Review: Zeiss 55mm f/1.4 Otus Distagon T*

[Andyx01]

Quote "I was a bit surprised at the result and repeated it several times to confirm the numbers and it was so"

Count me in as being surpised because that defies logic.

 

[Andyx01]

Any chance the reviewer had "In body correction" enabled that was softening the result(s) with supported lenses (e.g. the 300 2.8 IS II) - Would be interesting to see the 5D3 re-tested with the lens profile removed from the camera using tape over the contacts.

 

[Jeffrey]

I always enjoy reading the comments on this website.

I own a Zeiss 55mm lens and a 1D-X. Yes, I am a very lucky guy and am the first to say so. I love the lens and have shot it a lot. Superb results.

Will spending say $5K make you a better photographer? Actually it works inversely in that mistakes will be magnified and the lens will become the object of blame. Wrong, just plain wrong.

This is not a point-and-shoot lens. It is a hypercritical manual focus lens that does take some practice to become accustomed to shooting. Sort of like riding a bike. Once you "get it" you will be amazed at the quality of the images captured.

Based on my experience in using this lens, I don't think there is a comparable lens on the planet. Rent one and give it a try!

 

[Eldar]

One thing that jumped out at me about Roger's new article RE: the 5Ds/5dsR was that fact that the Otus 85 outresolved the 300L by almost 24% in the center (on the 5D3). The Otus 85 was stopped down to f/2.8, so that is an advantage, but still... The 300L is one of the sharpest lenses in the world, period.

Those who wanted to see some resolution numbers for an Otus on a high megapixel body should take a look at the numbers here.

http://www.lensrentals.com/blog/2015/06/canon-5ds-and-5ds-r-initial-resolution-tests

So there you have it, the 300 f/2.8 IS II is 19% sharper in the corner, 5% sharper on average, and within 7% of the Otus in the center. It must be a truely artfull-er ... lens ... with even more beautiful drawing, and umm, It's probably got that magic stuff too.

I suppose if you stitch (16) 300mm 2.8 pictures together you end up with (1) 75mm f/0.75 composite.

Factor in a bit of overlap and you may end up at 85mm.

16 times the resolution of the Otus. not to mention at f/0.75 v.s. 2.8

Stop the otus down to 1.4 and now the differnece is presumably well over 16x in favor of the composite.

And I don't think anyone cares because who is going to seriously stitch 16 images together?

Back on topic - isn't the 55 sharper than the 85 though? For some reason I thought it was....

Thanks for the fence post Eldar - is that the 55mm OTUS? - It was interesting to see the amount of green in the background bokeh, v.s. purple in the foreground bokeh. I would have guessed this to have been from a different lens. That said; do the competing lenses look substantially worse under those conditions?

The amount of vignetting looks like what I would expect.

P.s. Anyone else notice the fly that happend to be right near the focus plane on the left side of the frame?

He he, if you want to look like the prime jerk on the web, be my guest I´m sorry, but i do not carry half the intellect to understand a quarter of your weird logic ...

 

[eml58]

Those who wanted to see some resolution numbers for an Otus on a high megapixel body should take a look at the numbers here.

http://www.lensrentals.com/blog/2015/06/canon-5ds-and-5ds-r-initial-resolution-tests

Pick my 5DsR up later today, intend to test the 300f/2.8 II & Otus 55 & 85 asap.

And remember Eldar, all comments in this thread regards the Otus 55/85 made by "Andyx01" are based on supposition, guesswork & quite possibly, envy, I come to this conclusion based on the following extracts from the comments made by "Andyx01", "I suppose", "may end up with", "presumably", "I thought it was", "I would have Guessed".

Safe to ignore.

 

[meywd]

Those who wanted to see some resolution numbers for an Otus on a high megapixel body should take a look at the numbers here.

http://www.lensrentals.com/blog/2015/06/canon-5ds-and-5ds-r-initial-resolution-tests

Pick my 5DsR up later today, intend to test the 300f/2.8 II & Otus 55 & 85 asap.

If you can do a comparison between the two Otus for the same subject then that would be great.

 

[eml58]

Those who wanted to see some resolution numbers for an Otus on a high megapixel body should take a look at the numbers here.

http://www.lensrentals.com/blog/2015/06/canon-5ds-and-5ds-r-initial-resolution-tests

Pick my 5DsR up later today, intend to test the 300f/2.8 II & Otus 55 & 85 asap.

If you can do a comparison between the two Otus for the same subject then that would be great.

Hi "Meywd", I'll certainly post up some Images, it won't be one of Dustin's very enlightening articles, something simple, more in line with my abilities.

 

[Andyx01]

Those who wanted to see some resolution numbers for an Otus on a high megapixel body should take a look at the numbers here.

http://www.lensrentals.com/blog/2015/06/canon-5ds-and-5ds-r-initial-resolution-tests

Pick my 5DsR up later today, intend to test the 300f/2.8 II & Otus 55 & 85 asap.

And remember Eldar, all comments in this thread regards the Otus 55/85 made by "Andyx01" are based on supposition, guesswork & quite possibly, envy, I come to this conclusion based on the following extracts from the comments made by "Andyx01", "I suppose", "may end up with", "presumably", "I thought it was", "I would have Guessed".

Safe to ignore.

