For those of us looking at Vintage Zooms. A review.....

[Timur Civan]

http://timurcivan.blogspot.com/2011/03/examination-of-lenses.html

The first of many such examinations.

[Rob Castiglione]

Terrific. A really enjoyable read and I agree a great subject to explore. Please do as many lenses as you can get your hands on!

[Timur Civan]

Thanks Rob!

I am about to buy a Lomo Squarefront Anamorphic 37-140 T3.3. This is gonna get awesome real soon..... ( or Really horrid..... and depending on the project that could be good or bad...)

[Rob Castiglione]

I know that you are testing lenses and not cameras but it would still be interesting to investigate the notion that the best of all possible worlds is older glass on the new digital sensors.

Also, I note that you have the Cooke Panchros. I am thinking of getting these but of course there is the concern that T2.8 won't be fast enough. What is your experience on the Red MX sensor?

[Andy White]

Thanks Rob! I am about to buy a Lomo Squarefront Anamorphic 37-140 T3.3. This is gonna get awesome real soon..... ( or Really horrid..... and depending on the project that could be good or bad...)

Ahhh - the infamous Lomo Foton - some people love it - others hate it! It's not considered to be amongst the best Lomo zooms (OPF-18 20-120 is supposed to be 'king of the zooms'), but I think some of this is subjective. The Squarefront Foton attachment is quite rare nowadays... looking forward to seeing what you get with it!

Nice write up on the Cooke Varotal - footage looks nice too... you seem to be enjoying the F3.

[Timur Civan]

I know that you are testing lenses and not cameras but it would still be interesting to investigate the notion that the best of all possible worlds is older glass on the new digital sensors.

Also, I note that you have the Cooke Panchros. I am thinking of getting these but of course there is the concern that T2.8 won't be fast enough. What is your experience on the Red MX sensor?

Definitly! Read though the rest of my blog, i have a write up about a 1908 Wollensak CineVelostigmat (http://timurcivan.blogspot.com/2010/10/something-old-meets-something-new.html) modified for EF (and though the birger can go on REDone,F3, Epic, AF, really anything with a EF mount). I used for some photography on assignment in Iraq (http://timurcivan.blogspot.com/2011/02/chance-of-lifetime-photography-in-iraq.html)

I LOVE cooke glass. love it. With a working ISO800 on the MX/Epic, pretend its a T1.8 on a RedoneM (ISO320). Plus the panchros are sharp wide open, and match S4's for color, sharpness, contrast, bokeh, and flare exactly. They are just small S4's that are stuck at a T2.8 but cover 5k, and are smaller and lighter.

I'm actually starting to write the Panchro post now... so in a day or two it will be up.

[Timur Civan]

Ahhh - the infamous Lomo Foton - some people love it - others hate it! It's not considered to be amongst the best Lomo zooms (OPF-18 20-120 is supposed to be 'king of the zooms'), but I think some of this is subjective. The Squarefront Foton attachment is quite rare nowadays... looking forward to seeing what you get with it!

Nice write up on the Cooke Varotal - footage looks nice too... you seem to be enjoying the F3.

Oh man im so excited. You see, i like a lens with lot of character. Soft? no problem anamorphics are about bending light in crazy ways, flares? its like cinematography curry, a little extra spice. I think im going to be very happy.

Yea, i love the RED, and have plans to purchase an EpicS. The F3 is a stopgap, had i purchased a used red i coulnt fit the panchros into my budget. I will have the panchos for the rest of my life... the F3? well, maybe another 2 years.

[Mike 'Fireman' Ross]

Very interesting, a good read - thanks! I'd like to see a vintage 25-250 shootout; Cooke vs. Angie or something like that

(and I'm *still* looking for a Cooke Mk1 25-250 - the big f2.8/T3.1 version.....)

Mike

[Timur Civan]

If i can get my hands on them for a day or two each.... i will certainly write one up.

I would write from memory about Superspeeds, and The 24-290, but i dont have any visual aides..... that sort of shows nothing...

[Andy White]

Oh man im so excited. You see, i like a lens with lot of character. Soft? no problem anamorphics are about bending light in crazy ways, flares? its like cinematography curry, a little extra spice. I think im going to be very happy. Yea, i love the RED, and have plans to purchase an EpicS. The F3 is a stopgap, had i purchased a used red i coulnt fit the panchros into my budget. I will have the panchos for the rest of my life... the F3? well, maybe another 2 years.

