# Zeiss Otus 1.4/85: The New World-Class Lens



## Canon Rumors Guy (Sep 8, 2014)

```
<p>With  the  Otus  1.4/85  ZEISS  is  expanding  its  high-end  lens  family.  The  Otus  1.4/55,  an  SLR  standard  lens,  already  set  new  global  standards  in  what  is  means  to  achieve  perfection.  The  expectations  for  the  85-mm  focal  length  are  just  as  high.  This  new  member  of  the  Otus  family  is  an  outstanding  and  fast  all-around  lens  that  accepts  no  compromises.  ZEISS  will  present  this  new  world-class  lens  for  the  first  time  to  the  public  at  photokina  in  Cologne  from  September  16  to  21.</p>
The  Otus  1.4/85  offers  peerless  image  quality,  even  with  an  open  aperture.  As  a  short  telephoto  lens  with  an  85-millimeter  focal  length,  this  new  member  of  the  Otus  family  shows  its  strengths  especially  when  people  are  center  stage.  Thanks  to  the  longer  focal  length  of  this  lens,  photographers  can  keep  a  decent  distance  from  the  subject.  At  the  same  time,  the  lens  is  highly  versatile:  it  excels  in  general  studio  work,  as  well  as  for  fashion,  advertising,  product  and  architectural  photography.  Even  photographers  who  are  looking  for  a  powerful  companion  for  nature  photography  will  find  it  in  the  Otus  1.4/85  –  the  edges  of  the  picture  can  be  used  for  compositional  purposes  at  all  f-stops.  Photographers  who  had  a  chance  to  test  exclusively  this  new  flagship  from  Germany’s  leading  optics  specialist  were  enthusiastic.  Using  the  Otus  1.4/85  in  combination  with  a  full-frame  SLR  lets  a  photographer  master  all  shooting  situations  and  achieve  effects  that  until  now  have  only  been  known  from  the  medium-format  range:  unusually  high  contrast,  unusually  high  depth  of  field,  impressive  three-dimensional  effects  and  sensational  quality.</p>
<p><!--more--></p>
<p>Is  there  little  ambient  light?  That  is  no  problem  for  the  Otus  1.4/85.  When  the  light  fades,  ZEISS’s  newest  high-end  lens  ‘sees’  just  as  well  as  the  owl  species  from  which  this  lens  family  gets  its  name.  There  is  no  trace  of  correction  deficits,  which  are  typical  in  such  situations.</p>
<p>Just  like  its  older  ‘brother’,  the  Otus  1.4/55,  the  new  Otus  has  been  designed  to  meet  professional  photographers’  most  rigorous  demands.  Internal  focusing,  the  dial  window,  and  the  dials‘  clearly  recognizable  yellow  labeling,  familiar  from  professional  cine  lenses  like  ARRI/ZEISS  Master  Prime,  are  just  a  few  of  the  characteristics  of  the  Otus  1.4/85.  The  smooth  manual  focus  operation  with  the  large  angle  of  rotation  of  261  degrees  combined  with  the  easy-to-grip  focus  ring  enables  the  finest  variations  in  focusing.  The  freedom  to  focus  —  one  of  the  most  important  creative  elements  in  photography  —  has  literally  been  put  into  the  hands  of  the  photographer  as  an  artistic  tool.  Both  the  extra-fine  haptics  and  the  precision  of  the  focusing  mechanism  can  only  be  achieved  with  the  metal  design  of  the  Otus  range.  The  robust  all-metal  barrel  is  also  well  equipped  to  deal  with  the  rough  daily  work  of  a  professional  photographer,  ensuring  a  long  product  life.  And  for  all  photographers  who  in  addition  to  the  actual  optics  also  rely  on  screw-on  filters  in  their  work,  matching  T*  UV  and  POL  filters  with  a  diameter  of  86  millimeters  will  be  available  from  ZEISS  for  the  Otus  1.4/85.</p>
