KYŌDAI

Lens/Camera Information
Lens series: Cooke SP3
Focus lengths: 25mm, 32mm, 50mm, 75mm, 100mm
Camera: Sony FX6
Format: Digital

Production information
Director of Photography: Benjamin Michel, JSC
DOP Instagram: @benjamin.michel_jsc
Director: Benjamin Michel
DOP website:  benjaminmichel.com
Producer: Ivan Collazo
Rental house: nac Image Technology

Cooke Optics have long been a favourite lens manufacturer of mine. I have been especially fond of the Cooke S4 and Panchro line of lenses. Upon the release of the Cooke SP3 lenses, I was pleased to see such compact lenses for modern digital mirrorless cameras. The fact that they were also based off of the legendary Speed Panchro lenses and even more accessible for smaller budget projects is amazing. It was really a dream come true and I was eager for the right project to put them to use on.

Kyōdai was a small project with an intimate story that involves a family and I wanted the right camera package to complement it. I paired the Cooke SP3 lenses with the Sony FX6 and it was an ideal match. The size and weight of the SP3 lenses allowed me to easily rig the FX6 for different setups. I could go from sticks to a gimbal without any hassle. We had a small crew and this camera package allowed us to move quickly while keeping our footprint light. All the main scenes were shot in one day so efficiency was crucial.

I used every lens in the 5-set which included the 25mm at the widest and the 100mm at the closest. I made a storyboard which also specified which lenses I’d use. However the lenses I gravitated to most were the 32mm and 50mm. Those lenses allowed me to get a wide range of shots and they felt the most natural. Although I still used whatever lens that felt right for the story in the moment.

The cosmetic and aesthetic characteristics of the SP3 lenses are what impressed me the most. They’re solid and well built while being lightweight. The image is reminiscent of the classic vintage Panchros while also having a modern feel. It has the essential Cooke Look I love. While I’d gladly use them clean without filtration, I decided to use a diffusion filter to take the digital edge off from the Sony sensor’s processing. In my eyes, this made the SP3 lenses render more like its predecessors of the celluloid days.

In the end, the SP3 lenses were perfect for this project.