Anyone using a Cooke Portrait PS945 Lens ?

I am looking to purchase the PS945, but was hoping to get some comments from someone who has used one first. I have read the thread on "(there was a url link here which no longer exists)" but not really getting what i want out of it.

Any one with first hand experience?

Thanks
S.

Per Volquartz has used it and done some comparison work with another les to see how well it preformed. I have links somewhere to his picutres that he did. I will be back tonight and will find those links. In the mean time, contact Per and ask him direct about the lens.

You might check the Cooke thread on f32.net and see if there are any reports on it on the Q&A forum at lfphoto.info.

I don't own it, but my sense from looking at the sample photos I've seen in various places on the net is that it's a beautiful lens, but for the price, you could get an 8x10" camera setup and a few historic soft focus lenses or even the Pinkham-Smith lens that the Cooke is based on, and arguably you would have a better tool for the job. I really don't see coated optics as a big advantage with a soft focus lens, though the modern shutter of the Cooke lens is an attraction, if you use natural light or hot lights. Again, though, given the price--if you plan to use it in the studio with strobes, you could have strobe sync added to one of the old shutters or use a Packard shutter with sync, and there would be no advantage to the modern shutter.

you can also go to clive russ' website. he is a dealer and has some information + photos on his website.

http://www.cliveruss.com/cooke/cookeps945/index.html

- -john