Zeiss Milvus 50mm f/1.4 and 85mm f/1.4 Anchor a Gorgeous New Lens Line

2015-09-10 • SEND FEEDBACK |
Related: Zeiss, Zeiss DSLR Lenses, Zeiss Lenses, Zeiss Milvus, Zeiss Milvus 50mm f/1.4, Zeiss Milvus 85mm f/1.4

Get Zeiss Milvus at B&H Photo.

As of September 2015, Zeiss raises its game across the entire ZF.2/ZE lineup by introducing the Milvus line. Adopting the luxuriously sleek build quality and operational feel of the Otus line, the Milvus line delivers a total makeover in physical design, along with optical improvements, including very high performance 50mm and 85mm designs at debut.

I put early production samples of the Milvus 50/1.4 and 85/1.4 through rigorous testing, which for me means outdoor shooting in the mountains, often with challenging lighting (high contrast and/or bluish light).

I’ve not had time to prepare blog coverage as yet, but I do have extensive review coverage of both the new Zeiss Milvus Zeiss and Zeiss Milvus 85mm f/1.4 Planar in Guide to Zeiss.

I’ve also written an overview article on the new Milvus lineup. It can be found on the new Zeiss web site. [Note: the images in the article have been resampled and re-saved and are not at the quality as I had prepared them. See the images below for better quality as well as the full aperture series at sizes up to 24 megapixels in my review coverage.]

Setting aside the insanely great high-end Otus line, the Zeiss Milvus 50/1.4 and Zeiss Milvus 85/1.4 are sure to please the photographer looking for optical excellence. Both lenses should be a revelation to anyone using “standard issue” 50mm designs and at very reasonable pricing for what they deliver (a lot) and what they dispense with (troublesome behaviors). That the build quality exceeds anything else on the market is an added bonus, and speaks to enduring value over time.

Natural Bonsai over Beaver Pond, Late Dusk

f2 @ 4.0 sec, ISO 64; 2015-08-14 20:15:10
NIKON D810 + Zeiss Milvus 50mm f/1.4

[low-res image for bot]

Natural Bonsai over Beaver Pond, Late Dusk

f8 @ 0.4 sec, ISO 64; 2015-08-14 19:45:25
NIKON D810 + Zeiss Milvus 85mm f/1.4

[low-res image for bot]

Aspen Trunks at Dusk
f2 @ 1/20 sec, ISO 64; 2015-08-14 18:59:53
NIKON D810 + Zeiss Milvus 50mm f/1.4 Distagon

Natural Bonsai over Beaver Pond, Late Dusk

f9 @ 20.0 sec, ISO 64; 2015-08-14 20:02:15
NIKON D810 + Zeiss Milvus 50mm f/1.4

[low-res image for bot]