Modern Zoom

Cooke Optics

Cooke Varotal/i FF 85-215mm

85 – 215mm zoom T2.9 PL

The telephoto member of the Varotal/i FF trio, covering 19–215mm from just three lenses.

Same weight and barrel length as the 30-95mm. Uniform ergonomics across the entire series means the camera build never changes. Superior control of flare, distortion, and spherical aberration at full aperture. The same Cooke Look colour science flows through: warm skin tones, gentle rendering, organic focus fall-off, and the dimensionality that has defined motion picture photography for over a century.

Character profile

How this lens renders.

Cooke warmth. Long. Smooth fall-off.

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. The long end of 19–215mm FF coverage from just three lenses: the Varotal trio

  2. Same weight and barrel length as the 30-95mm.

    Zero change to the camera build when swapping

  3. Constant T2.9 across the entire telephoto range.

    No ramping, no compromises

  4. All three Varotals share identical colour science, matched to S7/i and S8/i primes

Technical

Full specifications

Focal Range
85–215mm T2.9 (constant)
Image Circle
46.3mm (Full Frame)
Mount
PL or LPL*
Close Focus
4′ / 1.2m*
Weight
4 kg / 8.8 lbs
Barrel Length
10″
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 85-215mm launched in November 2021 alongside the 30-95mm. Together with the 19-40mm (released 2022), it completes the first full-frame zoom trio in Cooke’s 130-year history, a 19–215mm Full Frame range from just three lenses, all sharing identical Cooke Look colour science.

  2. Filmography

    British Cinematographer, in a feature sponsored by Cooke Optics, described “organic focus fall-off and bokeh” as part of the Cooke Look that the S8/i primes and the Varotal/i zooms share. Used across high-end commercial, narrative, and prestige episodic work since launch.

  3. Build

    Same weight and barrel length as the 30-95mm: zero change to the camera build when swapping between the two zooms. Constant T2.9 across the entire telephoto range with no ramping. All three Varotals matched to Cooke S7/i and S8/i primes for seamless intercutting. Retail US$54,900.

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