Cooke Optics’ Post

The hit crime thriller series ‘Mirzapur’ recently released its third season, shot by esteemed cinematographer Sanjay Kapoor. With a distinguished career spanning over a decade, Sanjay has frequently used Cooke lenses for his projects. For 'Mirzapur,' he chose the S7/i series to capture its gritty essence. We had the privilege of interviewing Sanjay about his work on the series, where he shares his insights into his creative process and experience on set. Read the full interview via the link here: https://bit.ly/4cNYERP #cooke #cookelook #cinematography #filmmaking #mirzapur #cookeS7i

Classic Cooke - The Cooke Varo 40-120mm f/5.6 Zoom Lens – released 1932 The history of zoom lens technology is inherently linked to the Cooke brand. Arthur Warmisham, 1891-1962 was a pioneering optical engineer who joined Taylor, Taylor & Hobson out of school in 1912, becoming director of optical design and research ten years later. He oversaw the revolutionary Cooke Varo, the first non-telescopic complex zoom lens for 35mm motion picture photography. Although it represented a major advancement in zoom lenses it was essentially a bulky aluminium box. The lens came equipped with a special saddle that attached to a standard tripod plate. This saddle then held the lens and camera, ensuring correct alignment. It had fixed focus - set at the hyperfocal distance of 150ft. Closer focusing was achieved with screw on diopters, allowing focusing from 30ft to 1ft as needed. Changing the aperture involved engaging a clutch-like mechanism with one knob whilst a second altered the iris – the focal length was changed by a rotating crank. Whilst other zooms of the time operated around f/8 or f/11 the Varo gave a consistent f/5.6 across the whole range but also allowed for operation at f/4.5 from 40 to 85mm and even f/3.5 from 40 to 50mm. The lens was picked up by the Department of the Army Air Corps for aerial reconnaissance photography. Motion picture use included Love Me Tonight (1932) and King Kong (1933) Read more about the history of the zoom lens in motion pictures from this lens all the way up to the present day and Cooke’s latest Varotal/i FF lenses on our website #cooke #cookeoptics #thecookelook #classiccooke #throwback #filmhistory #lenshistory #lenses #zoomlens #zoom #cinematography #cinema #dp #dop #film #varo

‘Nayad’ is the latest short feature on our Shot on Cooke showcase. This tense horror film follows two men who encounter a solitary witch in her home. Cinematographer Mukul Verma required lenses that would perform well in low light for the film’s menacing theme. He chose the Cooke SP3 primes paired with his Canon C70, finding them to be the ideal combination for the challenging lighting setup. The team has graciously reviewed the SP3 lenses, sharing their insights and experiences from the shoot. Watch ‘Nayad’ and explore the behind-the-scenes footage and a comprehensive review of the Cooke SP3 lenses on our website. Find the link to watch here: https://bit.ly/4eR6dc4 #cookelook #cooke #shortfilm #cookeSP3 #cinematography #filmmaking #shotoncooke

‘All We Imagine as Light’ won the acclaimed Grand Prix at this year’s Cannes Film Festival. Split into two parts, the film follows two roommates as they navigate their unique relationships in the vibrant city of Mumbai. Cinematographer Ranabir Das chose Cooke S4/i lenses to vividly bring this story to life. We had the pleasure of speaking with Das about his experience using these lenses for the film. You can read the full article by following the link here: https://bit.ly/4eJdI4N #cooke #cookes4 #cannesfilmfestival #cannes #cinematography #filmmaking #cookelook

‘All We Imagine as Light’ won the acclaimed Grand Prix at this year’s Cannes Film Festival. Split into two parts, the film follows two roommates as they navigate their unique relationships in the vibrant city of Mumbai. Cinematographer Ranabir Das chose Cooke S4/i lenses to vividly bring this story to life. We had the pleasure to speak with Das about his experience using these lenses for the film. You can read the full article by following the link here: https://bit.ly/4eJdI4N   #cooke #cookes4 #cannesfilmfestival #cannes #cinematography #filmmaking #cookelook

Using focus in a unique way can allow the cinematographer to emphasise specific elements within a scene. This can be achieved with perspective-controlling lenses, such as macro lenses, or through the use of specialised filters. These methods offer an intimate perspective, allowing us to deeply connect with a character’s experience. Macro lenses can reveal intricate details, adding intensity or depth to each shot. You can preview unique focus here, part of our London gallery. To book a visit to the gallery, follow the link here: https://bit.ly/49Wc8tE #cooke #cinematography #filmmaking #cookelook #focus #macrolens

Manesh Madhavan is a Cinematographer who primarily works in the South Indian film industry and Bollywood. Many of his works have gained international acclaim and he has twice won the Kerala State Film Award for Best Cinematography in 2017 and 2022. We had the pleasure of speaking to Manesh about his latest feature film ‘Nadanna Sambhavam', and his experience using Cooke Panchro/i Classic FF and Varotal/i FF zoom lenses. “So happy to work with the all-new full frame version of Panchro/i Classic FF, based on one of the most influential lenses in the film history, Speed Panchro. Another excitement is working with wonderful Cooke FF Varotal zooms. Cooke Panchro/i Classic FF were the main prime lenses we used for the film. Also, I used 30-95mm as well as 85-215mm Vaortal/i FF zooms. It’s going very well with Panchros. Super happy with the results. Also it’s not very heavy. I used it in Jimmy Jib and taken many shots. Added an extra motor for zooming and able to use full range of zoom. It’s quite fast also. Mostly I used aperture 4 or 3.5. But in extreme situations I used full open i.e 2.9 and it came out nicely.” Thank you, Manesh! #cooke #cinematography #panchro #filmmaking #varotal

The original Cooke Speed Panchro series has long been a favourite amongst filmmakers. The lens series was most recently revitalised with the Cooke Panchro/i Classics, delivering the iconic look whilst integrating modern technology. Read our in-depth article about the design philosophy behind these lenses and see examples of contemporary cinematographers using them for their work. Link to the article is here: https://bit.ly/3RCk4cA #cooke #cookelook #panchro #panchroiclassic #cinematography #filmmaking

One of the highlights of Cine Gear Expo this year was Digital Cinema Society's ‘Cine Lens event’. Chris D'Anna, General Manager of the Cooke Creative Space in Burbank participated in the panel discussion. If you missed the event, you can check out the video below for insights into the conversation on all things cine glass. Link to the video here: https://bit.ly/3VvKaij