Review: Zeiss Otus 85mm f/1.4 Apo Planar T*

[Canon Rumors Guy]

<p>I never really get bored of reading about this lens. I’ll never own one, but it’s sure a lot of fun to talk about it. Dustin Abbott has completed his review of the Zeiss 85mm f/1.4 for Canon, and as always, it’s quite thorough.</p>
<p><strong>From Dustin

</strong><em>“The Zeiss Otus 85mm f/1.4 Planar T* ZE is big and heavy. It is extremely expensive. It is manual focus only. But you already knew that. Perhaps you have already written this lens off because of those facts. But shooting with this lens is a revelation. Having used it for a while leaves me feeling that the weight and price may just be justified…if one can afford it. It is good enough and versatile enough that many shooters would better off owning fewer lenses to afford this one, and has caused me to mentally catalog my own collection and wonder what I would be willing to part with to aid that acquisition. If nothing else, the Otus 85 is most definitely on my wish list.”</em><strong>

</strong></p>
<p>Below is the video review of the lens, you can also read the text review and see the sample images gallery through the links below.</p>
<p><iframe width="500" height="281" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/-cbMwnn7s1U?feature=oembed" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe></p>
<p><strong><a href="http://bit.ly/1wyAOni" target="_blank">Read the full review</a> | <a href="http://bit.ly/12v4IuX" target="_blank">View the sample gallery</a> | <a href="http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/1077281-REG/zeiss_2040_292_otus_apo_planar_85mm.html/bi/2466/kbid/3296" target="_blank">Zeiss Otus 85mm f/1.4 at B&H Photo</a></strong></p>
<p><strong><span style="color: #ff0000;">c</span>r</strong></p>

 

[TWI by Dustin Abbott]

Thanks for sharing! Here's a selfie of me in the woods holding the Otus. That's the reason I'm smiling. What an amazing lens!

Zeiss Otus 85mm f/1.4 Review by Thousand Word Images by Dustin Abbott, on Flickr

 

[JoFT]

Great Review - and thank you a lot. Having the 1.4/50mm from Canon (and a very old 1.4/50 from Zeiss from my Contax times) as well as the 1.4 85mm Sigma (and the 1.4/85mm Zeiss Planar as well for Contax) I love these lenses!!

Now I know that I will not buy Sigma ART Lenses... I will grab all money together and wait for the OTUS....

 

[TWI by Dustin Abbott]

Great Review - and thank you a lot. Having the 1.4/50mm from Canon (and a very old 1.4/50 from Zeiss from my Contax times) as well as the 1.4 85mm Sigma (and the 1.4/85mm Zeiss Planar as well for Contax) I love these lenses!!

Now I know that I will not buy Sigma ART Lenses... I will grab all money together and wait for the OTUS....

You are obviously comfortable with manual focus lenses. Not everyone is, but the Otus line certainly rewards anyone who is willing to A) spend the money and B) do the focusing themselves!

 

[Perio]

I love my 85 1.2ii I'm sure once version iii is released and if there are good improvements, I'll grab 85 1.2iii instead of anything else

 

[R1-7D]

Excellent review! I always enjoy your reviews.

I am purposely staying away from this 85 and the 55 Otus. I know exactly what will happen if I go near them…

 

[TWI by Dustin Abbott]

Excellent review! I always enjoy your reviews.

I am purposely staying away from this 85 and the 55 Otus. I know exactly what will happen if I go near them…

That is probably wise ;D

 

[Mr Bean]

Excellent review Dustin. The only downside (for my bank account) is I now know which 85mm to add to my lens collection

Manual focus doesn't bother me as I spent the first 30 years of photography with manual lenses (FD series). And the focus confirmation in the current series of cameras makes it much easier.

 

[TWI by Dustin Abbott]

Excellent review Dustin. The only downside (for my bank account) is I now know which 85mm to add to my lens collection

Manual focus doesn't bother me as I spent the first 30 years of photography with manual lenses (FD series). And the focus confirmation in the current series of cameras makes it much easier.

Your point about focus confirmation is true. Live View also helps when you have a chance to be a little more deliberate. I've not used any of the better screens for manual focusing, but other have reported that those help, too. My experience is that my keeper rate with manual focus lenses is actually very high; I just take more time at acquisition.

 

[jeffa4444]

This lens comes as no surprise to me we have the Zeiss Master Primes and other Zeiss cinematography lenses and the newer lenses are of a very high standard.
Whilst this lens is expensive for amateurs, for professionals particularly wedding photographers this is an attractive lens.

 

[Sporgon]

Excellent review Dustin. The only downside (for my bank account) is I now know which 85mm to add to my lens collection

Manual focus doesn't bother me as I spent the first 30 years of photography with manual lenses (FD series). And the focus confirmation in the current series of cameras makes it much easier.

Your point about focus confirmation is true. Live View also helps when you have a chance to be a little more deliberate. I've not used any of the better screens for manual focusing, but other have reported that those help, too. My experience is that my keeper rate with manual focus lenses is actually very high; I just take more time at acquisition.