<p>Optically,  the  Otus  1.4/85  stands  out  for  its  high  image  quality,  even  with  an  open  aperture  —  as  is  true  for  the  entire  Otus  range.  Specifically,  that  means  a  neutral  bokeh  in  the  background,  highly  detailed  images  without  any  bothersome  optical  artifacts,  consistently  high  resolution  power  across  the  entire  image  field,  no  color  fringing  or  distortion,  and  an  extremely  high  image  contrast  all  the  way  into  the  edges.  The  imaging  performance  remains  entirely  consistent  for  all  shooting  distances.  High  apertures  can  be  used  even  for  close-ups  right  down  to  a  working  distance  of  0.65  meters.  This  freedom  offers  the  photographer  new  opportunities  to  compose  his  or  her  subjects,  without  having  to  waste  time  thinking  about  a  possible  loss  of  quality  This  is  one  of  the  reasons  why  the  photographers  who  tested  the  new  Otus  1.4/85  lens  exclusively  beforehand  returned  it  only  reluctantly.</p>
<p>“After  we  launched  the  Otus  1.4/55,  our  customers  immediately  understood  the  enormous  benefits  they  can  get  from  such  a  lens.  Photographers  are  in  the  position  to  take  full  advantage  of  their  high-end  full-frame  cameras  and  shoot  pictures  with  a  quality  and  look  that  they  were  previously  only  used  to  getting  from  expensive  medium-format  systems.  With  the  Otus  1.4/85  we  are  now  bringing  out  the  second  lens  with  this  promise,”  explains  Christophe  Casenave,  Product  Manager  with  ZEISS  Camera  Lenses.</p>
<p>A  view  inside  reveals  how  such  optical  quality  was  achieved.  It  is  an  optical-technical  feat  as  you  would  expect  only  from  ZEISS:  The  Otus  1.4/85  consists  of  eleven  lens  elements  in  nine  groups.  One  of  the  lens  elements  has  an  aspheric  optical  surface  and  six  are  made  of  special  glass.  The  optical  design  is  based  on  the  Planar.  Because  the  Otus  1.4/85  is  an  apochromatic  lens,  chromatic  diagonal  aberrations  (longitudinal  chromatic  aberrations)  are  corrected  with  the  help  of  lens  elements  made  of  special  glass  with  anomalous  partial  dispersion.  As  a  result,  there  is  practically  no  perceptible  color  fringing  on  contrast-rich  edges  both  in  front  of  and  behind  the  focal  plane.  Bright-dark  transitions  in  the  image,  and  in  particular  highlights,  are  rendered  free  of  color  artifacts.  Also,  the  variable  air  spaces  between  certain  lens  groups  (“floating  elements  design”)  create  a  consistently  high  imaging  performance  across  the  entire  focusing  range  from  0.8  m  to  infinity.</p>
<p>“Otus  lenses  show  a  consistently  high  quality  across  the  entire  focusing  range.  That  is  something  that  scientific  test  institutes  do  not  acknowledge  because  the  test  photos  are  made  from  just  one  distance.  But  professional  photographers  appreciate  this  feature  in  a  lens,  because  it  gives  them  more  flexibility  in  their  work,”  continues  Casenave.  And  it  is  precisely  these  photographers  who  can  now  use  this  outstanding  lens  as  a  tool  to  give  full  rein  to  their  creativity  and  make  excellent  images.</p>
<p>D4,  Otus  1.4/85,  f/1.6,  1/200  sec,  ISO  800

Portrait  of  mountain  runner  Rickey  Gates.  ©  David  Clifford</p>
<p>More  application  photos  in  high  resolution  can  be  found  in  our  <a  href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/carlzeisslenses/sets/72157645669891382/"  target="_blank">Otus  1.4/85  Flickr  album</a>.</p>
<p>The  ZEISS  Otus  1.4/85  comes  with  lens  hood,  user  manual,  test  certificate  and  lens  caps.</p>
<p>The  Otus  1.4/85  will  be  available  worldwide  with  the  F-mount  (ZF.2)  or  EF-mount  (ZE)  from  mid-September.  The  expected  recommended  retail  price  is  €3,360.50*  or  US$  4,490*  (excl.  VAT).</p>
<p><strong><a  href="http://blogs.zeiss.com/photo/en/?p=5234#more-5234"  target="_blank">Read  more  at  Zeiss</a></strong></p>
<p><strong><span  style="color:  #ff00ff;">c</span>r</strong></p>
<p>  </p>
```


