Cooke S4

1. Overview

The Cooke S4 32mm is a spherical prime lens from the S4 series, developed by Cooke Optics in 1998 for Super 35 use. The series quickly established itself as a standard in commercial and studio production, where reliability across multiple setups is required.

2. Characteristics

Flare behavior according to CINEFLARES datasheet:

• Types: Spherical Spot, Rainbow, Caustic, Starburst
• Colors: Blue, Purple
• Intensity: Average

Linked Pattern Entries:

• spherical-spot
• rainbow-flare
• caustic-flare

3. Creative Use

The S4 32mm delivers the characteristic 'Cooke Look': warm skin tones, soft mid-tone gradation with high contrast – modern glass that doesn't appear clinical. Flares are subtle, with blue and purple spots in hard backlight, nothing dramatic. The focal length on Super 35 is a wide normal lens, very usable for tight interiors without strong wide-angle distortion. It can be found in practically every major rental house worldwide, often rented as part of complete S4 sets – for episodic television and feature film alike. For indie productions, renting a set is often more cost-effective than individual lens rental, which is why the 32mm is rarely booked alone.

4. Specs Overview

5. Status Tracker

• [x] Datasheet extracted (DOM-direct, 2026-04-20)
• [ ] Overview formulated
• [ ] Creative use researched
• [ ] AI-Illu or Manufacturer Photo (with attribution)
• [ ] Translations (9 languages)
• [ ] Import via import-lexikon.mjs