Cooke S7: Nine full-frame prime lenses (18–300mm) at T2.0, renowned for the signature Cooke Look—warm skin tones and organic rendering—with 300° focus rotation.
Technical Details
Focal Lengths
| 18 | 25 | 32 | 40 | 50 | 75 | 100 | 135 | 300 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| T2.0 | T2.0 | T2.0 | T2.0 | T2.0 | T2.0 | T2.0 | T2.0 | T2.0 |
| 0.60m | 0.60m | 0.60m | 0.60m | 0.70m | 1.00m | 1.20m | 1.50m | 2.10m |
| 2.8kg | 3.0kg | 3.1kg | 3.2kg | 3.3kg | 3.5kg | 3.8kg | 4.0kg | 4.2kg |
| 110 | 110 | 110 | 110 | 110 | 110 | 110 | 110 | 110 |
| 90° | 72° | 60° | 50° | 40° | 27° | 20° | 15° | 7° |
| ◀━━━━▶ | ◀━━━▶ | ◀━━━▶ | ◀━━▶ | ◀━━▶ | ◀━▶ | ◀▶ | ◀▶ | ◀▶ |
PL · 110mm Front · 300° Focus · /i Tech · Full Frame
The S7/i series comprises nine focal lengths: 18mm, 25mm, 32mm, 40mm, 50mm, 75mm, 100mm, 135mm, and 300mm, all with a constant T2.0 aperture. The lenses utilize Cooke's characteristic spherical aberration correction and feature /i Technology for metadata transmission to compatible cameras. The focus ring rotates 300° for precise focus pulls, and the front thread is consistently 110mm. The lenses weigh between 2.8kg (18mm) and 4.2kg (300mm) and measure between 142mm and 185mm in length.
The optical design is based on 15-20 lens elements depending on the focal length, with special Cooke coatings for minimal reflections. The close focus distance varies between 0.6m (wide-angle) and 2.1m (300mm).
History & Development
Cooke announced the S7/i series at the BSC Expo in February 2018, in response to cameras like the RED Monstro, Arri Alexa LF, and Sony Venice. The first lenses reached the market in late 2018, with only four focal lengths initially available. In 2019, the range was completed with the remaining focal lengths. Development took four years and cost Cooke over £10 million.
The S7/i leverages Cooke's 70 years of experience in cinema lens manufacturing, bringing the characteristic "Cooke Look" fully to full-frame for the first time.
Field Use in Film
The S7/i series was used on productions such as "1917" (2019, DoP Roger Deakins), "Dune" (2021, DoP Greig Fraser), and "The Batman" (2022, DoP Greig Fraser). Cinematographers appreciate the shallow depth of field at T2.0 for isolating subjects and the seamless cutting between different focal lengths.
The characteristic Cooke Look is evident in its soft contrast, warm skin tones, and organic bokeh. Focus pullers benefit from the long focus throws and precise markings. The combination with full-frame sensors allows for more extreme wide-angle perspectives without fisheye distortion.
Comparison & Alternatives
The S7/i directly competes with Zeiss Supreme Primes (T1.5), Sigma Cine FF (T1.5-2.8), and Arri Signature Primes (T1.8-2.8). While Zeiss aims for maximum sharpness, Cooke prioritizes organic rendering. Sigma offers more affordable full-frame optics with variable apertures but does not achieve the mechanical precision of the S7/i.
For smaller budgets, the Cooke S4/i (Super35) offers an alternative with a similar look. For extreme low-light requirements, Zeiss Supreme or Leica Summilux-C lenses outperform the S7/i due to their T1.5 maximum aperture.