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## Deleted member 20471 (Sep 8, 2014)

The Swedish forum fotosidan.se have tested the new Otus. You can read it at http://www.fotosidan.se/cldoc/zeiss-otus-85-1-4-vi.htm. If your Swedish is not up to date, try this google-translate, https://translate.google.com/translate?sl=auto&tl=en&js=y&prev=_t&hl=en&ie=UTF-8&u=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.fotosidan.se%2Fcldoc%2Fzeiss-otus-85-1-4-vi.htm&edit-text=.


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## GMCPhotographics (Sep 8, 2014)

Don't you just hate the moronic marketing blurb that goes with lenses these days? What a load of B/S!
Why can't they just say...hey! it's got amazing optitics, you REALLY need to try this puppy. It aint a real f1.4...but most f1.4 lenses aren't either. It's big and heavy and it's manual focus which makes it crap for sport and nature. But use it for available light portraiture and it's amazing. Don't use it in the studio under monoblocs...why use an f1.4 lens at f11? Seriously...get out there on the street with this and be amazed. Or go shoot some walls and boast on a forum how great it is. Or pop it on a shelf and admire the Carl Zeiss craftsmanship.

honestly? Nature? Studio? gimme break. Low light portraiture is what this lens is built for, nothing else. In that genre it will excel.


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## infared (Sep 8, 2014)

"Don't you just hate the moronic marketing blurb that goes with lenses these days? What a load of B/S!"
Remember...It has more impact if you read it with a thick, authoritative German accent! LOL!

My only hope for such perfection is if Sigma comes in with an Art 85mm! LOL! (Although, I love my Canon 85mm f1.2L with all it's quirks it is something unique and magical). I apologize in advance for using the word Sigma and perfection in the same sentence. 
I just bought a Sigma Art 50mm (well I actually bought two!) and after getting a real lemon with the wacky AF nonsense, I have a copy that just wow's me with its wide-open sharpness and with some minor adjustments on the lens dock it auto focuses quite well! I don't know if it approaches the Otus 50mm...but it is the most amazing 50mm that I have ever used....
I will love to read about this newest Otus though, and see what beauty it is capable of!!!


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## Maximilian (Sep 8, 2014)

GMCPhotographics said:


> Don't you just hate the moronic marketing blurb that goes with lenses these days? What a load of B/S!


Oh yeah! What truth! 
I stopped reading this press release (it really is???) after the second paragraph because I had the fear of a retinal detachment.
I went to the German Zeiss HP where the product description was a little bit more rational.
I looked at the pictures and said: Wow! Great pictures from great photographers. Even better because of great equipment. 

Honestly I don't understand, why people who don't know enough of photography get paid for such... yeah, you got it... moronic marketing blurb!


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## Antono Refa (Sep 8, 2014)

Architectural photography? Wouldn't a wide TS-E / PC-E lens be superior for that purpose?


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## Perio (Sep 8, 2014)

I was hoping the new Otus would be cheaper than 55 f1.4 Otus


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## Hjalmarg1 (Sep 8, 2014)

Perio said:


> I was hoping the new Otus would be cheaper than 55 f1.4 Otus



Press release says price will be $4400 + VAT. OUUUCCHHHH!!!


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## ULFULFSEN (Sep 8, 2014)

GMCPhotographics said:


> Don't you just hate the moronic marketing blurb that goes with lenses these days? What a load of B/S!
> Why can't they just say...hey! it's got amazing optitics, you REALLY need to try this puppy. It aint a real f1.4...but most f1.4 lenses aren't either. It's big and heavy and it's manual focus which makes it crap for sport and nature. But use it for available light portraiture and it's amazing. Don't use it in the studio under monoblocs...why use an f1.4 lens at f11? Seriously...get out there on the street with this and be amazed. Or go shoot some walls and boast on a forum how great it is. Or pop it on a shelf and admire the Carl Zeiss craftsmanship.
> 
> honestly? Nature? Studio? gimme break. Low light portraiture is what this lens is built for, *nothing else*. In that genre it will excel.



What exactly is it that makes you an expert for the use of this lens?


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## psolberg (Sep 8, 2014)

so they now have the world's best 85 and world's best 55. time for a wide angle otus? I really need to try one of these out. The Nikon/Canon mass produced 85's are ok but if the 55 was any indication, this lens will make them both looks like toys.


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## mackguyver (Sep 8, 2014)

psolberg said:


> so they now have the world's best 85 and world's best 55. time for a wide angle otus? I really need to try one of these out. The Nikon/Canon mass produced 85's are ok but if the 55 was any indication, this lens will make them both looks like toys.


I can't remember where I saw it, but supposedly they have said that a 35mm f/1.4 is the next Otus. I was hoping for a 24mm, but I'm sure it will be amazing.

Also, I'm I the only one wondering about 86mm filters...those aren't going to be cheap!


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## psolberg (Sep 8, 2014)

mackguyver said:


> psolberg said:
> 
> 
> > so they now have the world's best 85 and world's best 55. time for a wide angle otus? I really need to try one of these out. The Nikon/Canon mass produced 85's are ok but if the 55 was any indication, this lens will make them both looks like toys.
> ...



