Zeiss Otus 28mm f/1.4 Review | Dustin

[TWI by Dustin Abbott]

Hi everyone,

I just finished up a review of the Zeiss Otus 28mm f/1.4.

Text Review: http://bit.ly/DAOtus1428
Video Review: http://bit.ly/Otus1428YT
Image Gallery: http://bit.ly/Otus1428IG

The 1.4/28 was not my personal favorite in the Otus series (but neither is the 28mm focal length), but I’ve tried to give a nuanced review of the lens that hopefully speaks to the real audience for the lens while acknowledging that the average photographer won’t “get” the Otus 1.4/28mm.

Here's a few sample photos:

Choose Your Own Adventure by Dustin Abbott, on Flickr

The Drift by Dustin Abbott, on Flickr

 

[TWI by Dustin Abbott]

Pristine (Zeiss Otus 1.4/28mm Review) by Dustin Abbott, on Flickr

 

[Sarpedon]

Great review as always.

I'd be interested to see you review the Zeiss 28/2. It's one of those flawed, "connoisseur"-type lenses, and I think you would like it.

Ming Thein's review (https://blog.mingthein.com/2012/07/19/zf28distagon/) really captures it's special qualities (though he's wrong about the direction of the field curvature) and, along with some more research, persuaded me to buy it. I've used quite a few L lenses over the last 10 years but the Zeiss has become my favorite.

 

[Click]

Great work.

I always enjoy looking at your very informative review.

Thank you, Dustin.

 

[TWI by Dustin Abbott]

Great review as always.

I'd be interested to see you review the Zeiss 28/2. It's one of those flawed, "connoisseur"-type lenses, and I think you would like it.

Ming Thein's review (https://blog.mingthein.com/2012/07/19/zf28distagon/) really captures it's special qualities (though he's wrong about the direction of the field curvature) and, along with some more research, persuaded me to buy it. I've used quite a few L lenses over the last 10 years but the Zeiss has become my favorite.

I wondered about that one. I've heard essentially nothing about it

 

[Jopa]

Great pictures! Very nice lens. No plans to buy one - still enjoying my 35 1.4 II, it's 7mm less wide, but optically is same exceptional

 

[TWI by Dustin Abbott]

Great pictures! Very nice lens. No plans to buy one - still enjoying my 35 1.4 II, it's 7mm less wide, but optically is same exceptional

I feel the same way. I'm very happy with my 35L II

 

[NWPhil]

Great review, as usual
wish Zeiss had done a 21 or 24mm instead (maybe a 21mm is not feasible anyway)
is just not the right focal for me, which saves me a bunch of money.....

 

[TWI by Dustin Abbott]

Great review, as usual
wish Zeiss had done a 21 or 24mm instead (maybe a 21mm is not feasible anyway)
is just not the right focal for me, which saves me a bunch of money.....

As I noted in the review it seems like 28mm is no longer the preferred focal length for many photographers. I think I might have favored a 35mm, myself, so I guess we've both saved some money.

 

[Antono Refa]

As I noted in the review it seems like 28mm is no longer the preferred focal length for many photographers. I think I might have favored a 35mm, myself, so I guess we've both saved some money.

If it was preferred "back in the day", I think Canon would have made the 28mm f/1.8 an L lens.

 

[Sporgon]

Great review, as usual
wish Zeiss had done a 21 or 24mm instead (maybe a 21mm is not feasible anyway)
is just not the right focal for me, which saves me a bunch of money.....

As I noted in the review it seems like 28mm is no longer the preferred focal length for many photographers. I think I might have favored a 35mm, myself, so I guess we've both saved some money.

I think this lack of modern love for the 28mm focal length stems from the earlier days of 35mm photography, say '50s to late 70s, when a 24mm f/2.8 lens was twice as expensive as the equivalent quality 28mm f/2.8. So a 24mm was beyond many people's pocket. As manufacturing technology improved and the 24mm dropped down to the same price as a 28 people jumped on the 24. The 35mm had tended to be a stop faster for a little less money than the equivalent quality 28, so has always been popular as an affordable, reasonably fast and wide lens.

Just a little history !