Well aren't you creative. And what a wonderful reminder of word counts! Very helpful! I realize you're not very good at finding facts without people flat out telling you them, so here, just for you

"Quote possibly" - Oh no! You're doing it too - tsk tsk, so hypocritical.

I suppose if you stitch (16) 300mm 2.8 pictures together you end up with (1) 75mm f/0.70 composite.

Is that better? Is it more factual now? baha. If you have more questions on how that works let me know because I'm sure without further explanation you're still lost.

"May end up with" - I don't actually see that - You mis-read it. Don't be embarrassed, it happens.

"Stop the otus down to 1.4 and now the difference is presumably well over 16x in favor of the composite."

It's over 16, (presumably well over) but I understand that confused you again.

 

[eml58]

As I said "Andyx01"

Safe to ignore

 

[mike b]

One thing that jumped out at me about Roger's new article RE: the 5Ds/5dsR was that fact that the Otus 85 outresolved the 300L by almost 24% in the center (on the 5D3). The Otus 85 was stopped down to f/2.8, so that is an advantage, but still... The 300L is one of the sharpest lenses in the world, period.

Those who wanted to see some resolution numbers for an Otus on a high megapixel body should take a look at the numbers here.

http://www.lensrentals.com/blog/2015/06/canon-5ds-and-5ds-r-initial-resolution-tests

Hi Dustin
Personally I believe the clues are here
http://www.lensrentals.com/blog/2014/06/sensor-stack-thickness-when-does-it-matter
please also read my reply in the comments section to that article as i have tried to give a simplish reply to help understand whats happening in laymans terms.
The article shows that you can have" sharp lenses" and "high res" camera but if the ray paths are not exactly matched to each other the images will not be good.I hate to say it but saying" it is a sharp lens ...period" is just wrong .I also do understand canon engineers throwing their hands up when people were suggesting "...well for the r why dont you just take the anti alaising bit out".Focus filter stack size and ray paths ARE important.
So little bit of a extra surprise as the canon lens should be specifically designed for mk3 and sr and longer focal lengths normally have an exit pupil further from the sensor therefore suffering less from focus stack thickness problems !!or is it an old design?
Love to quiz zeiss (i do live in germany at the moment) as to wether the otus is a generic design with a nominal stack thickness or the individual mounts are specifically designed with regard to individual manufacturer stack thickness.I would regretfully suspect the former.This potential problem helped me to choose canon rather than nikon mount plus adapter.....my nikon mates are dissapointed but i am not sure i would not have let it out of my sight anyway.
Also strange that there was a "problem" testing the 810( they obviously planed a canon nikon shootout) in the lens rental report.........something about focus stack thickness and figures obviously wrong???!!! ha ha probably tested a nikon otus with a Dr Caldwell metabones adapter.
As a last comment , purely subjective and as i said in a previous reply ,the real surprise for me about this lens was the superb colour rendition perhaps even more difficult and expensive to achieve than ultimate "sharpness".Glass in itself costs nothing its the lens surfacing and coatings that make the lens. Oh ok ok and the design and body/mechanics but certainly NOT just the little blue logo.
mike b
ps no need to bash andyx 01you all know what he is trying to convey and in many static with little movement images a stitching can produce fabulous high pixel results on a budget.....done it many times myself. Printing vv large at 300dpi natively is perfectly possible with no extra hardware costs .........After all isnt printing large the only possible reason for lusting after the S or SR!!

Absolutely last pps One of my beliefs in the future of high resolution photography is as we reach the practical limits of single lens with single sensor photography ,stitching images taken similtanously from ,multi lens systems , multi or single moving sensor systems ,or both combined will start to take over as demand for zooming in on portable devices ever increases so andy may actually have a point.




modify apologies to the good Dr C as it appears that metabones dont make a nikon f to eos adapter but others do...........reminds me must ask him about my haemorrhoids next time i see him !!

 

[gary samples]

can some one please give me some schooling on focus screen replacements for my 5ds
do they make one that will work for the Otus & my canon lens
I see canon says
(fixed) on the screen Thanks'

 

[Eldar]

can some one please give me some schooling on focus screen replacements for my 5ds
do they make one that will work for the Otus & my canon lens
I see canon says
(fixed) on the screen Thanks'

Gary,
You'll find some info on this thread. The focusing screen on the 5DS/5DSR is not the same as the 5DIII, as is explained in the thread. I have contacted www.focusingscreen.com and asked if they will make an S-type screen (I have theirs S-screen for the 5DIII). No reply yet.

http://www.canonrumors.com/forum/index.php?topic=26819.0

So unless you have the guts to do as Zeidora (I don't) there is not much to do but wait ...

 

[asmundma]

can some one please give me some schooling on focus screen replacements for my 5ds
do they make one that will work for the Otus & my canon lens
I see canon says
(fixed) on the screen Thanks'

Gary,
You'll find some info on this thread. The focusing screen on the 5DS/5DSR is not the same as the 5DIII, as is explained in the thread. I have contacted www.focusingscreen.com and asked if they will make an S-type screen (I have theirs S-screen for the 5DIII). No reply yet.

http://www.canonrumors.com/forum/index.php?topic=26819.0

So unless you have the guts to do as Zeidora (I don't) there is not much to do but wait ...

Maybe you get your A7RII first and the manual focusing issue will be solved......(via an adapter). And you will be able to gain a few stops via the 5 axis stabilisation + the dynamic range.