Zeiss Otus 55mm review from Bryan Carnathan

[ahsanford]

The Digital Picture just posted its review of the Otus here:

http://www.the-digital-picture.com/Reviews/Zeiss-Otus-55mm-f-1.4-Distagon-Lens.aspx

Of note, his IQ test shots in the convenient mouseover-compare format are compelling endorsements from a sharpness perspective.

Otus vs. 50L:
http://www.the-digital-picture.com/Reviews/ISO-12233-Sample-Crops.aspx?Lens=917&Camera=453&Sample=0&FLI=0&API=0&LensComp=403&CameraComp=453&SampleComp=0&FLIComp=0&APIComp=1

Otus vs. Canon 50 1.4
http://www.the-digital-picture.com/Reviews/ISO-12233-Sample-Crops.aspx?Lens=917&Camera=453&Sample=0&FLI=0&API=0&LensComp=115&CameraComp=0&FLIComp=0&APIComp=0

Otus vs. Zeiss 50 1.4
http://www.the-digital-picture.com/Reviews/ISO-12233-Sample-Crops.aspx?Lens=917&Camera=453&Sample=0&FLI=0&API=0&LensComp=709&CameraComp=0&FLIComp=0&APIComp=0

That is ridiculous!

- A

 

[bholliman]

Razor sharp!

The 24-70 2.8 II is reasonably close at f/2.8 however.

 

[ahsanford]

I just bums me out that such lenses exist and I'll never get them due to not having AF.

I'd only use an MF lens for wide angle landscape work or macro work, so no matter how good the Otus is, I'll never get it. I rarely (if ever) get "Nikon Df commercial amounts of time" to compose and shoot.

- A

 

[mackguyver]

I'm just happy that my 300 2.8 IS II still has a slight edge otherwise I'd be suffering major lens envy
http://www.the-digital-picture.com/Reviews/ISO-12233-Sample-Crops.aspx?Lens=739&Camera=453&Sample=0&FLI=0&API=0&LensComp=917&CameraComp=453&SampleComp=0&FLIComp=0&APIComp=3

In all seriousness, wow, what a lens! It sure kills my 50 1.2, which now seems like a cheap lens (in price and IQ in comparison). I can't wait to see what they do with the 85mm next year and a "wide angle" after that. Next up will be Sigma's 50...

 

[yorgasor]

Fortunately, I just got my Helios 77M-4 50mm f1.8 lens yesterday. It's a nice, all metal build w/ manual aperture & focus. The creamy bokeh and smooth action is staving off my fantasies of either the Zeiss 50mm f/2 Makro or the 55mm Opus, and for only $140 w/ the EF adapter.

I'm having so much fun with it, I used it exclusively at my son's cub scout blue & gold banquet last night. There were a couple shots I missed that might have succeeded if I had an AF lens, but overall I was quite happy with it. I just feel a lot more involved with the photo process when I'm controlling the focus & aperture on the lens. Maybe it's because if the picture looks good, it was because of me, and not whether the camera decided to focus fast enough or on the right place.

Here's a few shots:


Love by yorgasor, on Flickr


Target Practice by yorgasor, on Flickr