Cooke Portrait Series II D 27 inches. [Archive] - Large Format Photography Forum

Tri Tran

22-Jan-2010, 19:52

After 3 years of waiting and convincing the seller, I'm finally proud to be new owner of this lens. Thanks to Dwayne for giving me the opportunity to bring this lens back alive. The lens is definitely in the beautiful condition. The glass is flawless. The lens booster built with metal casted originally made by Taylor Hobson as well. According to the seller this lens was custom made in the 1920-1930.
It's a 27 inch Cooke Portrait lens F4.5. Weight 45 lbs .It has Soft focus ring 1-5 and it's unusual for this type because most of them are available with 1-3 soft focus only.The 11x14 camera and the Semi-Centennial stand will follow up next week. Thanks for viewing.

http://img64.imageshack.us/img64/9678/cooke7.jpg (http://img64.imageshack.us/i/cooke7.jpg/)

http://img69.imageshack.us/img69/6448/cooke5.jpg (http://img69.imageshack.us/i/cooke5.jpg/)

http://img638.imageshack.us/img638/8978/cooke3.jpg (http://img638.imageshack.us/i/cooke3.jpg/)

tonkhang

22-Jan-2010, 19:58

It's so wonferful !!!!!
Congratulations.!!!!!

Mike Tobias

22-Jan-2010, 20:12

Good god! I imagine you're using this for a studio lens? I'd love to see what comes out of this beast!

Mike

cdholden

22-Jan-2010, 20:35

Not exactly something you hang off the front of a Speed Graphic...

eddie

22-Jan-2010, 20:37

OMG! WOW! love it! want it!

i gotta go....this is too much....:)

Jan Pedersen

22-Jan-2010, 20:50

TT, just in case your beautiful lens didn't come with the special tool that it originally came with, this is what it looked like. :)

Tri Tran

22-Jan-2010, 21:26

TT, just in case your beautiful lens didn't come with the special tool that it originally came with, this is what it looked like. :)

Hi Hi. You bet, I did order that too.

Jason Greenberg Motamedi

22-Jan-2010, 21:28

Beautiful! What size camera was it meant for? 16x20?

Tri Tran

22-Jan-2010, 21:36

Beautiful! What size camera was it meant for? 16x20?

It originally came with 11x14. I can manage to bring this baby home first before the seller changes his mind and will be back to pick up the rest next week. It's a set !

Hugo Zhang

22-Jan-2010, 21:36

Tri,

OMG!!! Can your 20x24 handle this? Show us some portraits soon!

This is just unbelievable! You didn't trade your car for it, did you?

Hugo

Tri Tran

22-Jan-2010, 21:43

Tri,

OMG!!! Can your 20x24 handle this? Show us some portraits soon!

This is just unbelievable!

Hugo

Uhmm.. Thinking to send the 20x24 Chamonix back to Hass to modify and widen the lens board to accomodate the lens but i'm not sure it can support 45lbs? What's your suggestions?

JR Steel

22-Jan-2010, 22:57

Amazing lens TT. I had no idea anyone made land based lens this size (except for NASA tracking stuff). I was a photo tech in the air force and have seen some giant lens used in high altitude aircraft cameras but not one used horizontally.

Monty McCutchen

23-Jan-2010, 01:34

Uhmm.. Thinking to send the 20x24 Chamonix back to Hass to modify and widen the lens board to accomodate the lens but i'm not sure it can support 45lbs? What's your suggestions?

You've got to find a way!!!! For the dallmeyer I am putting another tripod underneath it for support. But that is only 18 lbs. Portraits with this on the 20 x 24 though have to be done and seen!

I'm happy for you Tri now lets see that work!

Monty

David McNiven

23-Jan-2010, 05:42

WOW!!! A lens with its own gravity field!

Maybe you shouldn't use it to photograph babies or small dogs...

Ken Lee

23-Jan-2010, 06:29

Is it mounted on a top-hat board ?

Steven Tribe

23-Jan-2010, 06:40

Serial number suggests around 1930. Must have boosted TT&H's revenue that year!

