[LargeFormat] New Cooke Convertible Series XVa Lens!

[Clive Warren]

At 17:17 14/04/2004 -0400, barb@zgc.com wrote:
>Hi Huib,
>
>The lens is a modern version of the original Cooke Series XV Triple
>Convertible lens.  It shares the same focal lengths as the original which
>was first made in the 1930s.  Ansel Adams used the lens in the 1940s
>(remember "Moonrise"?)  Cooke had several requests for a remake, so we
>obliged.  It is for 8x10 format, like its predecessor.  If you are in the
>UK, Clive Warren will be the first workshop to have the lens to show
>around.  If you are in the US, the Large Format View Camera conference in
>Monterey, California is coming up end of April.  Gordon Hutchings will have
>a lens with him there as well.
>
>Cheers,
>
>Barbara Lorwy
>Cooke Optics Limited
>Leicester, England
>+1-973-335-4460 (in NJ, USA)
>barb@cookeoptics.com
>www.cookeoptics.com


One of the new Cooke Convertible lenses has just arrived here in sunny 
Bristol - thank you Barbara!

The full specs and a set of instructions were included. It looks even 
better than the photos on http://f32.net/discus and I can't wait to try it 
out. I have wooden 8x10 field cameras with wooden lens boards and will have 
to knock up a Linhof board converter for the Copal #3 shutter. There should 
be a Toyo 8x10 arriving here in about a week and that will be used for most 
of the demos at the workshop.

I picked up another Tenba 107 bag last week in preparation for carrying the 
Cooke lens. These bags are intended for 35mm camera use but they are ideal 
for 8x10 lenses on large boards once you remove the dividers. The other bag 
contains a 250mm WF Ektar, a wide angle Protar and a 14" Caltar as a good 
compromise lens set for 8x10.

The Cooke lens will add 19" (back cell)  and 25 1/2" (front cell) to the 
kit in addition to the combined 12 1/4" focal length.

Additional front and back cells will be available for the Cooke 
Convertible  - giving the possibility of 10 3/4" f5.6 (back and back) and 
14 1/2" f8 (front and front).

Cheers,
             Clive