Anyone using a Cooke Portrait PS945 Lens ?

[shyguy]

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.

 

[Aggie]

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.

 

[David A. Goldfarb]

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.

 

[removed account4]

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