Cooke Speed Panchro Camera lens

Taylor & Hobson Cooke Speed Panchro Ser. II 75mm f/2 (T2.3) Arri Standard mount
· Serial No. 537527
· Projector-tested and collimated

An original Taylor & Hobson Cooke Speed Panchro Series II in 75mm — the focal length the Series II is most sought after in, and the one modern makers have spent years trying to reverse-engineer. This is the real thing: 1950s British glass, calibrated in T-stops, in its original black barrel on an Arri Standard mount.

The lens has been checked on professional equipment before listing. It was projected onto a lens grid chart using a DENZ MFC 65 projector, and back-focus was verified on a collimator.

Specification
Manufacturer Taylor, Taylor & Hobson, Leicester, England
Model Cooke Speed Panchro Ser. II
Focal length 75mm
Aperture f/2, iris scale marked in T-stops T2.3 – T22
Mount Arri Standard
Focus scale Feet, 3 ft to infinity
Serial number 537527
Patent markings Pats. Brit. 653227 · U.S. 2502509

Condition
- Optics. Clear and bright through the barrel. No fungus, no separation, no haze. The glass is clean, with no deep specks or scratches. The characteristic warm cast of the period coatings is present and is part of the look.
- Mechanics. Focus turns smoothly and evenly across the full travel. Engravings are crisp and legible; the original black finish shows only light handling marks consistent with careful professional use.
- Testing. Projected onto a grid chart and collimated, on the same equipment used for professional rental preparation.

Who this is for
- Shooters
Mounted as it stands on an Arri Standard body, or adapted, it delivers the gentle roll-off, low-contrast highlights and rounded skin rendition that made the Speed Panchro the reference look of mid-century cinema. The 75mm is the portrait length of the set.

- Rehousers
A sound, complete cell and barrel — a clean donor for a PL or LPL rehousing by TLS, GL Optics, Whitepoint or similar. Original Series II front elements in this condition are increasingly hard to source.

- Collectors
An unmodified Series II with matching original engravings, patent markings and serial. Not rehoused, not re-barrelled, not converted to a stills mount.