Cooke Varo-Panchro 20-60mm T3.1 Vintage Zoom Lens
The Cooke 20-60mm is praised for its optical excellence, rivaling prime lenses. As one of Cooke's finest zoom lenses, it offers sharper performance at wider apertures and exhibits minimal chromatic aberrations, a common issue even among contemporary prime lenses. Featuring a 9-blade petal-shaped iris, the lens produces stunning bokeh when stopped down. Its sharpness carries the distinct, flattering characteristics typical of Cooke lenses, with a slight warmth in color rendition. Thanks to its substantial front element, it's prone to beautiful lens flares if desired, all while effectively controlling focus breathing, particularly at the wide end, where it's most noticeable.
Covering a versatile 20mm to 60mm range, this lens suits various projects and is relatively lightweight at 6 pounds. Handholding is feasible without issues, and a lens support is unnecessary when used with cameras equipped with a proper PL mount. It complements Cooke Speed Panchro primes seamlessly, even earning the moniker "Varo-Panchro" from Cooke.
A notable recommendation is to employ the Veydra 1.2x expander with this lens, especially when working with cameras boasting larger sensors like the Alexa Mini Open Gate and RED Super 35mm cameras. The Veydra expander enables these lenses to cover larger sensors with minimal image quality loss and only a 1/4-stop reduction in light.
Minimum Focus: 2' 4”
T-Stop Range: T3.1-T22
OD: 125mm
Weight: 13 lbs
Image Circle: ⌀27.9mm
PL Mount, Academy 35, Super 35 Coverage
The Cooke 20-60mm is praised for its optical excellence, rivaling prime lenses. As one of Cooke's finest zoom lenses, it offers sharper performance at wider apertures and exhibits minimal chromatic aberrations, a common issue even among contemporary prime lenses. Featuring a 9-blade petal-shaped iris, the lens produces stunning bokeh when stopped down. Its sharpness carries the distinct, flattering characteristics typical of Cooke lenses, with a slight warmth in color rendition. Thanks to its substantial front element, it's prone to beautiful lens flares if desired, all while effectively controlling focus breathing, particularly at the wide end, where it's most noticeable.
Covering a versatile 20mm to 60mm range, this lens suits various projects and is relatively lightweight at 6 pounds. Handholding is feasible without issues, and a lens support is unnecessary when used with cameras equipped with a proper PL mount. It complements Cooke Speed Panchro primes seamlessly, even earning the moniker "Varo-Panchro" from Cooke.
A notable recommendation is to employ the Veydra 1.2x expander with this lens, especially when working with cameras boasting larger sensors like the Alexa Mini Open Gate and RED Super 35mm cameras. The Veydra expander enables these lenses to cover larger sensors with minimal image quality loss and only a 1/4-stop reduction in light.
Minimum Focus: 2' 4”
T-Stop Range: T3.1-T22
OD: 125mm
Weight: 13 lbs
Image Circle: ⌀27.9mm
PL Mount, Academy 35, Super 35 Coverage
The Cooke 20-60mm is praised for its optical excellence, rivaling prime lenses. As one of Cooke's finest zoom lenses, it offers sharper performance at wider apertures and exhibits minimal chromatic aberrations, a common issue even among contemporary prime lenses. Featuring a 9-blade petal-shaped iris, the lens produces stunning bokeh when stopped down. Its sharpness carries the distinct, flattering characteristics typical of Cooke lenses, with a slight warmth in color rendition. Thanks to its substantial front element, it's prone to beautiful lens flares if desired, all while effectively controlling focus breathing, particularly at the wide end, where it's most noticeable.
Covering a versatile 20mm to 60mm range, this lens suits various projects and is relatively lightweight at 6 pounds. Handholding is feasible without issues, and a lens support is unnecessary when used with cameras equipped with a proper PL mount. It complements Cooke Speed Panchro primes seamlessly, even earning the moniker "Varo-Panchro" from Cooke.
A notable recommendation is to employ the Veydra 1.2x expander with this lens, especially when working with cameras boasting larger sensors like the Alexa Mini Open Gate and RED Super 35mm cameras. The Veydra expander enables these lenses to cover larger sensors with minimal image quality loss and only a 1/4-stop reduction in light.
Minimum Focus: 2' 4”
T-Stop Range: T3.1-T22
OD: 125mm
Weight: 13 lbs
Image Circle: ⌀27.9mm
PL Mount, Academy 35, Super 35 Coverage