Cooke Varotal 20-100mm T3.1

We don’t have a vetted photo of this one yet. Own a copy? Send us a packshot and we’ll credit you.

The first high-end 5:1 cine zoom with a sealed, non-rotating front group and internal focusing, which made matte boxes and filters straightforward. Cooke documents its heavy use for the slow zoom shots in Barry Lyndon. It is big and heavy (about 11.5 lb) and the quoted close focus is measured from the front of the lens. It was computed for the 35mm cine frame; check the wide end for corner shading on open-gate sensors.

Key specs

Focal length

20–100 mm

Max aperture

T3.1

Mount

Mitchell BNCR, ARRI Bayonet, PL

Image circle

Super 35

Close focus

0.71 m

Front diameter

144 mm

Weight

5.22 kg

Field of view by sensor

Full frame

84° – 20.4° horizontal · frames like 20 mm – 100 mm on full frame

Super 35

63.8° – 14.2° horizontal · frames like 28.9 mm – 144.6 mm on full frame

Micro Four Thirds

46.8° – 9.9° horizontal · frames like 41.6 mm – 208.1 mm on full frame

What it goes on

Most surviving copies have already been converted to PL; BNCR and Arri bayonet versions exist. Needs lens support on any modern camera. Service houses such as TLS and Duclos still overhaul them.

• PL camerasNativeALEXA 265, ALEXA 35, PYXIS 12K, PYXIS 6K +15 more
• Sony E camerasWith adapterRonin 4D-6K, Ronin 4D-8K, Alpha 1 II, Alpha 7 IV +13 more

  Wooden Camera E to PL · Vocas PL to E · Metabones PL-E. Solid and common. Support the lens — the E-mount is not built to carry a heavy cine zoom on its own.

• Canon RF camerasWith adapterEOS C400, EOS C50, EOS C70, EOS C80 +10 more

  Wooden Camera RF to PL · Canon PL-RF (C400 / C80) · Kipon PL-RF. Common; use lens support with heavy glass.

• L-Mount camerasWith adapterCinema Camera 6K, PYXIS 12K, PYXIS 6K, Ronin 4D-6K +6 more

  Leitz L-PL · Wooden Camera L to PL · Sigma MC-31. Common; use lens support with heavy glass.

• Micro Four Thirds camerasWith adapterMicro Studio Camera 4K G2, Pocket Cinema Camera 4K, Lumix BGH1, Lumix GH6 +1 more

  Wooden Camera MFT to PL · MTF PL to MFT. Works, with a 2x crop on Super 35 glass relative to full frame.

• LPL camerasWith adapterALEXA 265, ALEXA 35, ALEXA Mini LF, URSA Cine 17K 65

  ARRI PL-to-LPL Adapter. ARRI's own adapter, passes LDS / Cooke /i lens data.

• Nikon Z camerasWith adapterKOMODO-X 6K S35, V-RAPTOR [X] 8K VV, V-RAPTOR XE

  Wooden Camera Z to PL · Kipon PL-NIK Z. Common; use lens support with heavy glass.

• Canon EF camerasWith adapter· by flange mathsALEXA 265, ALEXA 35, ALEXA Mini LF, Pocket Cinema Camera 6K G2 +14 more

  17.5 mm of room for a plain ring. Check rear-element and mirror clearance before buying.

• Leica M camerasWith adapter· by flange mathsALEXA 265, ALEXA 35, ALEXA Mini LF, Ronin 4D-6K +1 more

  33.7 mm of room for a plain ring. Check rear-element and mirror clearance before buying.

• B4 (2/3") camerasWith adapter· by flange mathsURSA Broadcast G2, URSA Mini Pro 4.6K G2, AJ-CX4000

  13.5 mm of room for a plain ring. Check rear-element and mirror clearance before buying.

• Nikon F camerasWith adapter· by flange mathsURSA Mini Pro 12K, URSA Mini Pro 12K OLPF, URSA Mini Pro 4.6K G2

  15 mm of room for a plain ring. Check rear-element and mirror clearance before buying.

See every camera this lens fits →

Sources: cookeoptics.com, visualproducts.com