Tri Tran

23-Jan-2010, 07:55

You've got to find a way!!!! For the dallmeyer I am putting another tripod underneath it for support. But that is only 18 lbs. Portraits with this on the 20 x 24 though have to be done and seen!

I'm happy for you Tri now lets see that work!

Monty

Monty,
Yes, I'm working on it. I lost some sleep last night just because of thinking of it and how to make it happen. In the mean time I just enjoy it with the 11x14 which it married with . I will post more pictures of the camera and the lens when they are together again.Thanks for the input

Is it mounted on a top-hat board ?

Ken,
Originally I think the camera didn't have enough bellow to cover head and should portrait although double bellow on the 11x14. that's why the first owner added the top hat to gain a few more inches to make it works.

Serial number suggests around 1930. Must have boosted TT&H's revenue that year!

Thanks for the info and perhaps can you find out more info about this lens? MSRP in 1930 ? According to Dwayne told me the first Owner Last name is Robertson. Dwayne has contacted with Mrs Barbara Lowry ? from Cooke optics but she hardly found any info and the history of this lens . I heard that she offered Dwayne to buy it back about a year ago. Dwayne is a Fine Portrait Photographer and still practice in Southern Cal . His studio has been around for 40 years.

Steven Tribe

23-Jan-2010, 10:23

I was about to suggest you contact Cooke who are using " old success stories" in their marketing - but you are there already I see. From what they have written on their info website pages, I surmise they have lost/burned their original archive and are having to build-up their history again. If it had been Dallmeyer- you could have got the day of manufacture and more information just from the serial number. Robertson was that UK (Scotland) or USA?

Tri Tran

23-Jan-2010, 10:29

Steven Tribe

23-Jan-2010, 11:37

Cooke optics were formed as a management buy-out in the late 1990's. However, VM says that there IS an extensive archive and these have been passed over to the County (Leicester?) archives, that is, not under the control ( or easy access) of the company. I'll see if I can find out more as to whether there is a register of items etc. Yours objective could have it's own complete file!

Mark Sawyer

23-Jan-2010, 13:25

This will be a wonderful lens (and camera outfit) to work with! You've got some amazing potential waiting for you, Tri Tran! :)

Pete Watkins

23-Jan-2010, 14:08

I've heard that a collection of Cooke lenses is held at a place in Leicestershire named Sibson Discovery Park, I don't doubt that they have a website. It's a kind of museum and they could be worth contacting about the TT&H archives. I could be wrong but I don't believe that Leicestershire County Council have a county museum though I could be wrong about that.
Pete.

Steven Tribe

23-Jan-2010, 14:24

Yes Sibson was the name I found. Industrial archives have a very low status with national and regional archives ( except special cases, like Dallmeyer). I think you would lucky if they had made a complete register of the contents - that is, numbered boxes with list of contents.

Pete Watkins

23-Jan-2010, 14:48

Steven, I'm sorry, I spelt it wrong, it should have been Snibson. The e-mail is snibston@leics.gov.uk . Their website is crap and I can't find a thing about TT&H or Cooke lenses. I'll give them a ring on Monday and if I get anything sensible out of them I'll post it here.
Best wishes,
Pete.

Steven Tribe

23-Jan-2010, 14:59

Yes VM says Snibston Park. It doesn't sound like a big establishment. Management buy outs usually mean "get hold of the assets that have an immediate chance for ensuring survival - and drop everything else". The time 1938-1945 seem to have been very chaotic because of bombing and farming out of production - but there is a chance that the 20's and 30's were more relaxed - i.e. good bookkeeping and records.

Steven Tribe

23-Jan-2010, 15:21

I have done a bit more checking and I think it is extremely unlikely that written records are at Snibston Park. They seem to have just a display of artifacts (lenses probably!). I think company records are at the County Records Office for Leicester, Leicestershire and Rutland. They have very few things on-line.

recordoffice@leics.gov.uk

tony_nguyen

24-Jan-2010, 20:42

Anh Tri,

Can't wait to see the pictures of 11x14" camera and the lens together as well as the photos taken with it.
Congratulations again, anh :)

Tuan

Jim Fitzgerald

24-Jan-2010, 20:55

Tri, this is going to need its own vehicle for transport. Or maybe one of the kids has just found a new job! Man that is a beauty! I thought my 18" Darlot was big. It is a midget compared to some of the canons I've seen here lately. Love to see some work when you get it all together.

