Cooke Varotal is a zoom lens series from Cooke, combining variable focal length with the signature warm Cooke rendering characteristic.
Variants & Technical Details
Cooke produced three main variants: the original 25-250mm f/3.1 (Mk I), the more compact 20-100mm f/2.8 (Mk II) from 1963, and the later developed 18-100mm f/3.1 (Mk III). The Mk I weighed 4.8 kg with a length of 285mm and required special camera supports due to its size. The optical construction comprised 22 lens elements in 16 groups, with a focusing range from 1.5 meters. A mechanical compensation system maintained focus constancy during zooming but required precisely calibrated manual movements.
History & Development
Development began in 1956 under the direction of Harold Cooke in response to the growing demand from television for flexible shooting solutions. The first functional Varotal was completed in 1958 and initially tested in BBC productions. Commercial breakthrough came in 1961 when the series found its way into Hollywood. Production ended in 1976 after approximately 800 units were manufactured, as more compact Japanese competitors took over the market.
Practical Use in Film
The Varotal enabled fluid zoom shots in feature films for the first time without lens changes. Sergio Leone used it in the "Dollar Trilogy" Westerns (1964-1966) for his characteristic zoom-ins on Clint Eastwood's face. In Stanley Kubrick's "2001: A Space Odyssey" (1968), the lens facilitated continuous tracking shots through the space station corridors. The main disadvantage lay in the significant increase in camera weight and the need for constant refocusing with manual operation.
Comparison & Alternatives
Unlike modern servo zoom lenses, the Varotal required purely manual operation via gear mechanisms. Contemporary alternatives like the Angenieux 25-250mm offered similar focal length ranges but did not achieve the optical quality of Cooke lenses. Today's cine zoom lenses from Angenieux, Canon, or Fujinon offer servo control, constant T-stops, and significantly lower weight, but cannot reproduce the characteristic "Cooke Look" with its warm bokeh and subtle aberrations.