As we have seen from the many tests so far the best lens you can use on your A7-A7r camera is the Zeiss Otus 55mm f/1.4 (with E-mount adapter). Well if you like to get the best possible lens you will be happy to learn that Zeiss quietly admitted on their Zeiss page that their next “next Otus lens will be available in 2014: Otus 1.4/85.” Save the money guys! Found via MirrorlessRumors.
One more thing: They have no plan to make an A or E-mount version of the lens. It’s manual focusing lens so it doesn’t really matter anyway. Just use an adapter 🙂
A new Sony A7r with Zeiss Otus test can be seen at The.me:
The Zeiss Otus is a magnificent piece of optical engineering, as I could confirm having borrowed one from the Zeiss people here. It is F1.4, has no noticeable flaws and is very sharp if you focus correctly.
42 Responses
@Admin
Are there any signs for a UWA Otus yet?
Somewhat around 14 to 22mm with very fast apperture.
Thanks
The third one that is coming is a 28mm f/1.4 lens but it will take a while until it is released.
When did they say that?
They didn’t say it “officially” but it has been leaked out a lot earlier.
http://www.canonrumors.com/2013/03/the-next-zeiss-lenses-cr2/
Being the otus it will most likely cost over 5000 dollars, more interested in Zeiss mirrorless FF lenses
me too 🙂
Same here. Not to mention it will probably be more than a kilo.
They may cost a lot and weigh a lot but Man just think of an OTUS trio of 28mm f/1.4 , 55mm f/1.4 and an 85mm f/1.4 {assuming results on a par with the 55mm} All bolted in front of a 54mp sensor 🙂
I am sure they will all be great, I just prefer a lighter and more compact package 🙂
I wasn’t planning on getting them Vlad,when fantasizing little things like size, weight and cost don’t come in to it 🙂
Adrea, please correct focal length of Otus standard lens. It’s 55mm, not 50mm 🙂
Best regards, WZ.
thanks! Sorry, made a typo 🙂
I hope new Otus 1.4/85 would be more affordable 🙂 I don’t want to buy it with one penny but It could be slighter cheaper 🙂 Best regards, WZ.
In most normal companies 🙂 the 85mm F1.4 is 3-4 times more expensive than the 50mm F1.4. The OTUS 55mm F1.4 is around the £3000 mark here in the UK.So using other companies pricing models an OTUS 85mm should be £9000-£12000 bargain 🙂
Thankfully the current OTUS is a 55mm 1.4 and not a 50mm 1.4. And the only company making a longer than 50mm full frame normal for their cameras are Nikon. The new AF-S Nikkor 58mm 1.4G is clearly more expensive than Nikon’s AF-S 85mm 1.4G. So maybe we can hope for £2500?
I was only joking hence the smiley faces . But looking at the Zeiss pricing model for their current lens selection the Zeiss Planar T* 85mm f/1.4 ZF is roughly 75% more than their Zeiss Planar T* 50mm f/1.4 ZF { £1099 vs £599}.
An 85mm F1.4 OTUS, made to the same high standards as the 55mm will almost certainly be considerably more expensive. Just as a special edition 85mm lens made by Nikon in the same way as the 58mm would be considerably more expensive than their current mass market option.
Seeing how 85 1.4 type lenses are much better than typical 50 1.4 lenses, if the Otus designation is about meeting certain image quality criteria (e.g. resolution, low CA, etc.), they might not need to try as hard as they did for the 55 1.4 when making a 85 1.4. My guess is that the price will be similar but a little more because it’s a newer lens. If it’s priced a bit lower, I wouldn’t be surprised then either.
I see where you are coming from geno, 85mm F1.4 do tend to perform better than their 50mm cousins. This could actually make it harder for them to deliver the best ever 85mm as they seem to be aiming for peerless rather than just a tad better. The better the competition the more difficult their challenge
http://www.dxomark.com/Lenses/Compare/Side-by-side/Nikkor-AF-S-NIKKOR-85mm-f14G-on-Nikon-D800-versus-Zeiss-Carl-Zeiss-Distagon-T-STAR-Otus-55mm-F14-ZF2-Nikon___388_792_1242_0
I fully expect a peerless 85mm OTUS to cost even more than the 55mm
I wanted to buy the Otus 55. But running around with a huge 1kg lens and a 20mm adapter for outdoor photography then again seamed a little strange to me.
