What we heard from the industry

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

We also wanted to open up the possibility of using Cooke lenses in risky situations such as 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 be equally 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 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 prime 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 a speed of T2.8. 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 prime lenses are supplied with /i technology, and are designed for all professional PL mount film cameras, film and electronic. /i technology provides directors of photography and camera operators with essential information on 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 zoom lenses, zoom position is displayed.

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

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

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

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

Iris drive gear -- 119 teeth 0.8 metric module x 2.5 mm wide x 85 mm 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 prime lenses are colour balanced, colour matched and compatible with Cooke 5/i, S4/i and Anamorphic/i.

Aperture -- All miniS4/i prime 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 enabled an increase in the number of focus marks, particularly at close distance. Spherical aberration has been controlled across the entire focal range to eliminate compensation for back focus changes with aperture. A four-point contact bearing provides smooth, positive and backlash-free movement.

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

Focus graduation -- Large clear numbers on both sides of the focus barrel benefit the focus puller when shooting in challenging lighting conditions.

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

External finish -- A scratch-resistant PTFE hard anodised finish is provided on all Cooke lenses, offering a durable and wear-resistant surface to meet the most demanding environmental conditions.

Iris -- An eight-blade linear iris assembly is mounted in the miniS4/i prime lenses with an aperture range from T2.8 to T22.

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

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