Carl Zeiss Lenses – NEW Otus 1.4/28
Ming Thein tested a preproduction version of the Otus 28mm lens. And of course he can claim this is the best wide angle lens of the world. He also has a recommendation for Sony A7 camera owners who want to use the lens on their camera. The lens is so big that…
Don’t even think about using this on the A7RII without the vertical grip, because your fourth and fifth fingers will cramp very quickly as they try to counteract the torque from the lens on the small grip. And thanks to the adaptor, all of the weight is very far forward. But at least you’ll get stabilisation and a true DOF representation. The lens really needs a tripod mount (even for a D810).
Some more Otus 28mm tidbits:
Image samples shot on the A7rII by Photographyblog.
Zeiss Goes Wide with Otus 28mm f/1.4 Lens (Explora)
Otus now listed at BH in Nikon (Click here) and Canon (Click here) version.
62 Responses
the advantage of a smaller body becomes a disadvantage when you attach a heavy lens to it. same experience with a-mount lenses with ea3 on a7rii. awkward when handheld
One paragraph and you failed to read to the end…
When I use a big lens I support the lens with my left hand and the body is just hanging off the lens, little right hand grip is needed. Very similar to shooting on a tripod, of course with less stability.
Exactly. People just can’t seem to understand this simple concept.
that’s what i do too. a bigger body just gives a better grip and feels more balanced. i notice the difference when i switch back and forth between a7rii and a77ii.
I’ve never fully understood the issue people have with large lenses on a small camera body – whenever I use one, I hold the lens, taking the weight of it in my left hand and none of it via the camera or my right hand (or at least not enough to concern myself with).
Compactness has its limitations. I suggest it’s time for camera makers to build a full size professional mirrorless camera with a big battery and built-in vertical grip. Maybe Canon will do it. Even better, I would really like to see a medium format mirrorless camera system with IBIS and available mechanical lens movements.
Interesting commercial with no photographs or video samples, I guess only a few seconds of wide shots. Aren’t we particularly interested in the results?
The lens needs a tripod collar
Big lenses need a bigger camera, that’s simple. Or a grip, to better balance the weight. Am I the only one thinking that a mirrorless camera doesn’t necessary need to have a tiny body cramped with tiny buttons?
Am I the only one thinking that in 99% of typical shooting cases, a tiny body mirrorless does’nt necessary need a 1.4 kg Otus 1.4/28?
For the remaining percent, an additional battery grip will allways be an option.
If we have to generalize, most of people are more than happy with the results of their smartphones.. 😉
Why mocking him up? I agree with him that there is no necessity to have a tiny body mirrorless?
Sony shoud have both choices.
The compact body they currently have…better for consumers
And a larger pro style mirrorless boy, bigger battery, bigger controls, dual card slot …for those that preffer those things…similar to the new Lieca mirrorless body
If the a99 won’t be succeeded in a-mount then Sony certainly has a market for a large body e-mount built for performance, ruggedness and heavy use.
This does not make sense, sorry. A large lens is a large lens on any body. Nobody would hold a large lens only by the body, regardless of DSLR or mirrorless. You always hold it steady with the left hand under the lens, also to aim.
Or does anyone hold for example a 70-200 F2.8 on a huge DSLR only by the camera!?
Yes but remember this is a manual focus lens with a manual aperture ring (presuming you buy the Nikon, which makes most sense) so your left hand is operating those a lot of the time and during those times you need to be holding the full weight on the puny A7 grip.
You said:
“Or does anyone hold for example a 70-200 F2.8 on a huge DSLR only by the camera!?”
I gave you the closest example to handholding a camera with a heavy lens with just one hand. And you know, not everytime you keep both hands on camera. If you’re moving around, directing or either just looking for a better angle, you will use just one hand whenever you can.
Sometimes I hold my SAL135F18Z on the a850 with just one hand. And that lens is quite heavy. With a proper strap, you can handheld the heavy Zeiss quite easily. Sometimes this is a necessity because I use my hand as support on some complicated scenarios.
At 135mm? And you get sharp photos and not shaken ones at 135mm?
