Diglloyd posted his first impressions about the new Zeiss Otus 85mm lens:
The Otus 85/1.4 APO-Planar delivers the most transparently beautiful imagery I have ever seen on a DSLR…Including medium format Leica S, and the best Pentax medium format lens, the 90/2.8 macro. The Otus 85mm /1.4 APO-Planar sets a new standard all its own.
The Swedish site Fotosidan (google translation here) posted a short comparison with the Nikon 85mm lens:
Some bright lenses are deliberately drawing a soft at maximum aperture to get nice and soft background blur (bokeh). Zeiss has managed to combine high clarity with nice bokeh, see example image.
The lens can be preorderd at BHphoto with Nikon mount (Click here) or Canon mount (Click here) version.
UPDATE: RAW image samples can be downloaded at Mattgranger.com/otus85mm
0 Responses
Otus! Otus!
They should put an otus 50mm f1.4 in the next RX1-O.
: )
A lens of such size sort of beats the point. RXs are, after all, compacts.
I was kidding.
Again…I don’t get it…where’s the funny part?
Helps to explain the reason that this site brings this kind of news.
A lens that does not a-mount version.
Oh, oh… Sort of makes sense.
I like the fact that I can have news from third-party manufacturers on SAR, even if it’s not A/E-mount, I don’t have to wander around and go to 32563428 other sites to find information.
Sarcasm : See first and second seasons of TBBT
Nikon or Canon? Both are ancient DSLRs. Why would one mount the “best lens ever” on these?
We won’t be able to hope for a ZK version to adapt onto mirrorless, but maybe one day they’ll come up with a ZA version of it with both the focus and the aperture ring and both turning in the right direction.
Big, heavy, ugly, expensive… 99% of population don’t care…
Yes, only those who seek the ultimate image quality. Definitely not you.
Chance are many of “those who seek the ultimate image quality” are trying to make up for a lack of knowledge with better gear, when it’s their own techniques that are the limiting factor.
Rather have it big and heavy rather than big and hollow-feeling.
Thats what she said.
Who…?
Face palm……
What…? I don’t think we’re on the same page here.
You won’t be able to mount it to your I-Phone, so it’s not for you.
QX1 + Metabones Adapter + Otus lens – there you are 🙂
It’s not even for 1% of the population, way less than that. But you — and many others who complain about the Otus — totally miss the point. Zeiss made this lens for Zeiss. First of all, it’s to challenge and advance the technical expertise of their optical engineers, because some of this research will find its way into affordable consumer products such as the very, very good FE 55 1.8 that you can get for $900. And second of all, it’s a PR masterclass! Look at all the press, chat rooms, blogs… Otus this! Otus that! Brilliant. Simply brilliant. Blue square shoves it straight up the red dot’s arse…
I corrected your mistake: 99.9999% of population don’t care.
99,99999999 prefers Canon.
what a waste on a max 22mp sensor 😀
this is made for the few that care 😛
looks very promising !
Looking forward for samples !
Very interesting how Sigma will react to this with their 85 Art 😉
The Sigmas are fine lenses, but realistically the talk about the Sigma 50 approaching Otus quality was total hype. It’s not close. Not even in the same ballpark.
as well as the price 😉
It isn’t just “talk”, virtually every real test says so, like the very thorough one at dpreview: “The benchmark right now is the Zeiss Otus 1.4/55, and while the Sigma can’t quite match it for outright sharpness right across the frame wide open, it’s extremely close.”
I have experimented with both and in my opinion the dpreview doesn’t tell the full story. As I said, the Sigma is excellent, and sharp, but a bit lacking in color transmission and bokeh smoothness. The Otus is noticeably sharper and has better micro-contrast and focus falloff. If price and auto focus were no consideration, the Otus would definitely be my preference.
Samples can be found here: https://www.flickr.com/photos/carlzeisslenses/14655843677/in/photostream/
Not digging the tonal color of the skin. Looks to clean and digital. If you told me you did this with a minolta 85mm I’d believe you. No prints….no meaningful advantage.
doesnt it make sense to shoot such test images with neutral colours?
yes….but will it blend?
Wish it had a rotating monopod ring. The cost of this lens will prevent me from affording the chiropractor after carrying it around.
The f5.6 100% sample on the Swedish site looks to suffer moire madness on Nikon D810. Lens so sharp fashion and portrait togs beware, unless you enjoy extra post production.
Even @ f1.4 and cheaper Nikon lens, this scene produces moire.