Jim

Steven Tribe

25-Jan-2010, 03:22

I have sent a general enquiry off to the records office for Leicester and Rutland. (Rutland is smallest old county division in England - you can drive through it in 10 minutes!)

Pete Watkins

25-Jan-2010, 07:43

I've telephoned Snibson Discovery Park and they haven't even heard of TT&H but I was given the head curators e-mail address as carolyn dot abel at leics dot gov.uk, best I can do I'm afraid.
Pete.

Steven Tribe

25-Jan-2010, 10:28

I am have received an email from the Leicestershire archive centre saying they have received my enquiry etc. I have good experiences of sending a email to this sort of organisation as the contents gets directly circulated to right individuals without filters! Almost all the enquiries they get are from people doing research in their own family history. So this might be a nice change.

Tri Tran

26-Jan-2010, 12:41

Steven and Pete,
Thank you for your effort. I'm impressed at your ability to send your inquiry through to the company without filters! Fingers are crossed for a positive outcome. Thank you both again.

CCHarrison

26-Jan-2010, 17:13

The information I have is that the IID Cookes were made from 1930 to 1950. However, I only see 10.5, 12.5, and 15 inches (for 8x10) listed. I imagine this was custom built/ordered.

Dan

Tri Tran

26-Jan-2010, 21:53

The information I have is that the IID Cookes were made from 1930 to 1950. However, I only see 10.5, 12.5, and 15 inches (for 8x10) listed. I imagine this was custom built/ordered.

Dan

Thanks Dan. Great info on your website . I have seen the 18 Inches Series VI in person, and it's sure looke fabulous.

Steven Tribe

29-Jan-2010, 05:35

Well - we may be in luck. There is a series of ledgers, freely available for inspection, at the Leicester Public Record Office. They have a very complete run (up to 1960) of something called an "Invoice Purchase Book". What these contain I do not know. Could be anything from purchased material glass/brass or a list of purchase orders for particular models. During the busy war years there were extra year ledgers! I will try and attach the starting page as the site is not easy! The basic entry is leics.gov.uk/recordoffice and the archive starting number is DE3095. There is no access for detailed content - will need a personal visit.

Steven Tribe

29-Jan-2010, 05:58

However, for a fee, one could get a photocopy of a few sample pages from different years!

goamules

29-Jan-2010, 07:30

This is an amazing lens and a fascinating process to learn more about it. Ledgers can show a fair amount of info. A few years ago I was able to get photos of the ledger pages of two of my Dallmeyer lenses, based on serial numbers. Here is one as a sample of what you may get with TT&H.

Garrett

Steven Tribe

29-Jan-2010, 11:49

I was thinking about the well-known Dallmeyer ledgers when I "found" these year books in Leicester. The Dallmeyer ledgers are available at a similar public record office in a suburb of London. I can't believe that these records would have been kept and deposited if if didn't contain something quite unique.

Steven Tribe

29-Jan-2010, 12:17

Oh dear!
The person I sent the enquiry to was good enough to have a quick look as to the kind of entry:

"The Invoice purchase books are really just a list of materials purchased by the company arranged by invoice number. The detail is limited e.g. company name, place, price, whether production or service material etc, carriage and brief description. For example it will tell us:
Feb 8 1937 optical glass (production material) costing £66 10s 10d purchased from Chance Bros, Smethwick"

But I think we already knew that Chance was a big supplier to TT&H!
He confirmed that there is no other uncatalogued material that was rescued from the company that they have deposited.

CCHarrison

29-Jan-2010, 16:41

.It has Soft focus ring 1-5 and it's unusual for this type because most of them are available with 1-3 soft focus only.

Actually, all SF Cooke's after 1924 that feature the knuckle adjuster have softness adjustments 1 thru 5. The earlier lenses are 1 thru 3.

Thanks
Dan

Tri Tran

29-Jan-2010, 19:18

Steven,
it was an amazing research effort on your part, thank you! It seemed we're at an impass. Going to try to phone the contact person in England for more specific info. This feels like a treasure hunt. Thanks again.

