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45-megapixel Nikon D850

Zeiss Otus 28mm f/1.4 APO-Distagon

1.4A: Alabama Hills Creek to White Mountains

This shootout on the 45-megapixel Nikon D850 pits the Zeiss Otus 28mm f/1.4 against the Sigma 28mm f/1.4 DG HSM Art.

This comparison turns out to be far more informative than lab tests that would elevate the Sigma 28/1.4 to the top of the heap. At best that is a dubious claim, based on evaluating the entire image across the frame and near to far. Real-world depth of field, field curvature and focus shift all come to bear and in that regard the two lenses differ markedly. What I care about is total image sharpness across the frame and near to far, delivered as consistently as possible (without “bulges” in the performance).

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Diglloyd Guide to Zeiss offers comprehensive integrated coverage of Zeiss DSLR lenses for Canon and Nikon. Nearly a decade in the making, it covers everything you need to know for every lens in the ZF.2, ZE, Milvus and Otus lines. Guide to Mirrorless and Zeiss ZM rangefinder lenses in Guide to Leica.

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Real world examples with insights found nowhere else. Make sharper images just by understanding lens behavior you won’t read about elsewhere.
Jaw-dropping image quality found nowhere else utilizing Retina-grade images up to full camera resolution, plus large crops.
Aperture series from wide open through stopped down, showing the full range of lens performance and bokeh.
Optical quality analysis of field curvature, focus shift, sharpness, flare, distortion, and performance in the field.

Want a preview? Click on any page below to see an excerpt. And see Lloyd’s articles for Lenspire.Zeiss.com.