Couldn't agree more on lens character - love Squarefronts (cream & flare wonderment in my eyes) but some (I like to call them the 'unconverted' - LOL) don't like the Lomo/Ana look. Personaly, I think antique lenses give something 'back' to the digital image.

I agree, Lenses are for life :)

[Andy White]

Very interesting, a good read - thanks! I'd like to see a vintage 25-250 shootout; Cooke vs. Angie or something like that (and I'm *still* looking for a Cooke Mk1 25-250 - the big f2.8/T3.1 version.....) Mike

There's a MkII on EvilBay at the moment... might be worth a best offer?

[Mike 'Fireman' Ross]

If i can get my hands on them for a day or two each.... i will certainly write one up.

I would write from memory about Superspeeds, and The 24-290, but i dont have any visual aides..... that sort of shows nothing...

I'm in New York. If I track down the Cooke, you'll get to play with it, promise!

Mike

[Timur Civan]

I'm in New York. If I track down the Cooke, you'll get to play with it, promise!

Mike

Oh aweosme! So if you ever need panchros, varotal, cp1's or a duclos 11-16 don't be afrait to call!

[Mike 'Fireman' Ross]

There's a MkII on EvilBay at the moment... might be worth a best offer?

Thanks for the heads-up... I noticed that, but I'm being picky... The only lens I really want is the rarer 'Super Cooke' MkI f2.8... this one:

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=260740289591

I was determined to win that one on ebay, but got stuck at a big fire all day and missed it... been kicking myself ever since. If I find one, a nice one, and like the look as much as I think I will, I'd send it to Duclos or Visual Products and spend some serious money getting it right, and keep it forever. Very interesting lens, was slightly famous in its day for being used on the original 'Superman', IIRC.

Mike

[ckarcher]

We have the Cooke 18-100 T 2.9.... images do have a character unlike anything I've ever shot on.

Some samples below:

I've considered selling it, but i keep coming back for the character.


http://www.vimeo.com/2443915

http://www.vimeo.com/19275766

[Rob Castiglione]

This is definitely going to become one of my favourite threads. I look forward to learning a lot.

Tim Concerning the Panchros - Nothing is going to deter me from purchasing them. It was smart to buy them first. Cameras come and go!

[Timur Civan]

Cameras do come and go... faster and faster these days.... im just glad the panchros cover 5k. :)

@charaktr

The Silk spot has 18-100 written all over it! Was the entirety of the quaalcom spot shot on the Cooke varotal?

[Richard Foster]

Very Nice Spots, ckarcher !

[Andy White]

Thanks for the heads-up... I noticed that, but I'm being picky... The only lens I really want is the rarer 'Super Cooke' MkI f2.8... this one:
http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=260740289591 I was determined to win that one on ebay, but got stuck at a big fire all day and missed it... been kicking myself ever since. If I find one, a nice one, and like the look as much as I think I will, I'd send it to Duclos or Visual Products and spend some serious money getting it right, and keep it forever. Very interesting lens, was slightly famous in its day for being used on the original 'Superman', IIRC.

Mike

Ahh yes, EvilBay was the lens over in Italia... wonder who got it? Anyway, I'm sure another will pop up - looks like you feel the same way on the Cooke as I do with my Lomos :)

[Zakaree Sandberg]

Very interesting, a good read - thanks! I'd like to see a vintage 25-250 shootout; Cooke vs. Angie or something like that

(and I'm *still* looking for a Cooke Mk1 25-250 - the big f2.8/T3.1 version.....)

Mike

I recommend looking for a mk2 or a 20-100.
I had a cooke 25-250 Mk1.. it breathed like a son of a bitch.. usually i can deal with breathing.. but not this lens.. it looked like i was zooming from 25mm to 50mm when racking focus..

but i am a HUGE cooke fan.. especially the older glass.. these cooke zooms.. 18-100, 20-100, 25-250 and the panchros.. LOVE THEM

I love my Kowa glass too.. its def cooler in color temp.. sharper than the cooke glass.. but over all i can get it all to match pretty well..

RETRO GLASS FAN ~

[Timur Civan]

The 18-100 breathes even less than the 20-100. Optically they perform similarly for sharpness of contrast, but the 18-100 hardly breathes.

[Mike 'Fireman' Ross]

I recommend looking for a mk2 or a 20-100.
I had a cooke 25-250 Mk1.. it breathed like a son of a bitch.. usually i can deal with breathing.. but not this lens.. it looked like i was zooming from 25mm to 50mm when racking focus..

