LEICESTER, U.K.—Award-winning lens designer Iain Neil has accepted the role of chief optics advisor at Cooke Optics. He will provide consulting advice and support for Cooke’s team of in-house lens designers.
Neil is the recipient of 12 Academy Awards for Scientific and Technical Achievement for the design of lenses and optical systems, two Emmy Statuette engineering awards and a Fuji Gold Medal Award in recognition of his lens work in image origination. He has more than 100 worldwide patents issued and applied for in visible, infrared and ultraviolet optical design, entertainment systems, defense, industrial and consumer applications.
In a press statement Cooke Optics CEO Tim Pugh said, “We’re pleased to welcome [Iain] to this new role, in which his unrivalled expertise and vision will help us to explore the latest technologies that will further strengthen our industry-leading range of precision lenses.”
“I look forward to working with the team on many exciting new designs in the months and years to come that will bring new facets to cinematography,” said Neil.
Prior to founding his own Swiss-based optical technology consulting company, ScotOptix, Neil was employed for more than 18 years at Panavision Inc. as executive vice president, research & development and optics, and chief technical officer where he was known for his work on the Primo cine lenses. He previously held the positions at Ernst Leitz Canada Ltd. (now Raytheon ELCAN Optical Technologies Ltd.) and Barr & Stroud (now a division of Thales). Recently he held the roles of CTO and co-CEO of CW Sonderoptic (now Leitz Cine Wetzlar).
