Cooke S4 and S5 glass has lensed some of the most prestigious cinematography of recent decades, and with the new S7s that quality now extends to full frame sensors. As sensors get larger, there are of course great benefits, like higher resolutions and better low-light sensitivity. However, the limited option for true cinema quality glass once you get above the Super 35mm sensor size is a major drawback. With the release of the S7 lens series, Cooke is now offering a full set of cinema primes designed to deliver the "Cooke Look" on image circles up to 46.31mm, which should cover the RED Vista Vision format, in either the Epic body or the Panavision DXL.
When cinematographer Michael Lindsay was about to shoot tests with an early set from Cooke, he noted that he felt that the lenses could potentially cover the Alexa 65 in 16x9 mode, which would make a great combination. One major plus of the line is the consistent T2 aperture throughout the range. While this is still a full stop in from the T1.4 of Master Primes or Super Speeds, it's still a very useable wide aperture that—combined with the high sensitivity of the cameras it's designed for—will create some beautiful low-light imagery.
Credit: Cooke Optics
Tech specs
- 18, 25, 32, 40, 50, 75, 100 and 135 mm
- T2.0 – T22 linear aperture
- Covers up to 46.31mm image circle
- Color matched to Anamorphic/i, S4/i, miniS4/i, 5/i and Pancro/i Classic lenses
- 6.8 to 8.1lb weight range
- 140 teeth 0.8 metric module x 6.0mm wide 103mm from the image plane focus rings