Where are pixelphobics? The faggots never notice such things 😀
Yup. There is definitely moire. Probably the reason that D810 could largely get away without it is that some lenses would have a low enough MFT at high resolution that they would act as a low-pass AA filter.
Of course if Barry was on the ball, he’d be in their making the case for his hyper-high resolution and “stacked” sensor concept as, the latter would eliminate colour moire, and the former would, if high enough, eliminate luminance moire.
If I get to this stage, I’ll just shoot 8×10 film. Nothing in the world of 35mm can come close to it yet. No matter how good the lens is your still stuck with the ridiculously small full frame sensor at the end of the day.
Obviously you never shot 8×10 film. Otherwise you wouldn’t make such a silly statement and ridiculous comparison. Regardless how pretty 8×10 is… but it’s too cumbersome, too limited in its use, too expensive ($5 per sheet!!), too much of a hassle… and yes, I want to see how you do with your 8×10 camera on a mountain… in the wind… in the rain… Besides, the results are often underwhelming, not because of the resolution, but because people in front of a 8×10 camera tend to ‘pose’, they stiffen up, simply because the camera and process of changing sheets is rather intimidating. I take a D800e and a pair of 55 and 85 Otus ANY DAY!!
And I’d take that $8,500 and buy a full lineup of lenses (primes, macros, and teles) and accessories. Enjoy your huge range of 55-85mm while capturing your still life masterpieces in the studio. Also, make sure to avoid any dust or moisture, thanks to that “uncompromised engineering.”
Crazy talk! 8×10 is superior in every way.EVERY WAY. If they tend to ‘pose’ then that’s the result of the photographer not the camera. Have your film loaded prior to the shoot- talk with your subjects and make them feel comfortable.
Sony Otus rumors
“Sets a new standard.” Posts poorly composed portrait, a shot of a tree trunk, and some dead underbrush… I can really see how inspiring this lens is.
Fact is, for the majority of uses at this focal length, after all the touch ups and adjustments, all this performance means little. Besides, at this price, just go shoot medium or large format already.
+1
I don’t think there will be any visible difference between 85mmZA and 85mmOtus in real shots.
Meanwhile the ZA lens has AF, costs less and, crucially, is availible for A-Mount.
I don’t think there will be any visible difference between the Sony HX400V and the 85mmZA in real shots.
Meanwhile the HX400V has AF, costs less and, crucially, covers 24-1200mm.
1. Take an argument
2. Exaggerate
3. ???
4. Profit!
If you download the full size samples, you only can be impressed by the rendering and detail (especially on Retina displays!). Doesn’t mean you have to buy this lens. Medium format will be very expensive, Otus could be an alternative when combined with D810 or A7r.
Maybe with the 810, definitely not with the A7 as there is no E-mount type available. Besides from that it wouldn’t be handleable. It would feel like a truck tyre on a gokart.
True I dumped my A7 when I realized that these bodies are designed for f4 zooms and f2,8 primes. I put the FD 85 1.2L on mine and it didn’t feel comfortable to hold or to even carry around.
To be fair, I can’t say I’d want to lug a 1.2kg prime around on a d810 either…
wait… “new standard”
i thougth AF and OIS were the standard for any lense these days
best lense??? by how much… 10% more IQ for 400% the price, no thanks
i love to see this lense tested by that guy who review the otus 50mm, he concluded that the otus was so good that he could just crop the image when he needed a 85mm or 135mm rather than change lense
lol
oh, men… the stupid things “pros” write, so they can get free/test stuff from zeiss
I’ll premise this by saying if I had the money, I’d buy this lens. Assuming mounts don’t change, this lens is near future proof and will be able to resolve images on the super high MP bodies that are sure to come. However, all that said, this lens is a waste of money. Sports photog? No AF, they ain’t buying this. Studio photog? They shoot at f/8, f/11, and reasonably priced primes are already plenty sharp in those ranges. Portrait photogs? They don’t need top of the line sharpness. This is a fantastic lens all the same, but smart professionals know the Otus premium won’t give them a ROI, as 99% of clients aren’t going to be able to differentiate Otus images from Canon 85mm f/1.2L, Fuji 56mm f/1.2, Nikon 85mm f/1.4, or even Samyang/Rokinon 85mm f/1.4 images.
+1
Honestly, i dont hink this lens is catering to those who care about ROI. Just like the people who buy leica lenses generally are not the blue collar working pros. People who buy this lens, pro or not, are those looking for maximum image quality for the FF dslr form factor, regardless of price. Anybody who worries about the value isnt the intended target group.
oh hm, really? I wonder why pros waste money on digital medium format then? 99% of clients can’t differentiate the image quality, after all.
