Cooke launches S4 FF/i: a compact full‑frame T2.0 set that keeps S4 look for larger sensors

Cooke Optics has introduced the S4 FF/i, a new six‑lens prime series that brings the company’s S4 character onto full‑frame sensors. The range adapts Cooke’s Super 35 S4 heritage for larger formats while revisiting size and handling: the six lenses are T2.0 primes covering 18mm, 25mm, 35mm, 50mm, 75mm and 100mm and are designed specifically for full‑frame bodies such as the RED V‑RAPTOR, Sony VENICE and ARRI ALEXA LF.

The S4 FF/i is presented as a fresh optical design rather than a simple rehousing of the S4/i family. Cooke says the new series retains some of the Super 35 set’s optical character but is redesigned to suit full‑frame capture and modern workflows. The company uses the evocative phrase "the everyday set" when describing how it expects cinematographers to reach for this group in regular production situations.

Physically, the set is built for compactness and on‑camera mobility. Every focal length shares an 87mm / 3.42in front diameter so a single clamp‑on matte box size will fit the whole set. All lenses except the 18mm accept screw‑in filters in M82 x 0.75. Cooke positions the S4 FF/i as a workhorse for handheld, gimbal and Steadicam use, and highlights that the collective design reduces mass compared with the older S4/i S35 primes: the company states the new series is 29% lighter on average and calls it "among the lightest and most compact cinema lens sets Cooke has ever delivered." The measured weights with PL mounts range from 1.45kg / 3.2lbs up to 1.8kg / 4.0lbs, with an average weight of 1,642g.

Close‑focus performance is a notable part of the package. Cooke lists minimum marked object distances measured from the sensor for each focal length: 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. That set of distances gives an average close‑focus figure of 385mm, which Cooke describes as "just over 15 inches." Those near‑focus figures, together with the relatively compact physical sizing, are part of why Cooke pitches the set for run‑and‑gun and gimbal shooting.

Mechanically, the S4 FF/i lineup uses cinema‑grade gearing and scales: focus gears have 123 teeth and iris gears have 117 teeth, both specified at a 0.8 metric module. The focus barrels rotate 270° from infinity to the minimum marked distance and the iris ring turns 75°. Each lens uses a nine‑blade iris with curved blades, a detail that contributes to the set’s out‑of‑focus character and rendering.

As with other Cooke /i products, these lenses carry the company’s latest /i Technology. Every lens transmits metadata and also carries a factory‑calibrated shading and distortion map that is passed along with the other lens data. Cooke points out that more than 300 lens models from various manufacturers already support /i Technology and that major cinema cameras record that metadata directly into their RAW files, which streamlines post‑production tasks such as lens correction and shading adjustments.

Cooke emphasises serviceability as part of the product design: the lenses are handmade at Cooke’s Leicester, UK factory and are engineered for easy servicing and maintenance to help keep downtime low on professional productions.

Pricing and ordering are available now in the UK through distributor CVP, which lists single Cooke S4 FF/i lenses at £11,000 ex VAT each and the full six‑lens PL set at £66,000 ex VAT (listed prices include an approximate VAT conversion in the supplier’s listing). CVP marks single lenses as special order items and shows the complete set available for backorder. Cooke has not published a US dollar price, B&H does not list the range at the time of writing, and the manufacturer has not announced shipping dates.

Optical coverage and camera targets are explicit: the lenses cover full frame and Cooke calls out the RED V‑RAPTOR, Sony VENICE and ARRI ALEXA LF as intended bodies. That framing coverage, combined with the T2.0 maximum aperture, places the S4 FF/i in the same working tier as Cooke’s other full‑frame spherical lines — including the faster S8/i FF T1.4 primes and the Panchro/i Classic FF series — but pitched toward everyday production tasks rather than specialty or vintage looks.

Cooke also highlights the set’s imaging character. Beyond technical figures, the company says the optics preserve the Super 35 family’s favorable rendering while adapting it to the larger sensor format. In publicity materials Cooke notes there is a particular feel in skin rendition and facial tones; one phrase used by the company to describe that aspect is "a gentleness to faces akin to a very light filtration." That description frames the new set as tuned for pleasing skin and a cinematographic look while keeping contrast and micro‑detail appropriate for contemporary digital capture.

For productions that already use Cooke /i metadata workflows, adopting the S4 FF/i should be straightforward: each lens reports its own calibrated shading and distortion map alongside the usual /i fields, so lens‑specific corrections can be applied in post with existing camera and dailies toolchains that ingest /i data. That connectivity is part of Cooke’s wider push for metadata continuity across optics and camera systems.

In short, the S4 FF/i brings Cooke’s S4 lineage into a modern full‑frame context with a compact footprint, standardised fronts, and close‑focus distances that favour handheld and gimbal work. The set is handmade in the UK, offers PL and LPL mounts, and integrates the company’s full metadata feature set while being sold through Cooke’s established dealer channels.

Cooke has not published a US launch timeline or dollar pricing, so international buyers should contact their local dealers for ordering detail and delivery estimates.