I'm also a fan of 24 vs 35 but I get it why they'd go for 35. A 24 would probably run WAY upwards of 5K.


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## mrsfotografie (Sep 8, 2014)

Maximilian said:


> GMCPhotographics said:
> 
> 
> > Don't you just hate the moronic marketing blurb that goes with lenses these days? What a load of B/S!
> ...



IMHO this is what sells Leica's - the quality of the 'image' is more important than the image quality


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## BLFPhoto (Sep 8, 2014)

I'm sure these are wonder optics that live up to their billing, regardless of how overblown some of the verbiage is in the marketing slicks. 

But for my money, I think I would pour my $ into a medium format system for portraits before I considered the Otus lenses. I could do a lot more with, say, a Pentax 645Z and a couple of lenses, than by adding the Otus lenses to my lineup. 

Just my take on them. 

Doesn't mean I won't lust after this 85mm...


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## AcutancePhotography (Sep 8, 2014)

Canon Rumors said:


> The expected recommended retail price is €3,360.50* or US$ 4,490* (excl. VAT



erk!

$4500 for an 85mm? Uff da

I am sure it is a nice lens, but is it that much nicer?


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## Virindi77 (Sep 8, 2014)

They day I'm spending that kind of money on a 85mm lens that doesn't have any kind of AF..... well I don't even know what happens then.


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## mackguyver (Sep 8, 2014)

AcutancePhotography said:


> Canon Rumors said:
> 
> 
> > The expected recommended retail price is €3,360.50* or US$ 4,490* (excl. VAT
> ...


It's the law of diminishing returns. Look at the best of anything - audio equipment, supercars, watches, etc., and at some point, it becomes EXTREMELY expensive to make ever smaller improvements.

The original Bugatti Veyron is a nice example. I read/saw somewhere that it only takes 250-300 BHP to get to 200mph and the other 800+ BHP to get those last 53 MPH. Needless to say those extra HP are very expensive.

It's also not a big leap to compare Canon's pricing disparities with fast primes. The 50 and 85 f/1.2 lenses are certainly better than their f/1.4 & 1.8 counterparts, but are they $1150 and $1680 better? Some would say yes, others not. 

As for the timeless AF vs. no AF, it's all about what you shoot. My TS-E lenses are manual AF, but for architecture shots using a tripod, mirror lock-up, remote release, and LiveView 100% of the time it's no big deal. For my 300mm lens, I would die without AF.


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## raptor3x (Sep 8, 2014)

mackguyver said:


> I read/saw somewhere that it only takes 250-300 BHP to get to 200mph and the other 800+ BHP to get those last 53 MPH. Needless to say those extra HP are very expensive.



That doesn't sound right. Even if you assume that all of the 300 BHP is consumed by aerodynamic drags, such that it scales with the cube of speed, then you only need ~600 BHP, so another 300BHP, to reach 253 MPH. In reality it will be less than that since some portion of that original 300 BHP is being consumed by factors that scaled linearly. It could be that you need whatever size engine they put into it to reach maximum speed in a reasonable amount of time though.


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## mackguyver (Sep 8, 2014)

raptor3x said:


> mackguyver said:
> 
> 
> > I read/saw somewhere that it only takes 250-300 BHP to get to 200mph and the other 800+ BHP to get those last 53 MPH. Needless to say those extra HP are very expensive.
> ...


My memory is a bit fuzzy - I think it was on Top Gear, but remember that it's not linear because of drag. I'll see if I can find the actual numbers...

EDIT: Found it in James May's first Veyron test video on Top Gear. He says, "To reach 155MPH, it takes a mere 270HP...but to go the next 100MPH to reach 253MPH, it takes another 730HP."


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## LOALTD (Sep 8, 2014)

I'll stick to my Canon 85/1.2, thank you very much!

I'm sure this lens will be better than it in every way imaginable...

EXCEPT AF.

And, personally, 85 and longer are focal lengths I really need AF for.

I'd love to see a 24/1.4 with zero coma. That's my only complaint about the Canon 24/1.4 II.


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## Eldar (Sep 8, 2014)

Folks, you are comparing this lens to all the wrong stuff!

A Koetsu Coralstone Platinum Phono Cartridge is $14.950, but an Ortofon Quintet MC cartridge goes for $299 and plays the same LPs

Ch. Mouton Rothschild 1945 is $23.000 (last Christie´s auction), but a Mouton Cadet 2011 shares part of the name and goes for $6.99

A black premium 14mm Mikimoto pearl is $2.000, but a synthetic black pearl you´d take for the real thing (if the girl is pretty enough) is $3.50.

