Cooke Optics is bringing its AP3 and SP3 series cinema prime lenses to Nikon Z-mount cameras, joining existing mount options for Sony E, L-Mount, Canon RF, and Leica M.

Cooke announced the SP3 range of cinema prime lenses in September 2023, a five-lens series, each equipped with a T2.4 aperture. The SP3 range then comprised 25mm, 32mm, 50mm, 75mm, and 100mm T2.4 cinema primes. Since then, Cooke added an SP3 18mm T2.4 lens to the mix, as CineD notes.

The Cooke SP3 series, where “SP” stands for “Speed Panchro,” is a modern, mirrorless-friendly reimagining of Cooke’s legendary Speed Panchro lenses.

“The imaging market has long been viewed as ‘videography’ and ‘cinematography,’ with their associated differences particularly evident in budgets and hardware. However, these boundaries are now blurring with vast improvements in the quality of ‘mid-market’ camera performance and consequently the creative optical possibilities and ambitions in this area are widening. This ‘democratization’ means that we can now offer truly cinematic glass to the traditional pro-video market at an accessible price point and with flexibility of camera mounts, enabling more directors of photography to enhance the narrative of their stories,” Tim Pugh, Chief Executive Officer, Cooke Optics, said in 2023.

The Cooke SP3 primes promise exceptional resolution alongside the rendering characteristics, flare behavior, and fall-off of the original Cooke SP lenses that remain beloved among filmmakers today. This contrast and color performance is called “The Cooke Look” for a reason.

As for the Cooke AP3 lenses, these are much newer, having just been announced a couple of months ago. The Cooke AP3 lenses are a new series of 1.5x anamorphic primes designed for full-frame mirrorless cameras.

The first three are 35mm, 50mm, and 85mm 1.5x anamorphic lenses, each featuring the same fast T2.4 aperture as the SP3 lenses. They also promise to retain “The Cooke Look,” albeit with anamorphic rendering qualities, like oval bokeh and streaking flare.

These lenses come in Sony E-mount by default but include interchangeable mounts. Canon RF, L-Mount, and M options were available at launch, and now Z is a fresh option.

The Nikon Z-mount Cooke SP3 and AP3 lenses will be great choices not only for Nikon’s own ZR camera, although it is not necessarily a go-to choice for high-end filmmakers in particular, but also Nikon’s RED cameras, go-to choices among a diverse range of professionals.

The Cooke SP3 lenses are $4,500 each, save for the 18mm lens, which is $4,970. A five-lens set of the original primes, from 25mm to 100mm, is $21,375, while the six-lens set is $26,000.

The Cooke AP3 lenses are $7,750 each, or $22,250 for a three-lens set with a case.

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Image creditsCooke Optics