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  • Hey all, just changed over the backend after 15 years I figured time to give it a bit of an update, its probably gonna be a bit weird for most of you and i am sure there is a few bugs to work out but it should kinda work the same as before... hopefully :)

New Cooke's

RivaiC said:
About Panchro, why only T2.8 ? This is strange for prime lens. And also what is the lens coverage ? 32mm ? Good for Epic 5K and above ?
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it's pure marketing, nothing else.
They dwell on their reputation (well deserved) and smell business opportunity in crazy buyers not only rentals (Jim's credit:)
 
albert rudnicki said:
it's pure marketing, nothing else.
They dwell on their reputation (well deserved) and smell business opportunity in crazy buyers not only rentals (Jim's credit:)
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That's one way of looking at it albert, but i also think that once you buy a set of cookes you need not buy another set of lenses again. Any one who invests in a set of these new panchros at the price point has a set of cooke glass at the end of the day, a set of glass that they could other wise never be able to afford to buy into. Look at the mid century panchros, how many of them are still in use on high end films/commercials/music promos, how many lense manufacturers can you say that about, i don't see many sets of Arri B speeds or early T2 distagons still being used on high end jobs, quality is quality, simple as that.:thumbsup:
 
Matthew Rogers said:
Is it me, or does it seem like Cooke really missed the mark with these lenses? If they were all T2.4 or T2.6 I might see them as interesting. However, considering the RED Primes are all T1.8, and are beautiful beautiful lenses, it seems like for $10k more all you are getting is a few lenses at T1.4 and the name Cooke.

Let's just say I am more than happy with the RED primes and by far they are the best deal on the market currently.

Matthew
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I think those lenses are intended to be bought by rental houses (who do care -and probably have to- the name Cooke printed on the barrel)... it will take time for big rental houses to buy lenses like the RPPs... if they ever do, at least massively. So different way of thinking (and buying potential!) than independent owners... that´s why they were so slow moving towards Red cameras... although now they are desperate ordering them, at least in couples, two years late.
Guido
 
Robert Horwell said:
That's one way of looking at it albert, but i also think that once you buy a set of cookes you need not buy another set of lenses again. Any one who invests in a set of these new panchros at the price point has a set of cooke glass at the end of the day, a set of glass that they could other wise never be able to afford to buy into. Look at the mid century panchros, how many of them are still in use on high end films/commercials/music promos, how many lense manufacturers can you say that about, i don't see many sets of Arri B speeds or early T2 distagons still being used on high end jobs, quality is quality, simple as that.:thumbsup:
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Hmmmm... British objectivity?:rolleyes:
Guido
 
Any lens you own, as a DP, reflects your sensibilities in the way you like an image to look... it's a part of your visual style.

Cooke, to me, is really answering a need for those of us that like that brand of glass and mechanics.

After checking into getting my vintage Panchros rehoused, I see that the price is more than fair for a professional glass, in a professional housing, that's easy to maintain (same as S4's)
 
Agreed.
I was over at ZGC dropping off my 18-100 for some service and said a quick hello to Les.
I got to see both an i5 and a Panchro. Both were just what you would expect from Cooke; great build quality and buttery smooth mechanics. We were lacking a cable so I could not see the illuminated display but I think it's a great feature, not just a gimmick. I did not have a camera with me and neither Les or I would have had time to do any testing, so I'll reserve judgement until I can shoot some tests. But I'm very confident that they live up to the Cooke name.
The i5's will no doubt be the big kid on the block, but the Panchros represent an amazing value.
The small form factor of the Panchros may come into play as more DSLR-type shooting takes hold. The i5's are definitely bigger and heavier than S4's. For doc-style commercial shooting, doing hand-held, the Panchros (and older lenses like Superspeeds) may have a form factor advantage. And if we are shooting "noiseless" 800 ASA with EPIC and Arri's ALEXA, is T.2.8 really that big an issue?
Lots of choices. Interesting times!
Cheers,
Harry
 
maybe cooke should hire a voodoo priest to get back the engineers from the 50ties who did manage to make smaller and faster panchro lenses or fire the genius who decided to cripple the new ones :)


the price for the s5 is ok
 
Cüneyt Kaya said:
maybe cooke should hire a voodoo priest to get back the engineers from the 50ties who did manage to make smaller and faster panchro lenses or fire the genius who decided to cripple the new ones :)
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Hi,

Not sure I would like the original housings with crappy focus marks.
FWIW Cooke are working 3 shifts 24 hours a day, they cant keep up with demand, expect a 6 month wait if you order today.