Dan, I thought the soft focus ring 1-5 is only available for the series VI . Correct me if i'm wrong here.

Here the Portrait of the 2nd Owner taken with this lens, it's my understanding that the lens has not been used for forty years.

http://img231.imageshack.us/img231/3857/dwayne.jpg (http://img231.imageshack.us/i/dwayne.jpg/)

Kodak Century 8A . Exposed 3 Sec at wide open F 4.5 . Soft focus ring dialed #1.

Jan Pedersen

29-Jan-2010, 20:02

Fabulous Portrait TT and very appropriate of the previous owner of what appears to be a very rare lens.
I can't wait to see more of your work with this lens.

CCHarrison

29-Jan-2010, 21:39

Hi TT - hmmm....despite reading this, "The newer finger grip models allowed for 60 percent greater diffusion graduated to five positions instead of three as with the previous models. Graduated scales for diffusion and the iris diaphragm were now readable from the same position at the side of the camera." From View Camera Magazine 7/2002, I cannot verify which models had 5 stops. The mid 1930's catalog shows only 3 stops on the various Series II and VI models...perhaps later models went to 5 ?

Anyone else have a Cooke with 5 stops of diffusion ?

thanks
Dan

Marko Trebusak

29-Jan-2010, 23:24

Anyone else have a Cooke with 5 stops of diffusion ?

thanks
Dan

Dan, here is a Cooke f5,6 serial 11xxxx with difusion up to 6.

Cheers,
Marko

fuegocito

29-Jan-2010, 23:43

Here the Portrait of the 2nd Owner taken with this lens, it's my understanding that the lens has not been used for forty years.

Kodak Century 8A . Exposed 3 Sec at wide open F 4.5 . Soft focus ring dialed #1.

Hi Tri,

You certainly didn't waste anytime putting the lens to good use, was this a 11x14 neg or 8x10, I can't bear to imaging the length of bellow that needed to be stretch out for this image, great job!

Robert

Tri Tran

30-Jan-2010, 00:12

Fabulous Portrait TT and very appropriate of the previous owner of what appears to be a very rare lens.
I can't wait to see more of your work with this lens.

Thanks Jan. Will do .

Hi Tri,

You certainly didn't waste anytime putting the lens to good use, was this a 11x14 neg or 8x10, I can't bear to imaging the length of bellow that needed to be stretch out for this image, great job!

Robert

Hi Robert,
Bellow extended about 50 inches for this shot on 11x14 .I'm looking for an 8x10 reducing back if you know someone has it for sale. Thanks.

Louis Pacilla

30-Jan-2010, 02:10

Don't know if this helps but I have a Series II E 15" f4.5 w/ knuckler & 5 stops click stops of softness . One of the later designs I believe. Can post pics of lens tomorrow if your interested in seeing it.
Peace
Louis P

eddie

30-Jan-2010, 03:56

Here the Portrait of the 2nd Owner taken with this lens, it's my understanding that the lens has not been used for forty years.

Kodak Century 8A . Exposed 3 Sec at wide open F 4.5 . Soft focus ring dialed #1.

awesome shot!

The mid 1930's catalog shows only 3 stops on the various Series II and VI models...perhaps later models went to 5 ?

Anyone else have a Cooke with 5 stops of diffusion ?

thanks
Dan

dan, i have a 15 inch !! f4.5 knuckler with 3 diffusion #s. 172xxx

i also have (in the for sale section) a 13 inch VI f5.6 with 6 diffusion #s. 44xxx any idea what years they are from?

Don't know if this helps but I have a Series II E 15" f4.5 w/ knuckler & 5 stops click stops of softness . One of the later designs I believe. Can post pics of lens tomorrow if your interested in seeing it.
Peace
Louis P

yes. lets see it.

eddie

Marko Trebusak

30-Jan-2010, 05:53

any idea what years they are from?

yes. lets see it.

eddie

Eddie, your best bet would be to contact Cooke optics. They lost books from before 1940, but Barbara have quite good idea what production years or at least time interval can be associated with specific serial number.

