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Cooke Optics has announced the launch of their new AP3, a small and lightweight anamorphic lens series engineered for mirrorless cameras.
Cooke Optics was a trailblazer in democratising cinematic image capture with the release of their highly successful SP3 series in 2023. AP3 extends this philosophy, providing more shooting options to cinematographers and owner-operators by making high end anamorphic imaging more accessible.
AP3 has three focal lengths: 35mm / 50mm / 85mm and all have a T stop range of T2.4 – T16. The lenses have a 1.5x squeeze factor, providing true anamorphic character whilst maintaining a compact form.
AP3’s flare character is unmistakably anamorphic and entirely yours to work with. These are not manufactured effects or simplistic overlays; they are organic responses to light that adapt and embed themselves within a scene. Defocus rendering is smooth and gradual – offering genuine dimension. Transitions between focus planes have an organic continuity that feels closer to how we experience depth in real life. AP3’s bokeh is a product of its ground-up design. As a true 1.5x anamorphic lens it renders out-of-focus elements with a painterly quality that draws the eye but doesn’t distract.
The lenses weigh between 1177g to 1410g, making them light enough to use on many gimbals, drones and other stabilisers, an ideal option for filmmakers where weight distribution is essential.
The lenses demonstrate excellent close focus with 0.5m for the widest lens (35mm), 0.6m for the mid (50mm) and 0.9m for the longest (85mm). The lenses come natively E-mount, but are user-interchangeable to RF, M or L. Users can order a second mount free of charge within 6 months of purchase. See here for a step-by step guide on how to change AP3 lens mounts.
For more than a decade Cooke has been a respected manufacturer of high-end anamorphic lenses, beginning with the Anamorphic/i S35 released in 2013. Subsequently, Cooke released a full range of Anamorphic/i FF cinema lenses in 2018, which then became the benchmark for high-end cinema shooting. AP3 continues this legacy, providing a solution for owner operators, cinematographers and those who are new to anamorphic shooting.
CEO David Hancock comments: “As part of our core purpose, Cooke aspires to design and craft tools that empower a variety of artists to create emotive visual-storytelling. We are excited to add AP3 to our portfolio of tools. High quality Anamorphic lenses have long been considered aspirational but unfortunately, often unattainable outside of elite budget productions. With AP3, Cooke is creating the specific opportunity of producing a cinematic Anamorphic look for mirrorless users. Our goal is to continue to empower cinematographers and owner-operators with this new lens option in their storytelling toolbox.
AP3 is now available to pre-order as single lenses or a complete 3-lens set. See our product page for further information.
