Sony A7rII with Milvus lenses. Image courtesy: Mirrorlessons.
We have the world’s very first Sony A7rII and Zeiss Milvus tests!
Mirrorlessons writes:
Zeiss also stated that the Milvus lenses work well on Sony’s E-mount and Micro Four Thirds cameras because they are also designed for video. They are colour matched which makes them ideal for colour grading in video production. They get the same de-click mechanism from the Loxia family (you loosen a screw on the rear) and they are 4K ready.
The Milvus lenses almost look like they could have been built for any system and it seems that the family will grow faster than the Loxia/Batis family.
Zeiss Milvus on Sony A7r II – 4K video samples
3D-Kraft tested the 50 and 85mm Milvus on the A7rIi and writes:
It’s too early for a final conclusion, but my impression so far:
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Build quality seems very solid, focus is smooth
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Nice bokeh, high micro contrast
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At open aperture not as sharp as an Otus and it does not have the apochromatic correction (especially for longitudinal CAs) you get with an Otus – but hey: these lenses are about 1/3 of the price of an Otus!
Sony A7rII with Milvus 35mm lens (Image courtesy: Greg Waterman).
And Zeiss photographer Greg Waterman posted a full set of A7r and Milvus images on Flickr:
Everything shot on a7R and a Milvus 2/35 with a Metabones IV, handheld and wide open. We just booked a room at the Standard and played inside all day. Lighting was whatever was available in the hotel room (windows and lightbulbs). ISO 1600. The Milvus lenses are amazing. Exceptional build quality and incredible optics. Like a baby Otus 🙂
Here are the detailed Lens info and preorder links at BHphoto:
Zeiss Milvus 100mm f/2M ZE Lens for Canon EF at BHPhoto (Click here), Adorama (Click here).
Zeiss Milvus 100mm f/2M ZF.2 Lens for Nikon F at BHPhoto (Click here), Adorama (Click here).
Zeiss Milvus 21mm f/2.8 ZE Lens for Canon EF at BHPhoto (Click here), Adorama (Click here).
Zeiss Milvus 21mm f/2.8 ZE Lens for Nikon F at BHPhoto (Click here), Adorama (Click here).
Zeiss Milvus 35mm f/2 ZE Lens for Canon EF at BHPhoto (Click here), Adorama (Click here).
Zeiss Milvus 35mm f/2 ZE Lens for Nikon F at BHPhoto (Click here), Adorama (Click here).
Zeiss Milvus 50mm f/1.4 ZE Lens for Canon EF at BHPhoto (Click here), Adorama (Click here).
Zeiss Milvus 50mm f/1.4 ZF.2 Lens for Nikon F at BHPhoto (Click here), Adorama (Click here).
Zeiss Milvus 50mm f/2M ZE Lens for Canon EF at BHPhoto (Click here), Adorama (Click here).
Zeiss Milvus 50mm f/2M ZE Lens for Nikon F at BHPhoto (Click here), Adorama (Click here).
Zeiss Milvus 85mm f/1.4 ZE Lens for Canon EF at BHPhoto (Click here), Adorama (Click here).
Zeiss Milvus 85mm f/1.4 ZE Lens for Nikon F at BHPhoto (Click here), Adorama (Click here).
45 Responses
What does it mean 4K ready? I thought all lenses can handle resolution required for 4K video.
Meaningless marketing jargon. Just about any lens on the market is “4K ready” or able to resolve the 9 megapixels that make up a 4K still frame.
yes – it’s marketing speech
no – not all lenses on the market are ready for 4k/”full format” – 4k is video! Those video guys have different habits and equipment! Most of their lenses are either B4 mount (that’s a sensor even smaller than MFT!) or PL mount (PL mount looks big, really big but it’s intended mainly for “super 35” sensors and this exactly the APS-C size…
And if you look at the prices for PL mount Zeiss or Sony or RED primes even an Otus is just a bargain…
PS: those broadcast camcorders for 4k mainly use sensors in “super 16” size that’s roughly half the size of APS-C in each dimension. And the REDs or the Sony F55/65 4k cams for cinema productions use super 35 aka APS-C…
I believe super 35 isn’t the same size as aps-c, the latter should be smaller.
Super 35:24.89×18.66
Sony’s aps-c:23.98×16.41
It varies but Canon as a major player has an even smaller aps-c.
a few percent up or down… But not factor 2 (in area) as to “full format”…
the new iPhones shoot 4k video..does that mean Apple upped the quality of the optic?..doubt it!
Nice to see how many of you smelled sarcasm in my message.
and where is the loxia 20mm f2.8?
Loxia 21mm
First we had an orange lady (http://www.sonyalpharumors.com/shooting-actress-kassandra-kanaar-in-hollywood-with-the-zeiss-batis-lenses-by-greg-watermann/), now blue!
Is there a new fashion that I don’t know about, or does someone need to do some serious calibration work?
