What we heard from the industry

While many directors of photography prefer to specify Cooke lenses to benefit from the Cooke look as well as ease of use on set and reliable operation, cost has sometimes been a barrier. Additionally, many buyers of digital cameras like Red also want to have a complete set of lenses at a realistic price.

We also wanted to open up the possibility of using Cooke lenses in risky situations like on-board stunts; less expensive lenses reduce rental and insurance costs.

S4 quality deserves the S4 name

Our goal was to offer a smaller and lighter lens that provides the same resolution, optical quality and reliability as the S4/i, but at a lower price. We decided that the lenses should also be suitable for shooting film and digital images up to and beyond a 4K resolution pipeline.

Additionally, the lenses include /i technology, providing lens data per frame for downstream post-production. Like the S4/i lenses, the miniS4/i are designed for motion picture photography and they do not breathe.

The lenses are one stop slower than the S4/i, which allows them to be smaller and lighter.

All Cooke lenses are colour matched. This means that miniS4/i and S4/i lenses can be mixed on a shoot with confidence that the images will match.

The miniS4/i lenses (T2.8 to T22 aperture) incorporate everything today's filmmakers demand: smaller and lighter lenses that offer the same resolution, optical quality and reliability as S4/i lenses at T2.8 speed. With the speed of new digital cameras, T2.8 is the new economical T2.0. The Mini S4/i are interchangeable with S4/i and 5/i lenses for shooting film and digital images up to and beyond 4K resolution. Current Mini S4/i focal lengths are 18, 21, 25, 32, 40, 50, 65, 75, 100 and 135mm.

Technology

All our miniS4/i lenses come with /i technology, and are designed for all professional film and electronic cinema cameras with PL mount. The /i technology provides directors of photography and camera operators with essential information about lens settings, focus distance, aperture and depth of field, hyperfocal distance, serial number, owner data, lens type and focal length in metric and feet measurements. For zooms, zoom position is displayed.

Maximum format covered -- 33.54mm diameter (New Epic S35mm format)

Focus scales -- Two opposing focus scales - metric or feet. Scales marked from infinity to MOD.

Focus ring -- 121 teeth 0.8 metric module x 5.0mm wide x 101mm from image plane.

Iris scales -- Two opposing linear T scales - full and third stops marked.

Iris ring -- 119 teeth 0.8 metric module x 2.5mm wide x 85mm from image plane.

Screw-in filter -- M82 x 0.75 (25mm - 135mm)


Features


Optical design -- The optics are designed to deliver maximum performance at full aperture with superior control of flare, distortion and spherical aberration.

Electronics -- Accessible via contacts in the PL mount that synchronise with /i compatible cameras.

Colour balance -- All miniS4/i lenses are colour balanced, matched and compatible with Cooke 5/i, S4/i and Anamorphic/i.

Aperture -- All miniS4/i lenses have a true T2.8 aperture and cover Super 35mm format.

Index marks -- Each index mark is labelled. More detailed markings allow more precise focus control.

Focus movement -- Our Academy Award® winning cam focus movement, combined with the additional advantage of a large lens barrel diameter, has allowed for an increased number of focus marks, particularly in close focus. Spherical aberration has been controlled across the entire focal length range to eliminate compensation for back focus changes with aperture. A four-point contact bearing ensures smooth and positive movement without play.

Camera mounts -- Hardened Cooke PL mount with /i technology contacts.

Graduated focus -- Large clear numbers on both sides of the focus barrel make the focus puller's job easier when shooting in difficult lighting conditions.

Compatibility -- All Cooke miniS4/i lenses, except the 18mm, have a common fixed front diameter of 87mm, with a 121-tooth x 0.8 mod focus ring and a 119-tooth x 0.8 iris ring.

External finish -- All Cooke lenses feature a scratch-resistant PTFE hard anodised finish, providing a durable and resistant surface to meet the most demanding environmental conditions.

Iris -- An eight-blade linear diaphragm is integrated into the miniS4/i lenses with an aperture range from T2.8 to T22.

Weight/size ratio -- The lenses are designed for all types of shooting, including shoulder-mounted and Steadicam, offering a comfortable balance ratio with the latest compact cameras.

Reliability and service -- The miniS4/i lenses are designed to meet market requirements for reliable performance with minimal downtime.