Apart from the resolution difference between a 60mp or 80mp MF image and a ~20mp 35mm image, they can’t see any difference. Pros have MF because 1. editorial clients like being able to do heavy crops to fit a layout, and 2. It’s easier to justify an expensive rate if you own a $40K camera. You honestly think clients go “O I can tell that was shot with a leaf shutter & high sync speed” or “This final print image looks like it was scaled down from a 60mp image, not a 22mp or 18mp image”?
so instead of “working” on 90 macro you’r reading reviews? tc tc tc..
Is this still a Sony fan site? Or a hidden Nikon / Canon fan site? Are you going to celebrate every new Nikon mount lens here, this in assumption that you can screw it on some adapter and attach it to a tiny E-body where it doesn’t work half as good as on any Nikon body for that it was made for? This is ridiculous!
Let alone that there are no good quality adapters that don’t have play when mounted on E mount. and you are right this Otus cover started to be an embarrassment to A mount users.
This is not a fan site but a rumor site. The lens is also neither a Nikon nor a Canon lens. BTW, thanks to the e-mount, can use next to every 35mm lens no matter which brand. That’s something to celebrate every single day : ).
That’s a distinction without a difference. ;^)
You can’t screw any lens on an E-mount, you only can use ADAPTERS to do so which is possible with ANY type of connections. There are also adaptors for Canon to Nikon etc. out there. This is nothing thanks to E-mount at all.
Heard a rumor they WILL be making this for the E mount! Gonna change the aperture from f4 to f1.4 though. 🙁
And it will be in the Loxia line? 😉
Ming Thein has also done a review on the new Otus
http://blog.mingthein.com/2014/09/09/lens-review-zeiss-zf-2-1-4-85-otus-apo-planar/
Normal lens, nothing special! In photography most valuable thing is WHAT you capture and HOW, not lens or camera body
.
I think it’s relevant and timely discussion because a smaller, simpler and slower version is coming to E-mount system, with AF, less purple elements and called Sonnar or something for clarity.
Sonnar is different design than Plannar and has different rendering. I have 80mm plannar and 150mm sonnar for my Hasselblad and indeed for two different applications (with close up rings plannar can be used as macro lens, sonnar not so much)
You are correct and I was kidding. Just expecting another co-release soon.
I have a good contact to my pro retailer. He said he has 11 pre orders for the Otus 85mm, 9x Canon, 2x Nikon. The same guys bought the 55mm Otus.
Didn’t knew that there are so many “crazy” guys around here… 🙂
He is already listing the Loxia lenses. 849,- € for the 50mm and 1.149,- € for the 35mm.
Guess this more our (my) affordable range, isn’t it? 🙂
So, Canon rules, eh? I have been trying to decide the mount. Will forego Nikon and consider a Canon body.. 🙂
Can’t wait to try the “best lens ever”. 🙂
No – Nikon just has better lenses. No need for Zeiss 🙂
Now we need a 135mm f/1.4 or f/1.8 beast for around 6000$+ to pair it with next version of a7s for realtime coma-free astrophotography. That would be nice.
There’s already the 135mm APO f/2 which is coma free and pretty fast, with imaging quality on par with the Otus lenses. I can’t imagine there will be an f/1.4 version of the 135mm, the f/2 version is big and heavy enough!
this is just way TOOO MUCH MONEY FOR A TOY… so I will just wait for the 85/1.4 Art Sigma, that hopefully appears… one day?
A lens is a toy for you ;)?
Ten years from now the Otus will sell for $5,000 used while the Sigma will go for $50 if the AF is still working. But by then, you’ll have bought 5 other Sigma “toys”, each at $1,000, right?
Your problem is that YOU need the lens for a TOY, while Zeiss created the best portrait tool around. As a tool it is fairly priced!
Your problem is that YOU need the lens for a TOY, while Zeiss created the best portrait tool around. As a tool ot is fairly priced!
Your problem is that YOU need the lens for a TOY, while Zeiss created the best portrait tool around. As a tool it is fairly priced!
sony really should ring up zeiss and get them to make a A mount of these, or in m42/t2/adaptall so it could be used on virtualy any 35mm slr
sony would also be the best mount, focus peaking, IBIS…
diglloyd is huge Zeiss fan, every their lens is masterpiece for him. In real life, even some Samyang lenses can match Z quality (google zeiss 35/1.4 and Samyang 35/1.4)
The point is uncompromizing quality at any price. The flaw is the busy look of the bokeh in the near out of focus zone.