Do you mean you are using the standard 'Brite Screen' in the 6D with the 85 Otus ? If so I'm surprised you're able to get focus at f1.4 with this lens because of that screen showing a dof of about f3.2, unless you are referring to live view, but it doesn't sound as if you are.

 

[Eldar]

Do you mean you are using the standard 'Brite Screen' in the 6D with the 85 Otus ? If so I'm surprised you're able to get focus at f1.4 with this lens because of that screen showing a dof of about f3.2, unless you are referring to live view, but it doesn't sound as if you are.

The difference between the standard screen and the Eg-S screen is significant, when you´re shooting wide open with these lenses. The advantage with the 6D, compared to the 1DX (with the Ec-S screen) is that it is fully supported, so you don´t have to struggle with exposure compensation.

 

[gsealy]

The photos that this lens takes are just different and amazing. I have seen such from a number of different reviewers and the results are consistent and brilliant.

I will be purchasing this lens when I can arrange it financially. I also plan to use it doing video.

 

[LostBoyNZ]

:'( Oh man, I shouldn't have watched that... I can feel the mental calculations buzzing around in my head already.

 

[lo lite]

Excellent review Dustin. The only downside (for my bank account) is I now know which 85mm to add to my lens collection

Manual focus doesn't bother me as I spent the first 30 years of photography with manual lenses (FD series). And the focus confirmation in the current series of cameras makes it much easier.

Your point about focus confirmation is true. Live View also helps when you have a chance to be a little more deliberate. I've not used any of the better screens for manual focusing, but other have reported that those help, too. My experience is that my keeper rate with manual focus lenses is actually very high; I just take more time at acquisition.

So does the Otus have focus confirmation?

I am so stunned by those example pictures, they really seem to pop out right of the screen, it feels as if you almost could touch the subjects.

 

[sagittariansrock]

Excellent review Dustin. The only downside (for my bank account) is I now know which 85mm to add to my lens collection

Manual focus doesn't bother me as I spent the first 30 years of photography with manual lenses (FD series). And the focus confirmation in the current series of cameras makes it much easier.

Your point about focus confirmation is true. Live View also helps when you have a chance to be a little more deliberate. I've not used any of the better screens for manual focusing, but other have reported that those help, too. My experience is that my keeper rate with manual focus lenses is actually very high; I just take more time at acquisition.

Do you mean you are using the standard 'Brite Screen' in the 6D with the 85 Otus ? If so I'm surprised you're able to get focus at f1.4 with this lens because of that screen showing a dof of about f3.2, unless you are referring to live view, but it doesn't sound as if you are.

Is the sensitivity of the focus confirmation system related to the type of screen used (which I thought only affected the subjective perception of depth of focus)?
If not, Dustin Abbott can use focus confirmation reliably at f/1.4 even when his eyes cannot be trusted.
Curious...

 

[meywd]

Thanks for the review, great as usual, the lens is really amazing, I wonder if there is a physical limit to sharpness or lens resolution, would this lens remain as sharp with high MP bodies of the future?

 

[Eldar]

Again a good review and I appreciate your focus on the photography part of it and less on the pixel peeping chart porn we often see. I can only concur and say that if anyone is willing to focus manually, carry the weight and pay the price, there is nothing available out there, that can beat it. The only peers I know of, which Dustin also mention, is the Zeiss 135/2.0 and the other Otus brother, 55/1.4. They are, as far as I can tell, the only ones delivering total performance in the same league.

And for those who are tempted by these lenses, but have concerns with what it´s like to handle manual focus, find a store who can let you try one of the three lenses mentioned above, on a body with a precision focusing screen (Eg-S for 6D/5DII, Ec-S for 1D-cameras). Compare also to what it is like with a regular focusing screen. You´ll see that it is a lot less difficult than you might think.

And! Do not judge your ability to manually focus by trying manual focus on an AF lens. That is a totally different thing. As an example, I compared the Sigma 50 Art and the Otus 55 earlier this year http://www.canonrumors.com/forum/index.php?topic=20716.0 where I manually focused both lenses. In live view I spent at least twice as much time to nail focus with the Sigma, Primarily (I think) due to its much shorter focus throw.

 

[Lawliet]

Is the sensitivity of the focus confirmation system related to the type of screen used (which I thought only affected the subjective perception of depth of focus)?

Focus confirm is basically the same as PDAF, just w/o driving the motor to adjust focus. The screen doesn't affect it, it gives you only a better impression of the final image.
(The screen has an effect on exposure metering though, that's something to be kept in mind when pondering the thought of using ones that the camera isn't designed to take. Those 3rd party split screens come to mind.)

 

[Berowne]

Manual focusing is not difficult. Everybody did it on analog Cameras. The SLRs I used (Rollei, Nikon, Canon, Leica) had bright Viewfinder so it was no Problem.

I wonder whether Canon or Nikon will ever think about a DSLR with a really good optical viewfinder optimised for manual focusing.

Greetings Andy