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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 :)

RPZ 18-85 or Cooke 18-100

I tend to shoot a lot of interviews / talking heads for corporate gigs and whatnot. My usual lens of choice is the 85mm RPP. ...love that lens. I agree with James though, a nice SLR zoom like the 70-200 would be great for this sort of thing. I'll be using a lot more SLR glass once RED releases their Nikon mount. Don't really own any Canon lenses, other than a couple I picked up for oddball purposes.
 
A milk bottle?
My example does not look so, nor does the many many movies I have seen shot with the 20-100.
It has that diffused style wide open, but gets very sharp and beautiful at the T4/5.6 split.

Mine has just been serviced by True Lens Services in the UK & is very very good, I am with David on this & I love the Cooke look! For years it has intercut with rented Cppke S4's.
 
Well, a lot of my documentary cliens want to see a wide in their interviews. I have a RED 50-150 but it isn't wide enough for a lot of my jobs. I love the look of the Cooke but I feel like I spend all of my time trying to figure out if it's in focus. That soft focus look is beautiful but cuts both ways! Maybe I'll try to shoot interviews at at 4/5.6, but then I would lose the shallow depth of field in the wide end. Anyway, I may wait to see if anything good comes out at NAB. Oh, and some clients want an occasional slow creep in, which also wouldn't work with the still lens. Thanks for the comments, I've found them all interesting.
 
Hey Tony, no worries, just keep using mine! ;)
Cooke "Classic" is just a marketing thing. They started engraving that on the lenses recently. It doesn't mean anything...
Cheers,
Harry
 
Ketch, that's an unusual lens support in that picture? How long did those guys hold it for?
 
Just for interviews? It's not like you'll be having any intricate focus pulls. I'd slap on a still zoom (Duclos), save yourself some money, and call it a day. Does the Cooke cover 5k?
 
2c...i believe SHARPNESS is the enemy artistic looking photography...give me a set of old panchros, baltars and the cooke classic and a mkIII 25-250 and im set. its a beautiful balance of the razor sharp MX sensor. may need the milk bottle back with the Monstro just to make it sexy
 
Price wins.... Im sure the RED ZOOM is great!

But the 18 to 100 cooke CLASSIC!!!!!!! not the earlier ones... Is the one to get!

I sold this one for 10k... And I miss it :( so so sharp.

The 18-100 i have is built in 1989, and is just awesome.... TONS of charachter... just heaps of it.... but in such a lovely way... Doesn't say "Classic" on it though.

I have used the RPZ, i actually like it optically. Its just a bit funny ergonomically. The focus ring is too close to the nose and the lens is big, so finding a FF to fit under it is a pain. CFF1 is one of the only ones that works i think....
 
18-85 is insanely sharp and very neutral. but in the end lacks some character. that cooke though... not as sharp of course, but really shaves off the harshness of all the resolution in camera. it cuts out just enough that it stays a very sharp image, but gives you really nice looking skin. (not seeing every pore on their face)

and it adds a LOT of contrast and warmth straight into the image. it's a look in itself, and it's really quite spectacular. really makes a image sing just by throwing that beauty on. it's absolutely perfect for cams like epic/scarlet in 4k mode.
 
I've found the 18-85mm cuts beautifully with the 12x optimo. That alone is worth the price of admission. A good used one goes for about 6 grand.
 
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