This lenses are great, but their use is quite special. Not an everyday lens.
I will receive the 55/1.8 by today.
Results from that MD Rokkor 50mm are looking good. Time to get my MC & MD lenses out again.
Just received it!
This lens will be game change. It’s a must-have lens no matter how much it is !!!!
So no Zeiss commitment for Sony brand in high end lenses, only for Canon & Nikon!
“They have no plan to make an A or E-mount version of the lens. It’s manual focusing lens so it doesn’t really matter anyway. Just use an adapter”
It’s not quite the same thing when you are talking about ultra precision optics. An adapter has two additional mounting surfaces that have manufacturing tolerances which can lead to some optical issues. Roger Cicala of Lens Rentals wrote an article on that and illustrated pretty clearley that the addition of an adapter does add some compromises:
http://www.lensrentals.com/blog/2013/09/there-is-no-free-lunch-episode-763-lens-adapters
Some adapters are better built than others but the relevance of adapter tolerances in the real world is comparable to the usefulness of absolute sharpness in fast lenses with very shallow DOF.
There maybe situations where you can notice a misalignment under test conditions but who shoots brick walls wide open anyway? 🙂 Once you stop down, the increased depth of focus takes care of little things.
Also, while quoting Roger, take a look at his sample variation analyses. All lenses are messed up to some extent so 10 microns on the adapter just becomes a minor part of a bigger cocktail of issues 🙂
I shoot with very high resolution cameras with more resolution and shallower DOF than the 55 otus on any dslr but I’ve never had a shot ruined because of the lens not sitting properly.
Field*
Totally agree – just pointing out that shooting with an adapter isn’t necessarily the sam as shooting with a native lens 🙂
Unable to adapt it to a-mount (without an optical adapter anyway).
Dear Zeiss
Please make Otus 24-70/2.8 FE. This is the lens every A7r is waiting!
You’re joking right?
I’m pretty sure they’ll never make an OTUS zoom. I think it’s only Sony that develops Zeiss zooms.
= OFF TOPIC = A99 successor desireable improvements =
As an experienced A99 photographer I learned what I would like to find improved with the successor to this camera. Hence I would like to share this list of desireable improvements, which I ranked from most desireable down:
* Lower energy consumption. Most needed!
* Improved multi-axis IS. Current IS is not as effective as one could expect
* Grip+Eye-start. The eye-only start can be a pain
* AF on sensor. That has to come for both PD + contrast
* General picture quality. Should always be improved
* Intervall timer. Would be great and easy to implement
* Sensor tiltable. Pentax showed it and it’s sexy!
* Faster switch-on I learned to live with it but it should be faster
* USB 3.0 A natural thing with a 36 MP 😉 camera
* WLAN Nice to have
What on earth does this have anything to do with the Zeiss Otus series? It seems lately that any post whatsoever needs to be contaminated with A-mount gibberish that is completely unrelated to the topic at hand. It’s great that you are so passionate about the A-mount but you are doing yourself and your cause a disservice by posting unrelated stuff in every thread.
Agree with much of that (and more)…but that is way off-topic.
Most probably it will be called Planar, followed shortly by f/1.8 Sonnar, 4 times cheaper for Sony FE.
This is depressing. I can’t afford any kind of otus. I guess I will just check those lotto tickets and hope for the best.
Now if you really want them Wayne, simple question how many Kidneys do you have and how many do you need 🙂
If only I could regrow then somehow. I could get all the lenses I want…lol
For portrait I will not care about the weight and the size. I think this lens make more sense than the 55mm. Now let see at what price…I’m ready to spend at premium price for two lens, portrait and landscape. However it’s a shame that Zeiss will not do a A or E bayonnet in order to read the aperture.
Good news, Planar T* 85mm F1.4 ZA wasnt up to the Zeiss bar. Interesting indeed, does Zeiss bring Otus to A-mount systems???
Sure, especially after the fact zeiss didn’t make this lens, Sony did
hmm, so why arent sony putting pressure on ziess to make a few batchs with a mount and e mount, i mean it surely cant be too hard to graft on a new rear housing that they could copy from another lens? and your only reading apature anyways?