Zeiss Otus 55mm f/1.4 APO-Distagon: It Has the Magic No Other Normal Lens has
Related: apochromatic, Canon, Canon 5DS, Canon 5DS R, Canon DSLR, Eastern Sierra, EVF, Jef M, John G, peak bagging, Zeiss, Zeiss 100mm f/2 Makro-Planar, Zeiss APO, Zeiss Distagon, Zeiss DSLR Lenses, Zeiss Lenses, Zeiss Otus, Zeiss Otus 55mm f/1.4 APO-Distagon
Get Canon 5DS R and Zeiss Otus 55mm f/1.4 APO-Distagon at B&H Photo.
To the lab rats who claim that the Sigma 50/1.4 Art is an Otus: enjoy that six pack while shooting the test chart.
An Otus shot at f/1.4 doesn’t make you think “wide open”; it womps you on the head with “that lens looks darn good at f/5.6—I want one—wait! It’s f/1.4—OMG”.
So go get one.
And yet—do not expect perfection, even with perfect technical execution. The nuanced flaws are plain to see, particularly on the Canon 5DS R. It is why I wish for better-than-Otus f/2.8 designs, even if the price were the same.
See my in-depth reviews of all the Otus lenses.
Canon EOS 5DS R + Zeiss Otus 55mm f/1.4 APO-Distagon
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Canon EOS 5DS R + Zeiss Otus 55mm f/1.4 APO-Distagon
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If I could shoot only one lens on a DSLR, it would probably be the Otus 55/1.4. Outstanding imaging, and a reasonable size and weight. Nikon mount can be shot on Nikon or Canon or Sony mirrorless.
Canon EOS 5DS R + Zeiss Otus 55mm f/1.4 APO-Distagon
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Canon EOS 5DS R + Zeiss Otus 55mm f/1.4 APO-Distagon
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Camping in the cold. No Virginia, there is no Santa Claus and the Sigma 50/1.4 Art is an excellent lens but it is not an Otus, even at f/8. But enjoy your lab-test results by the fireside.
Canon EOS 5DS R + Zeiss Otus 55mm f/1.4 APO-Distagon
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Professional product photographer John G writes:
I fully agree with your post on the Otus today. When you have the Otus in your bag, it’s hard to shoot with anything else. As you know, after a loyal run with Nikon/Zeiss/Nikkor, most recently with the D810 and D4S, I sold that gear to purchase a Pentax 645Z. As you also know, I’m contemplating a move back to Nikon/Zeiss.
I’ve included two shots, one from my studio of Wilson Audio's wall-mount speaker, the Alida. This is interesting because the background is a big softbox with a studio flash blasting right into the front element of the lens. But with the Otus, there is no flare, not weird color artifacts, just the image as I hoped it would be when I shot it. This one was shot at F/5.6. with Nikon D810. [image omitted]
Here is a crop showing the detail right up to the edge where the studio strobe is blasting the front element. [image omitted]
This shot is a landscape shot at F/1.4. With the Otus, I never hesitated or second guessed shooting it wide-open. I had fear of CA, or of softness, or other aberrations other lenses routinely exhibit at their widest apertures—just a calm sense that all would be as I expected it to be. In other words, because Zeiss has created a technical masterpiece in the Otus, it is a tool that truly creates artistic freedom. It’s a tool that helps the photographer realize his vision, without having to think about or compensate for the tool’s flaws or limitations. Here, I was going for selective focus, and the effect was just what I had hoped for. D810/Otus 55 @/f1.4.
[image omitted].
DIGLLOYD: With stopping down, lenses like the Sigma 50/1.4 may approach the Otus, but in my view still lack a certain something. But it is from f/1.4 - f/4 in particular that one pays for Otus.
Jef M writes
A strong 2nd on the Otus 55mm. No other lens* in the world reveals itself to be better and better time and time again as you challenge it against any composition. The lens doesn't get in the way for what I am wanting to capture. It just does what I want it to, what I need it to, every time.
* The 85mm Otus might but it's just too big to carry everyday.
DIGLLOYD: well, except when it cannot be focused fast enough. It will be sickening if Nikon and Canon release their next DSLRs with no EVF support; the rear LCD works but this means that it is awkward except on a tripod. Optical viewfinders (OVF) are worthless for critical focus.
For me, half the utility of Otus (or any manual focus lens) is lost on a DSLR without an EVF. As for mirrorless, that is at least half the appeal of the Sony A7R II. If and when I get a 50+ megapixel Nikon D900 with EVF, much of the allure of the Sony evaporates , particularly if Nikon is smart enough to shrink the camera by eliminating the OVF.