“don’t even think about using this on the A7RII without the vertical grip”
I don’t understand, how an adapter can be attached to the camera with vertical grip AND use the tripod mount of the adapter?
To mount the camera body on a tripod is even less useful and more unstable.
I use the Otus 85mm very often hand held and also mounted with the tripod mount of the Metabones adapter on a tripod.
But there is an other problem, the Metabones adapter is not long enough, the body of the A7RII is to big. No problems with the A7R! I have to make picture of the problem.
I reversed the tripod mount foot of my Novovlex adapter. There are two screws you can loose and revert it.
The vertical grip helps to balance out the weight and a lens tripod mount can be used as a handle on the other hand while shooting.
I would not trust the lens adapter tripod foot for any heavy or seriously expensive lenses like an Otus.
the tripod foot of the Metabones works perfect, I use it very often with the Otus and Zeiss Makro-Planar100mm.
I don’t know the Novoflex, but as it is not a smart adapter it is useless for my Canon ZE mount lenses.
It is the best practice to connect to the tripod the heaviest part of the setup. For small lenses like the macro planar it may not be significant but for heavier lenses like an Otus or longer lenses (70-200, 300mm+) that skew the balance it is best to connect it to the lens.
Glad it works for you but I would not trust an adapter to hold both a heavy lens and the body. If you do not get outright failure, I expect that over time it may warp the mount leading to light leakage.
I almost always use large and long lenses, so for me it is just normal to always support the camera by the lens.
It seems to me that all these complains about a camera being too small for the lens are simply because those complaining are not used to properly supporting the camera with the lens
If the lens is too big for the camera, then it is big enough to support the camera.
expected with telephoto lenses. not so with prime or a smaller zoom
Regardless of what you “expected”
If you cannot handle your camera properly..
You are not properly handling your camera.
The camera is not the problem.
I stand by my previouse comment.
You can distribute the force easier. Using your left hand, your right hand and using your right hand for torque, too. Easier with a longer grip (angular momentum).
angular momentum = angular velocity x mass
I think you mean turning moment ?
Particle: mass times cross product of velocity vector and radial vector, else cross product of moment of inertia with angular velocity.
Depends on the radial vector, too. I talked about torque first, which is connected to angular momentum (its time derivative), but decided to use anglular momentum, too, since maybe it is better known for some people.
you can use camera in any lens body combination. it’s about ease and comfort of use. your comments have not credibility after preaching death of a-mount
When you hold up a rifle, you support it with your left hand, because it’s front heavy, when you mount a heavy lens, you also support it with your left hand, because it’s front heavy. It’s practically the same.
Tradecraft 101, thanks for pointing that out.
Exactly, these reviewers display their lack of a real-world shooting pedigree by making absurd comments ad nauseam.
While I absolutely agree with animalsbybarry here, you are being way too harsh. Ming has already proven himself countless times as a photographer.
Technician yes, photographer of merit……….
Well in the quote above he does state that the lens could use a tripod mount.
I’m holding my a7II right now and I can only use three fingers to hold the camera and the other two are doing nothing at all (in fact, the camera weight puts the lower edge of the camera grip against the palm of my hand).
His comments are valid, specially if you’re only using one hand to carry the camera. You know, not everytime you use both hands on the camera to operate it.
Did you really read his comment? Use one hand, your left, and hold it by the lens.
I would like to see a real world shooting competition between Ming Thein and yourself. Shouldn’t be a problem, since he obviously “lacks real-world shooting pedigree”.
He’s using a Z-Finder on that D810 below f/5.6 just to get his OTUS glass sharp. What does that tell you HF? Yet when he and his buddy Lloyd actually score an important gig at Zeiss, they both pack an A7Rll & Batis because their “preferred kit & idealistic shooting methods” DON’T CUT IT. What does that tell you HF?
I like Ming because he throws down a lot of crap products and is more critical than a lot of other lens sniffers.
I want my reviews raw and unedited just like my files.
That’s cool that he gives his opinion, but one person’s opinion, regardless of how qualified, is still just that.
