Cooke Announces SP3 6-Lens Set Including a New 18mm T2.4

Cooke changed the cinema game last year with the release of their lauded SP3 series of lenses, which matched the look of the legendary Cooke Panchro Classic lenses, but were available at a fraction of the size and cost. Now, Cooke is back with the all-new Cooke SP3 18mm T2.4, the widest SP3 yet, and an exciting addition to what was already one of the best sets of compact cine lenses on the market. Now available as a 6-lens set with a custom hard case, the SP3s should prove an extremely appealing offering for indie filmmakers, high end corporate videographers, and any cinematographers looking to match larger Cooke lenses without breaking the bank.

The new 18mm joins the 25mm, 32mm, 50mm, 75mm, and 100mm, mirroring those lenses in T-Stop range (T2.4-16), full frame coverage, focus and iris ring placement, and versatile mount options, including Sony E, Canon RF, Leica M, and L mount. Physically, the 18mm and the 100mm are a touch heftier than the rest of the set, coming in about a third of a pound heavier, a third of an inch longer, and sporting a larger front element that takes 77mm filters instead of the 58mm filter threads seen on the rest of the set. Those are very minor differences though, and all six lenses are still incredibly light and compact. These lenses are built for use with mirrorless cameras and compact cinema cameras, often mounted on a gimbal or drone. They’re especially useful for solo operators and small crew scenarios where delicate, cumbersome full-sized Panchros might prove difficult to manage.

The new 18mm SP3 gives you a 99° field of view on full frame sensors, which should prove incredibly useful for establishing shots, tight spaces, and becoming the next Emmanuel Lubezki. The lens also has a close focus distance of only 9.8”, which is helpful for any of those aforementioned cramped quarters. The full six-lens set is now more than enough to cover typical production needs, ensuring you could lens a project start to finish with just the SP3s. These are not budget cine lenses, but they are an incredible value compared to the cost of renting or buying Cooke’s larger Panchro lenses.

Cooke is a legendary name in the movie world, and many of your favorite cinema classics were likely shot with the old school Cooke Speed Panchros that directly inspired the SP3 series. By making “The Cooke Look” accessible to a wider array of creatives, SP3s are helping democratize filmmaking and boost the visual quality of countless projects. Expect beautiful skin tones, immaculate highlight roll-off, and some truly buttery bokeh thanks to 9-blade apertures and proprietary Cooke optical coatings. Whether you’re using the SP3s to complement footage shot on Panchro/i Classics, or using them on their own, the series can certainly aid you in capturing impressive imagery.

For more information about the new Cooke SP3 18mm T2.4 and SP3 6-lens set, including additional features, specs, and highlights, be sure to check out the detailed product pages. Or drop us a line below, and we’ll do our best to answer all of your comments and questions.