iris Marked in Whole and Third Stops

Price and availability

The four new Cooke Optics S8/i FF spherical lenses are now available to order in both PL and LPL mount options.

• S8/i FF T1.4 Primes 18mm – $37,250
• S8/i FF T1.4 Primes 27mm – $34,650
• S8/i FF T1.4 Primes 35mm – $34,650
• S8/i FF T1.4 Primes 65mm – $34,650

Yes, these exclusive, state-of-the-art super-fast lenses don’t come cheap. However, this is a classic example of renting gear for specific film projects, rather than selling your house to buy the full range of 11 lenses.

For further information, please visit the website of Cooke Optics.

So, what do you think about the “Cooke Look”? Have you ever had the chance to shoot something with high-end cinema glasses? Please let us know your thoughts in the comment section below!