RETRO GLASS FAN ~

I can handle the breathing, really... I'll probably shoot it more as a variable prime, and the stuff I shoot won't involve too much racking of focus. And remember, the T3.1 Mk. 1 is somewhat of a different lens to the more common T4.0 Mk1... I don't know whether they have many elements in common or not. Hopefully the breathing will be better. If anyone owns the T3.1 I'd certainly be interested to hear their opinions on the lens.

[Ryan Lalonde]

I'd be interested on reviews on older anamorphic zooms, been looking at prime sets but if there is a decent round front zoom out there....

[Timur Civan]

I just bought a old Lomo anamorphic Zoom. I will write that one up as soon as I get the chance to test it a bit.

[Zakaree Sandberg]

If anyone owns the T3.1 I'd certainly be interested to hear their opinions on the lens.

if your talking about the 3.1 20-100, I have one..

I have owned every single one of vintage cooke zooms.

right now, i just have the 20-100 which I like

[Mike 'Fireman' Ross]

if your talking about the 3.1 20-100, I have one..

I have owned every single one of vintage cooke zooms.

right now, i just have the 20-100 which I like

Nope, the 3.1 25-250...

Mike

[Zakaree Sandberg]

oooo yes.. forgot about that one:) dont have it. never used it.. interested in hearing about it

[Andy White]

I'd be interested on reviews on older anamorphic zooms, been looking at prime sets but if there is a decent round front zoom out there....

As far as I know, in terms of Lomos, a Roundfront Ana wasn't produced (happy to be wrong though!). Instead, rear Ana adapters were added to spherical zooms to produce anamorphic zooms. Obviously, this resulted in the loss of a few stops.

The smaller Foton zoom is interesting in that it has a Squarefront Ana adapter (no stop loss) and a rear Ana adapter (as with the larger zooms). Maybe it was a style choice, as rear Ana adapters don't flare as much as Roundfronts. Squarefronts flare even more :)

Not sure on any other type of old Ana zoom? I know that the 20-120 lomo rear adapter is often converted for spherical Cooke & Angie zooms (as well as other 50-500 Ana's used on 25-250's).

[Ryan Lalonde]

Is there not any anamorphic zooms that aren't adapaters (besides panavisions) ? Round or square front?
Though maybe an adapter would be the way to go, as 95% percent of projects demand spherical.

edit:been reading online and it seems almost all anamorphic zooms are garbage!

[Timur Civan]

Yea, but garbage can be good for a music video ;)

[Mike 'Fireman' Ross]

Met up with Timur this afternoon and had some fun...

http://reduser.net/forum/attachment.php?attachmentid=14092&d=1304725770


Watch this space! ;-)

Mike

[Timur Civan]

That is one super cool lens!

[Clint Lealos]

That does look like fun!

[Timur Civan]

Pardon my delay in talking about this thing.. i will start a new thread for it.

Thank you to Mr Mike Ross for coming all the way to NYC to help test this puppy out. He is a great guy, and can actually pronounce the name "Eyjafjallajökull" with out getting out of breath!

[Mike 'Fireman' Ross]

Pardon my delay in talking about this thing.. i will start a new thread for it.

Thank you to Mr Mike Ross for coming all the way to NYC to help test this puppy out. He is a great guy, and can actually pronounce the name "Eyjafjallajökull" with out getting out of breath!

No problemo, was a lot of fun; Timur is a great guy to work with. Thanks to Mr. Civan & Mr. Cooke I'm now convinced of the necessity of buying new sticks. I'll sell it to my accountant as insurance; 'what do you prefer, investing in new sticks, or seeing the Cooke & the RED descending at 32ft per second per second when the old sticks decide they've had enough...?'

Looking forward to seeing your review!

Mike

[Timur Civan]

Well my sachtlers are monsterous, but also monsterously strong. I stood on the Baby's as a step to get up to the Tall Sticks fully extended the other day. and im not light!

[Mike 'Fireman' Ross]

Had a chance to throw the Cooke on the EPIC briefly at REDucation. Vignettes noticeably at 5k at the wide end as you might expect.


250:

http://reduser.net/forum/attachment.php?attachmentid=14452&d=1306504106


75ish:

http://reduser.net/forum/attachment.php?attachmentid=14451&d=1306504092


50ish:

http://reduser.net/forum/attachment.php?attachmentid=14450&d=1306504077




Mike