Cheers,
Marko

CCHarrison

30-Jan-2010, 06:22

The IIe began being sold about 1930.

This is the first I have heard of 6 stops ! I am trying to complete my Cooke Soft Focus section for part 2 of my article and there are MANY variations.... thanks for the info gentlemen !

Dan

fuegocito

30-Jan-2010, 08:51

Thanks Jan. Will do .

Hi Robert,
Bellow extended about 50 inches for this shot on 11x14 .I'm looking for an 8x10 reducing back if you know someone has it for sale. Thanks.

:eek: I once clobbered together enough sinar parts for similar bellow stretch for a half length shot with a 760 Apo-Nikkor, not fun:mad:

It might be easier to make an 8x10 reducing back rather sourcing a ready made one.

Best wishes and thank you for sharing, both the bad ass glass and the shot:)

Robert

Louis Pacilla

30-Jan-2010, 09:09

Hi Again

Here ya go. some photos for your records. Cooke Series II E 15" (380mm)f 4.5

CCHarrison

30-Jan-2010, 09:20

Louis - Can I use your pics for my article ? One thing is apparent - the IIe had 5 diffusion stops...and now I have seen another late model VI Serial 112xxx, with 6 stops of diffusion....

thanks
Dan

Tri Tran

30-Jan-2010, 10:40

Hi Again

Here ya go. some photos for your records. Cooke Series II E 15" (380mm)f 4.5

Hi Louis. Thanks for sharing. It's definitely a rare one Series II with 5 diffuser stop. According to Barbara Lowry ,the Cooke 15 Inches Series II list for 62 pounds in 1931. Congratulations.

Pete Watkins

30-Jan-2010, 10:59

Tri,
I've sent a message to your website.
Best wishes,
Pete.

Tri Tran

30-Jan-2010, 12:12

Tri,
I've sent a message to your website.
Best wishes,
Pete.

Thanks Pete. I will email you more details when I get back to my base.Have a great weekend.

Louis Pacilla

30-Jan-2010, 16:09

Hi Dan
Knock your self out. If you need better pics or more just give me a shout. I posted the photos mostly for your use.
Peace
Louis p
BTW- Serial # 21xxxx series II E (5 click stop knuckler)

Louis - Can I use your pics for my article ? One thing is apparent - the IIe had 5 diffusion stops...and now I have seen another late model VI Serial 112xxx, with 6 stops of diffusion....

thanks
Dan

Tri Tran

16-Apr-2011, 09:17

Jim and Hugo came by for a visit . We brought the Cooke outfit outdoor for a mini portrait . Here's the 11x14 at F 5.6 Soft 3.Thanks to Hugo to carry the lens out :)

http://img69.imageshack.us/img69/2577/alexisvi.jpg (http://img69.imageshack.us/i/alexisvi.jpg/)

tuant

16-Apr-2011, 14:36

Tri Tran

16-Apr-2011, 16:12

Tri,

Your photo can always push the price on that lens high afterwards~~ Very nice shot!

Tuant

Thanks Tuant I don't mean to... practically there is no price set for this lens. This is not only the lens but a great history behind this lens It's the only one in the world as you might know and I do enjoy this beautiful piece work of art when I have special guest around or its exhibition.

Tri Tran

16-Apr-2011, 17:33

With another 27 in. wide open.

http://img709.imageshack.us/img709/8526/alexis2a.jpg (http://img709.imageshack.us/i/alexis2a.jpg/)

Jim Fitzgerald

16-Apr-2011, 22:14

Let me tell you it is amazing to look at the ground glass with this work of art on the front. It is one of those rare lenses that is so great to use. Makes me crazy every time he brings it out!

eddie

17-Apr-2011, 05:49

With another 27 in. wide open.

what format? looks great.

Tri Tran

17-Apr-2011, 07:32

what format? looks great.

Thanks , both are 11x14 with X Ray film as usual.