I wonder why Zeiss have not released any more Batis lenses, or Loxia. The E-Mount system desperately need more of those lenses. I wish they could have released a 15/18mm wide angel, and a 50 mm Batis
The Batis lenses were literally released a month ago. How would they already announce new ones?
And a 50mm Batis? Personally, I think the FE 55/1.8 is that Batis. Sony just decided to try a different distribution and marketing model this time around. Remember that the Batis lenses are designed by Tamron (Sony subsidiary) and produced by Cosina. To me the Batis lenses feel and function exactly how I’d expect 25 and 85mm cousins of the 55/1.8 to be: fantastic.
I’d much rather see Sony announce a 50/1.2 in a similar build as the 35/1.4.
Thats right. But the Batis lenses looks som much better than the FE 55mm
So you want more Batis just for the looks?
Says who?
But they’re plastic while the FE has at least a metal shell?
It’ll be as big as a competitor 50/0.95…Oh yeah we already have one, no, a couple.
They can’t get them to market. Zeiss does not have the manpower to produce the amount of lenses desired. offering up yet another line is getting confusing and who knows when they’ll be available. Also with all these new lines, it seems Zeiss is confused about their sales, manufacturing and marketing plans.
They know they are selling everything they produce on the Batis line-up, but that’s a problem too, they can’t release new models if they barely keep two in stock, it is already starting to annoy consumers, imagine what would happen if they made a third one.
some info : Loxia 21 was presented at the same time with Milvus
But I think it is not ready yet.
Do you have any link of the announce?
Really weird to see them showcasing the lens line-up with A7rII.
Until there is a native FE version with aperture ring, no thanks. More Loxia please.
I’d like to express my amazement by how blog writers regurgitate Zeiss marketing spin like drones: “The Milvus lenses almost look like they could have been built for any system and it seems that the family will grow faster than the Loxia/Batis family.”
Seriously? This is the Zeiss Z-series which was launched in the 1980s, and finally refreshed for 2015. If I go on the Zeiss website I can read that during the past two years Zeiss has:
1) Released 4 new (redesigned) lenses for Nikon and Canon DSLRs:
– Otus series: 55/1.4 and 85/1.4
– Milvus series: 50/1.4 and 85/1.4
2) Released 9 new lenses for Sony full frame mirrorless (from Zeiss website):
– Loxia series: 35/2 and 50/2
– Batis series: 25/2 and 85/1.8
– ZA series: 35/1.4, 35/2.8, 55/1.8, 16-35/4, 24-70/4
This is information from their website. The other Milvus lenses were not updated from the Z-series designs. This is a welcome refresh, but most definitely does not mean Zeiss is abandoning mirrorless.
“will grow faster” doesn’t mean “abandoning”
So, what’s your rant about exactly?
Hooray Mike. It’s amazing how many people can’t even be bothered Googling the topics they post about on forums.
Are we sure this is a7rii footage? Kind of looks like it was shot on a Note 4.
I would like to know if they are mechanical focus & do they have hard stops?
Also if they do, does it stop at infinity, or do they go past?
Yes fully mechanical with hard limits.
If they’re totally manual, there would be no reason for them not to be mechanical and not to have a hard stop? Unless the focus mechanism is hand milled, I’ve seen one before, it does go past infinity.
Zeiss is not getting my money for these lens. I want more Batis and Loxias. This anouncement made me kind of irritated. :-p
footage and stills here show very little. looks like they could have been taken with a phone. the video looks like they didn’t know how to set the shutter vs the frame rate and are all flickery-jittery…I’m sure they are great lenses, but you wouldn’t know it from that example.
oh and I don’t need to buy canon or nikon lenses for a Sony.
Thank you come again.
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That portrait looks…unnerving…
I’m not too sure I understood him either lol.
And still not that odd. A friend of mine who is a pro photographer bought the Otus 85 a couple of months ago to use on his D800E, ended up using it on the A7R instead. Reason? Well, he had to struggle too much nailing focus on the D800E, and all the sharpness goodness was lost. With the A7R- no problems. The Milvus are all manual focus, and ironically much easier to use on a Sony mirrorless even though they are designed for canikon.
I suspect that Zeiss knows full well that ultimately the Sony crowd couldn’t care less about this line… but can’t hurt to try and spin it. Very cute, now get more Batis and Loxia in stock.
Sony crowd would love these on a99. Take full advantage of large grip curvy camera with full LCD articulation and EVF focus aids… true advantage over the CaNikon bodies.
That model….. is she Mesut Ozil’s sister?
:p
Bingo.
I’m hoping that the Milvus 35mm has very bad distortion… -_-
Interesting video- it did nothing for me, but it was interesting.
You never got a hot chick in your life.
But I totally agree with you about the other stuff. Think we’d like these MILF’s more if they were available in AMount? Now that would truly be a MILF!
Hats of sir- your reply was epic!
When the camera is moving it looks very choppy, this is a fairly good computer with 6-cores and 32GB RAM and fast internet, so I doubt its the computer. Maybe try 60fps or something and it might look better.. hopefully.