Review: Zeiss Otus 28mm f/1.4 ZE Lens

[slclick]

Photographers that don't care about autofocus and cost : 0,000001 %..... :

I care about AF just not in all situations and not with all lenses. So, your % quote/joke might not jive with MF/AF switches on all these Canon lenses.

 

[StudentOfLight]

Given $5K I'd rather choose the TS-E 24L II + 35L II, and use the balance of the cash (roughly $1300) to produce images in some exotic location(s).

 

[Nininini]

[Has the the skill/patience to shoot MF] +

There is no kill involved in manual focus.

Patience yes, which is why manual focu is great for some thing, and not so great for things like action.

 

[George D.]

EF lenses have MF/AF switch for a purpose, it's not just AF. Problem is recent DSLRs lack the split-screen/microprism type focusing screen to help the user's eye focus, so it's kind of self-cancelled. Any Canon hi-end DSLR should have interchangeable focusing screens.

Now there is some sort of misunderstanding here. Minolta introduced the AF and the others decided to jump the bandwagon. Who invented AF in the first place, LEICA. They actually sold the rights to Minolta. Initially pros considered AF a joke. The norm (I think) should be Manual Focus and AF an option for quick motion, sports or tracking. Otherwise too much convenience turns into pampering.

 

[leica_f32]

Those who complain about the lack of AF in Zeiss and other companies lenses must never shoot macro or tilt shift.

AF is a very new concept in the grand scheme of things and if folks in the past could do it with their clunky gear, you too can do it with your whiz bang techno marvel bodies.

btw this is coming from someone who was once blind in one eye and has an auto immune disorder which effects my retinas so suck it up.

For $4-5k for these Otus lenses, I think the task of photography should be easier, not harder.

I respectfully appreciate your point -- we all do have the ability to learn this skill. And yes, skilled photogs in the days prior to AF developed that skill and took stellar pictures. We can do this, but our needs or our patience dictates that we prefer AF.

I'm not condemning this lens, but the Venn diagram overlap area of...

[Has the the skill/patience to shoot MF] +
[Type of photography/videography plays well with MF] +
[Has the money for Otus glass]

...is very, very small.

- A

You'd be surprised that it's not that small, or that unique. Zeiss sells quite a number of Otus lenses. Our local dealer is regularly replenishing his stock. Then again he does a big web business so these are going all over the place. You're not going to see them out and about as they are used for studio work and landscape predominantly. To those that only want to bother to capture an image with AF and don't want to bother with MF - I understand, it's more work. Ironically there are situations when each is needed and the work dictates the need.

 

[leica_f32]

On 5d3, how do you enable those AF points to give you focus confirmation when using manual focusing? I tried with a canon autofocusing lens and turned the AF to manual (on the lens). I also have configured my camera for back-button focusing, but that shouldn't matter in this scenario? I did not notice any kind of confirming action from the camera in any way... Although it was daylight, when the AF points do not illuminate red anyway, was this the catch? Help appreciated, for example a ref to the relevant manual page (browsed through, nothing caught my eye)

[sorry for being partly off-topic]

I use don't back-button AF, I use the normal shutter button. But I believe that MF focus confirmation is done with your normally selected AF points/clusters but with the lens switched to MF (on the lens barrel). You hold down your shutter button halfway while manually focusing, and when your selected AF points are in focus, they will turn from black to red.

(Someone please correct me if my memory is off -- it's been ages since I've used that feature.)

- A

Yes, you are correct. Turning a Canon AF lens to manual and depressing the shutter 1/2 way while turning the focus ring will activate and illuminate the focus points when focus is achieved.

 

[wallstreetoneil]

so the summary is, buy the Canon 35L II, cheaper, sharper, has AF

I did.

I for one would love Canon to release a 28 1.4L - it would be a wedding / events masterpiece IMO

 

[PeterAlex7]

Nope, i will not spend $5000 for a lens that come without perfection. The Otus 85mm f1.4 is a kind of perfect lens, although it's lack of AF, people who can afford it, will buy it. For me, canon 35L II still the wide lens king, because for a "not-everyone-lens" the Otus 28mm f1.4 still have pretty much imperfections.

With $5000 price tag, you MUST offer something perfect.