TAYLOR ZAO Filmmaker | Director of Photography | Editor
3# July 8, 2023
Cooke | Technovision 18 - 90mm T2.3
Stanley Kubrick's cinematographic style, editing and overall filmmaking has made a huge impact on me. There is no question he was ahead of his time, and his films will forever be masterpieces of storytelling, technical innovation and classicism.
One of his favourite zoom lenses was the Cooke Varotal 20 - 100mm T3.1, which captured many iconic 5x zoom pull sequences - my favourite being the one of Jack Nicholson staring out the window in The Shining.
If I could only use one lens to shoot a film or a commercial, it would be a 5:1 Cooke zoom. It is essentially 5 prime lenses in one lens. My example has an interesting history, originally being a 20 - 100mm T3.1, it was modified in Italy by Technovision in the 1970's to be significantly faster at T2.3. Also it is slightly wider and shorter in focal range.
Cooke Technovision 18 - 90mm T2.3
The lens exhibits typical warm "Cooke look" characteristics, and has a distinct disorientating barrel distortion, perfect for intense portrait zoom-in sequences. My version has 6 aperture blades, which gives a hexagonal bokeh shape when stopped down. This lens perfectly sits in between Cooke Speed Panchro primes and Cooke S4 primes, it can be paired with either sets. Since this lens is over 5kgs, I have built a 600mm x 19mm rail and dovetail support system for it. My first lens test was with the Sony FX6, filming my sisters in the mountainous countrysides of NSW, Australia. With Sony's Clear Image Zoom I am able to film in 4K resolution without the need for an expander.
© 2023 Taylor Zao
