Modern Zoom

Cooke Optics

Cooke Varotal/i FF 19-40mm

19 – 40mm zoom T2.9 PL

The widest of Cooke’s Varotal/i FF trio and the lightest: completing the set FDTimes called “Zoomable Primes.” Near-zero breathing, chromatic aberration, and distortion.

Colour-matched to Cooke’s S7/i FF and S8/i FF primes at T2.8, so zooms and primes intercut without colour-matching in post. The Cooke Look runs deep: warm skin tones, smooth contrast, organic fall-off. Ed Lachman ASC, on Cooke glass: “They’re sharp and give a real clarity, yet they are never brutal.” Exceptionally close focus at 320mm makes it ideal for Steadicam intimate work.

Character profile

How this lens renders.

Cooke warmth. Wide. Painterly.

Five axes plotting how this set behaves wide-open vs a neutral modern reference. Larger area = more pronounced trait.

Talking points

Why DPs pick this set

  1. “Zoomable Primes.” FDTimes’ verdict on the Varotal/i series’ resolution and character

  2. 320mm close focus.

    Exceptionally tight for a cine zoom, ideal for intimate Steadicam work

  3. Colour-matched to S7/i FF and S8/i FF primes.

    Intercutting zooms and primes is seamless

  4. Almost zero breathing, chromatic aberration, and distortion.

    Completely new optical design

  5. Lightest of the Varotal trio at 3.5 kg.

    Built for handheld and gimbal work

Technical

Full specifications

Focal Range
19–40mm T2.9 (constant)
Image Circle
46.3mm (Full Frame)
Mount
PL or LPL*
Close Focus
320mm / ~12.6″
Weight
3.5 kg / 7.7 lbs
Barrel Length
228mm / 9″
Front Diameter
114mm
Filter Thread
M112.5
Focus Rotation
280°
Iris
9-blade (matched to S7/i and S8/i)
Gear Pitch
M0.8 (industry standard)

Some figures here are marked *. Our sources disagree on those, so we're checking them against the lenses themselves. Ask us and we'll measure it for you.

Heritage

  1. Origin

    The original Cooke Varotal (1971) was the first zoom lens built for professional motion picture photography, in a category that would come to be dominated by Angénieux. The Varotal/i FF 19-40mm (released November 2022) completes a Full Frame trio that descends directly from that lineage, alongside the 30-95mm and 85-215mm.

  2. Filmography

    The Cooke Look has been acknowledged by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences as having “helped define the look of motion pictures over the last century.” Adopted across high-end narrative and commercial work since launch, particularly for intimate Steadicam coverage that benefits from the exceptional 320mm close focus.

  3. Build

    Modern manufacture, completely new optical design. Almost zero breathing, chromatic aberration, and distortion. Colour-matched to Cooke’s S7/i FF and S8/i FF primes at T2.8: zooms and primes intercut without colour-grading in post. At 3.5kg, the lightest of the Varotal trio: built for handheld and gimbal work.

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