Ergonomics are personal because we are all different. People come in different shapes and sizes, personally II, for me, find that I prefer the A7’s without grip even when using large lenses.
Does that make me wrong and him right?
Nope but I’m the other way around. I prefer a massive grip unless it’s an Olympus PEN camera- then I’ll take the friction grip…but only then.
I’m picky.
Here’s a guy who can shoot the stuffing out of virtually any subject, and proudly admits to knowing nothing about sensor design, or line-pair references on DXO charts. Enjoy!
http://www.joeyl.com
This ming thong guy is probably 5 foot tall and has tiny girl hands.
you revealed yourself in a comment like that
your mum revealed herself to me too
I have similar issues with SEL24240 on my A7II. And the SEL24240 isn’t that heavy compared to the Otus (1.7Lbs vs 3Lbs from the Otus). Only three of my fingers fits the grip and I have 2 fingers left doing almost nothing to get a grip of the camera.
you failed to contribute any useful info
you are missing the point on a simple comment. no one said it cannot be done. just more natural with a better grip of a larger body.
Had to return it- doesn’t balance very well on my EPL1.
between ming and nobody, i’d trust ming’s opinion because he actually got his hands on this lens before he voiced his opinion, in addition to having more credibility
We are talking about the handling of a big lens, so the actual lens is pretty much irrelevant and saying that “he actually got his hands on this lens” doesn’t carry any weight. As to credibility, it means absolutely nothing when speaking about highly subjective things, such as ergonomics.
Admin, you forgot to include an affiliate link to the grip, you’ll be a few dollars short by end of the day 🙂
I tells me he likes to get his images in focus and that he couldn’t use a tripod when Visiting Zeiss HQ. I don’t see a lack of pedigree there.
Now, rethink your answer, apply some logic, and answer the second part of my comment “from a real world shooters perspective.”
> he couldn’t use a tripod when Visiting Zeiss HQ<
Exactly, 99% of practical, daily, real-world photography isn't suited to working off a tripod. Maybe, before making arguments for convoluted working methods and overpriced (and often unnecessary) kit (OTUS) people would be better off figuring out "how to use" the kit that'll get you 99% of the way there first. Just sayin'
So like, i checked those pictures out with the A7RII. Very nice…very nice. Those interior shots of the cathedral certainly have a look and feel. Quite a few of the other ones missed focus though.
this is the problem with the tripod mount of Metabones and the A7RII and big fat lenses:
1. image:
Metabones adapters on A7R and A7RII (bottom camera)
the A7RII body is larger/higher than the A7R. On the A7RII the tripod foot is too short and can not be mounted on a tripod. It looks only a millimeter over the bottom of the camera.
2. image:
A7RII with Metabones tripod foot
3. Image:
again A7RII with Metabones foot and an extra tripod mount. Now you can mount it on a tripod but you have to take off the extra mount, when you want to take the Metabones adapter off 🙁
4. image:
A7RII with Otus 85mm mounted on a Novoflex tripod head. It is hard to see, but the camera can only be mounted half way into the tripod head because the camera body is in the way.
Ming must not have noticed this problem.
I only use the smart Metabones adapters with automatic aperture control of the ZE lenses and therefor I don’t know Novoflex adapters.
Sorry for any strange English,
I hope, that I could explain the problem anyway 🙂
I don’t understand? I use the MBIV on the RII using the tripod mount on the MB all the time. Yes, like using the EA4 you can’t take the adapter off while a large base plate is attached.
Ming Thein obviously isn’t the brightest crayon in the box.
A 3 lb lens doesn’t feel nice when hand held on an A7? No **** Sherlock. A massive lens like this obviously is not intended for casual strolling with a compact camera. There exist infinitely more appropriate alternatives for that: the FE 28/2, or the Batis 25/2.
And here we can see Zeiss’ intention with the Otii. Practical use of this beast demands a tripod collar, which Zeiss intentionally left out. A tripod mount would uglify the lens and make it look clumsy (which it is). Style over function. Zeiss’ main goal here is to create a halo product that most mortals will never buy. Function comes in 2nd place. It just needs to crush test charts and look like it was crafted by a god.