In advance of IBC, Cooke has announced a whole new line of extremely compact cinema prime lenses that are designed to feature the character of the famous Cooke Speed Panchros in a modern design, optimized optically and mechanically for mirrorless cameras. The SP3 lenses will launch with five focal lengths – 25mm, 32mm, 50mm, 75mm, and 100mm, all T2.4. The lenses feature a native E mount and an RF mount will be available shortly after delivery, (which will be provided free directly from the manufacturer once they are available.)  L-Mount is available now as an accessory part and M-Mount will be introduced in early 2024. 

Optical coatings on each lens help control lens flares and create matched color across the entire set for a consistent look. A 9-blade iris full frame coverage, and a T2.4 aperture helps create a cinematic bokeh. Focus and iris rings across all focus lengths are aligned for efficient lens switching without needing to recalibrate follow focus motors. A 5-lens kit with a heavy-duty case includes —25mm, 32mm, 50mm, 75mm, and 100mm—. The SP3 range is available worldwide from the middle of September and priced at $4,500 US for a single lens and $21,375 US for the complete set of five lenses and carrying case.

I see a couple of good use cases for the SP3 line including for larger productions to have ability to use very compact mirrorless cameras for gimbals but still maintain a consistent look to match their A-camera lenses like the Panchro/i Classic Primes. The affordable price also makes them a great entry level option for indie filmmakers to capture the character of Cooke lenses with industry standard mechanics. The ability to easily change mounts also allows for more flexibility to use with different cameras, which is valuable to owner operators as well as rental houses. Unlike most other mirrorless lenses, the SP3 line have no built-in electronics for integrated focus assist functions or meta-data capture, which I think is more of a design choice than a shortcoming.  The price, size, and quality level, make Cooke SP3 lenses a unique product offering to the market.