Cooke S4 FF/i Announced – Full-Frame T2.0 Primes, 385mm Average Close Focus, 87mm Front Diameter

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by Nino LeitnerToday

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Cooke Optics has introduced the S4 FF/i, a full-frame evolution of its S4/i Super 35 primes. The set has six T2.0 lenses from 18mm to 100mm, a common 87mm front diameter and close focus that averages just over 15 inches. With the original S4/i out of production since the start of 2025, the new series puts the S4 name back into Cooke’s PL and LPL lineup.

The Cooke S4 FF/i range includes 18mm, 25mm, 35mm, 50mm, 75mm and 100mm focal lengths, all at T2 to T16. Each lens comes in PL or LPL mount, has a nine-blade iris with curved blades and carries Cooke’s latest /i Technology for lens metadata. The lenses weigh between 1.45kg / 3.2lbs and 1.8kg / 4.0lbs with a PL mount. The front diameter is 87mm / 3.42in on every focal length, and all lenses except the 18mm accept M82 x 0.75 screw-in filters. In the UK, CVP lists the lenses at £11,000 ex VAT each. We reported in December 2024 that Cooke S4 and S4/i lenses would be discontinued, with production ending on January 1, 2025. The S4 FF/i is not a rehoused S4/i. Cooke describes it as a new lens design that keeps some optical qualities of the Super 35 set and updates them for full-frame cameras.

The S4 FF/i joins Cooke’s other full-frame spherical lines, which include the faster S8/i FF T1.4 primes and the vintage-styled Panchro/i Classic FF range. For mirrorless mounts, the company recently brought its SP3 and AP3 lenses to Nikon Z mount. Cooke calls the S4 FF/i “the everyday set”, and positions it as a compact workhorse for handheld, gimbal and Steadicam work.

Six focal lengths, one front diameter

Cooke’s specification sheet gives the following figures with a PL mount. The 18mm is 124mm / 5.07in long and weighs 1.8kg / 4.0lbs. The 25mm is 110mm / 4.33in long and weighs 1.65kg / 3.6lbs. The 35mm is 107.5mm / 4.23in long and weighs 1.7kg / 3.75lbs.

The 50mm is the lightest lens in the set at 1.45kg / 3.2lbs, with a length of 94.6mm / 3.72in. The 75mm is the shortest at 89.3mm / 3.51in and weighs 1.6kg / 3.5lbs. The 100mm is 106.6mm / 4.19in long and weighs 1.65kg / 3.65lbs. Length is measured from the front of the lens to the lens mount.

The average weight across the set is 1,642g. According to Cooke, the lenses are 29% lighter on average than the original S4/i S35 primes, and the company calls the set “among the lightest and most compact cinema lens sets Cooke has ever delivered.” A common 87mm front diameter means one clamp-on matte box size fits the whole set. Focus gears have 123 teeth and iris gears have 117 teeth, both at 0.8 metric module. The focus scale turns 270° from infinity to the minimum marked distance, and the iris scale turns 75°.

What about close focus?

Close focus is one of the main points that Cooke makes about the S4 FF/i. Measured from the sensor, the minimum marked object distance is 300mm / 12in on the 18mm, 280mm / 11in on the 25mm and 35mm, 350mm / 14in on the 50mm, 450mm / 18in on the 75mm and 650mm / 2ft 3in on the 100mm. Cooke gives the average as 385mm, or just over 15 inches.

The specification sheet also lists close focus from the front of the lens, which is the more useful figure for working distance on set. The values are 124mm / 5.07in for the 18mm, 118mm / 4.62in for the 25mm, 121mm / 4.72in for the 35mm, 203mm / 8.23in for the 50mm, 309mm / 12.44in for the 75mm and 491mm / 20.76in for the 100mm. Cooke says that hands and small details can fill the frame, and that performance holds from infinity to the minimum object distance. Focus scales are available in imperial or metric, marked from infinity to MOD.

Coverage and angle of view

The lenses cover full frame, and Cooke names the RED V-RAPTOR, Sony VENICE and ARRI ALEXA LF as target cameras. The specification sheet uses a 36 x 24mm format with a 43.27mm diagonal for its full-frame angle of view figures. Cooke does not publish a separate image circle figure.

On full frame, the maximum diagonal angles of view are 101.9° (18mm), 83.6° (25mm), 63.4° (35mm), 46.7° (50mm), 32.2° (75mm) and 24.4° (100mm). On a Super 35 format with a 30mm diagonal, the figures are 82.2°, 65.4°, 48.3°, 34.7°, 23.5° and 17.8°.

The look: flares, skin tones and bokeh

Cooke says the S4 FF/i keeps the natural skin tones of the S4/i S35, with “a gentleness to faces akin to a very light filtration.” The company describes detail as having “gentle clarity rather than a brittle or clinical edge,” and says the lenses add a slight warmth to the image. Highlights have a slight glow and bloom, according to Cooke.

Flares are layered, and veiling flare takes on the color of the light source. Cooke states that each focal length flares a little differently. Contrast softens in flare without the picture becoming hazy, according to the company.

Cooke also says that sharpness holds from edge to edge with very little loss of detail towards the corners, and that contrast falloff is gentle. Bokeh is circular wide open and takes on a cat’s eye shape towards the frame edges, and Cooke says that this change is consistent across the focal lengths. The S4/i S35 had an iris with eight straight blades. The new nine-blade iris with curved blades keeps out-of-focus highlights rounder when the lens is stopped down. The iris has two opposing linear T-scales, with whole and third stops marked. All lenses in the series are color matched.

/i Technology and metadata

Each S4 FF/i lens has Cooke’s latest /i Technology. Data goes through the lens mount contacts and a cable connector. The real-time data includes focus position, iris position and inertial motion data. Every lens also has its own factory-calibrated shading and distortion map, which it transmits with the other data.

These maps are used by the Cooke Digital Lens System, a set of Nuke nodes that uses per-frame metadata and individually measured lens profiles for distortion management in camera tracking, matchmove and compositing. Cooke also notes the benefits for virtual production. According to Cooke, more than 300 lens models from different manufacturers support /i Technology, and major cinema cameras record the metadata directly into their RAW files.

Build and service

The lenses are handmade at Cooke’s factory in Leicester, UK. Each lens has a scratch-resistant coating on its exterior. Cooke says that the lenses are designed for easy servicing and maintenance, to keep downtime to a minimum.

David Hancock, CEO of Cooke Optics, said: “This lens series is the result of years of planning and work by my dedicated colleagues. I hope this lens can continue Cooke’s core purpose: a tool to empower a diverse variety of artists to express a wide array of distinctive, emotion-based visual storytelling.”

Price and availability

In the UK, CVP lists the Cooke S4 FF/i lenses at £11,000 ex VAT each (about £13,200 including 20% VAT), with PL and LPL versions at the same price. The complete six-lens PL set costs £66,000 ex VAT (£79,200 including VAT). CVP lists the single lenses as special order items and the set as available for backorder. At the time of writing, B&H does not list the S4 FF/i, and Cooke has not published a US dollar price. Cooke has not announced a shipping date. Its Rent or Buy page lists resellers and rental houses. For more information, please visit the Cooke website, where you can also download the full specification sheet.

Did you shoot with the original S4/i, and would a lighter full-frame version bring you back to the set? Don’t hesitate to let us know in the comments below!