Stephen
 
Stephen Williams said:
Hi,

Not sure I would like the original housings with crappy focus marks.
FWIW Cooke are working 3 shifts 24 hours a day, they cant keep up with demand, expect a 6 month wait if you order today.

Stephen
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if something is sold, it doesnt mean it is good.

i see no reason to use primes with a T stop of 2.8
 
I'm sure that they COULD have made the new ones T.2, but not at:
the price point
the sharpness
the physical size
of the new Panchros.
The vintage T.2 Panchros have a distinct "vintage" look. The new Panchros cut seamlessly with existing modern lens lines and retain the Cooke look.
And I'm sure economies of scale come into play. They are a niche manufacturer and have overhead just like any other company. There is only so low they are going to go with prices while maintaining features and quality.
Good, fast, cheap. Pick any two.
Cheers,
Harry
 
yeah lets see their demand on the rental market and if the dops will rent them

saving on lenses and then having to rent much more light doesnt make sense for me
 
Cüneyt Kaya said:
if something is sold, it doesnt mean it is good.

i see no reason to use primes with a T stop of 2.8
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Hi,

T2.8 is a very common shooting stop I use, I like Cooke lenses more than Zeiss, so given a choice I would take them most of the time. If the savings taking the Pancros over S4's allowed me to shoot 35mm film rather than digital, I would be very happy.

I notice on you website the first photo I see is a RED One with an 18-50 Zoom. You also rent the Zeiss T2.1's the wider 3 porthole on a Red One wider than T2.8 & one needs to be stopped down more than that. I would rather shoot with the new Pancros than the Zeiss standards any day.

Stephen
 
obsession with speed

obsession with speed

I think it's brilliant:
- they have now a complete line of primes just like Zeiss/Arri
- the increased resolution-smaller COC will make it harder to follow with wide apertures focus with newer cameras(effective DOF decrease)
-newer sensor /dsp combos will have more light sensitivity so the lens speed is not so crucial.
-how many experienced focus pullers actually pull focus with T1.4 lens wide open on a moving target. Very few of the ones that I know.
I was a little sceptical with the panchros but in the big picture this makes all the sense in the world...
Les-my hat's off to you:yesnod:
 
Cooke5i-PanchroCover.jpg

Read more about a brand new Cooke lenses

@ Film & Digital Times Online Magazine (pdf)>>>

Also you can listen this interview:

"Les Zellan from Cooke Optics takes us through their new 5i & Panchro lenses...">>>

red centre @ fxguide.com>>>
 
Shooting 2.8 Primes

I'm sitting in my kitchen... 3pm in Nov ... the sun has about 1.hr till sunset. My house faces south so I have no direct sunlight in me as I type no lights are on in the house.

Using my Sekonic L-608 Cine

@ ASA 320 my meter reads a f2.5

Shooting film (some people still do that) Vision 3 ASA 500 is f2.8 so T3.1

Shooting Arri Digital/New Red/Epic @ ASA 800 it's just under T4

I'm not writing this to convince anyone to use any specific lens brand I'm just saying T2.8 is a very usable lens prime or otherwise in most situations depending on the ASA of your stock/camera and your story.
 
As the cmos gets faster and faster, the speed of the lens becomes less of an issue.
and yet 2.8 in 2009 is somehow disappointing...
 
For most of the features I shot in 35mm, I generally set my base stop to a T4. Sometimes a little faster and sometimes a little slower, but that's the stop I liked to work at to get a comfortable light level on set and more importantly to get the depth of field and field of view combination that I preferred. It's a look.
 
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