Tri Tran

17-Apr-2011, 13:05

And here's the set up the the above shot.
http://img339.imageshack.us/img339/4167/century1.jpg (http://img339.imageshack.us/i/century1.jpg/)

Len Middleton

17-Apr-2011, 14:36

Tri Tran

18-Apr-2011, 11:45

I guess a copendium shade for that size of lens would be impractical, although that one seems realively universal...:D

Tri, what is the primary purpose for the umbrella e.g. control lighting for photo, reduce contrast, shade damaged bellows, just happened to be in the table you were setting the camera on, etc?

Hi Len,
That's just a plain outdoor patio set . I have no other table that fits the camera beside the Century stand . The umbrella might helps to reduce glares in this situation but not what we planned for . The green house shade does help a little as I'm an orchids grower.

Jay DeFehr

21-Apr-2011, 10:08

Wow! That's an enormous lens! The example photos look great. I'm surprised they look as sharp as they do, given the extremely shallow dof at max aperture. I've wondered about the usefulness of wide apertures with very long lenses, precisely because of the dof issue. I have a 28" element of my Turner/ Reich triple convertible, for instance, that only opens up to f/11, or f/16 (I'm not at home, and don't remember exactly). I only consider this a disadvantage for focusing, since dof, even at f/16 is razor thin at portrait distances. I'm very curious now to see how different a portrait made with my humble little T/R 28" element looks from one made with your giant 45# exotic beauty.

Tri Tran

22-Apr-2011, 21:16

Here are 2 more full frame shots 11x14 with Soft 3 & 4. This lens has unlimited potential for your creativity from sharp to soft and totally controls the DOF at your command.

Alexis
11x14 soft 3
http://img18.imageshack.us/img18/2118/alexis1f.jpg (http://img18.imageshack.us/i/alexis1f.jpg/)

and soft 4

http://img694.imageshack.us/img694/7351/alexis2u.jpg (http://img694.imageshack.us/i/alexis2u.jpg/)

Jim Fitzgerald

22-Apr-2011, 22:00

Tri, these are beautiful. Very nice! Making people crazy with the lens and the lovely Alexis. Congrats!

Tri Tran

22-Apr-2011, 22:08

Thanks Jim . Both are taken earlier today , same time as last week . 2 shots done at the beach this evening with the Paragon on 11x14 as well. I can't wait to see your new work with your new ancient Chinese secret recipe :)

Jim Fitzgerald

22-Apr-2011, 22:14

Tri, the portraits are very nice and Alexis is a good sport. Nice to see the effect of the soft focus dialed to different degrees. I'm curious to see what you think of the paragon. Yes, the great new recipe gave me some great prints. I'll e-mail them in the morning.

Tri Tran

22-Apr-2011, 22:25

She complained that I made her looks sad in the pictures of last week session. I hope she will be pleased with these . Sabrina likes them so I think she will.
More to come , stay tuned !

Emil Schildt

23-Apr-2011, 04:06

2 shots done at the beach this evening with the Paragon on 11x14 as well.

what paragon?

(I'd love to try the big one though...)

Asher Kelman

30-Jun-2011, 00:17

With another 27 in. wide open.

http://img709.imageshack.us/img709/8526/alexis2a.jpg (http://img709.imageshack.us/i/alexis2a.jpg/)

This is am amazing portrait!

Tri,

Don't sell the lens! It's just money!

Asher

Jim Fitzgerald

30-Jun-2011, 06:25

I know that the Cooke is staying and not going anywhere.

Steve M Hostetter

1-Jul-2011, 15:47

Jim Fitzgerald

1-Jul-2011, 16:27

It fits nicely on the Century 8A!

Asher Kelman

1-Jul-2011, 16:29

That is a monster of a lens! I wouldn't use anything less then a 11x14" commercial Deardorff to support it and then maybe make a expansion back for it ..
I think you need at least a 40 lb. camera, I wouldn't chance the Chamonix!
Looks like you can remove that extension board for a better balanced lens in the standard. I bet that is for a shutter.

regards
steve

No problemo with the Chamonix! Just a matter of telling them to build your new one for that lens! That incremental cost is, after all, budget dust!

Asher

Steve M Hostetter

2-Jul-2011, 02:28

No problemo with the Chamonix! Just a matter of telling them to build your new one for that lens! That incremental cost is, after all, budget dust!

Asher

Wouldn't be practical to do so considering the non portability issue you'd still have..