A Leica APO-Macro-Summarit-S 120mm f/2.5 CS Lens is $8.495, but of course it has AF ...

The list can be made a lot longer and when you have made enough of these comparisons, you´ll end up thinking $4500 is a bargain


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## can0nfan2379 (Sep 8, 2014)

I love the 85mm focal length and if this was $2800 - $3200 I'd probably buy it in a heart beat. I have a couple of Zeiss ZE lenses and I don't have a problem using them with MF and I love the build quality and feel of the focus ring. Granted they are NOT useful for anything that is moving but as long as your subject matter is holding still, all is well.

For $4500 however that could buy me a nice used 24-70II, 70-200II and I'd still have about a $1000 left over for a used 16-35 f4 IS.


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## racebit (Sep 8, 2014)

I think my Samyang 85/1.4 at €300 is good enough for me. Also MF as the Zeiss.
Moreover in the future mirrorless will take over so I don't want to invest too much in the EF mount.


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## RGomezPhotos (Sep 8, 2014)

Zeiss is all I use for my fashion and portrait photography. Ever since my first outing with a rental, I fell in love with them. They are definitely not for everyone and may not be the best in any one category. But overall and how happy I am with my images, there is nothing else than Zeiss for fashion and portrait.

I simply hope that the new model Canon cameras take advantage of these new lenses from Zeiss. On a 5DMKIII, you'll get a 30% increase in sharpness over the older lenses. But is it worth a 400% price difference? Not with these cameras. Sharpness isn't everything.

Give me a 20MP Medium Format camera and I'd be very happy. You can't touch the detail and color resolution with FF. Of course, that would include an amazing Leaf shutter lenses which would give me a 1600/sec sync speed. No HSS! But all this comes at a cost. 2x at least the most expensive Canon system including an Otus lens. And the Pentax system is completely inadequate on so many levels.

If a new Canon body matched with this Otus would give me 90% of that MF look, a sync speed of 1/500 or better and close to a 1DX price, that would be tough to turn down. As a Canon user, there is absolutely no need to upgrade my cameras or lenses until this happens.


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## sagittariansrock (Sep 8, 2014)

infared said:


> I will love to read about this newest Otus though, and see what beauty it is capable of!!!



An example that sometimes people just admire lenses, or the images they create. Without actually meaning to buy it 

In response to: 



infared said:


> "I'm sure many, including myself, will love to see such a lens." (So.... Are you just going to look at it?)


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## vdx (Sep 8, 2014)

Eldar said:


> Folks, you are comparing this lens to all the wrong stuff!
> 
> A Koetsu Coralstone Platinum Phono Cartridge is $14.950, but an Ortofon Quintet MC cartridge goes for $299 and plays the same LPs
> 
> ...



Yeah, it's all about one's income and priorities. Personally, I would take a "sigma" thing for about 1 grand and get a Fuji X-T1+56/1.2 plus a nice holiday for the rest. I'd enjoy the "wrong stuff"...


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## thepancakeman (Sep 8, 2014)

Honest question: who buys these kinds of lenses? What I mean is this--other "high end" anything is pretty much bought by people than enjoy whatever "it" is and have the income. Pros on the other hand, not necessarily. So are there pros who can honestly say that buying such a lens will improve their income/client list or is it merely the pursuit of perfection?

Please note, I have no problem with the pursuit of perfection. I'm just trying to understand if it fits into the photography world in a similar fashion to industries I'm more familiar with such as high-end audio.


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## mackguyver (Sep 8, 2014)

thepancakeman said:


> Please note, I have no problem with the pursuit of perfection. I'm just trying to understand if it fits into the photography world in a similar fashion to industries I'm more familiar with such as high-end audio.


Manual focus=tube amplifiers or analog volume dials. Build quality=toroidal transformers & milled aluminum rack mount chassis. All that special glass=Burr-Brown DAC 192Khz/24-Bit. Zeiss=McIntosh, or any of the other high end analog + latest tech audio companies.


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## ahsanford (Sep 8, 2014)

Apparently Zeiss (unlike Canon or Sigma [cough]) has had the vision to get early copies of this new lens out to neutral photographers for review. Two links worth checking out:

http://www.the-digital-picture.com/News/News-Post.aspx?News=11468

http://www.the-digital-picture.com/Reviews/Lens-Product-Images.aspx?Lens=957&LensComp=917&LensComp2=397

Spoiler -- TDP hasn't had a review yet, but clearly Bryan Carnathan has had the lens in his possession long enough to drum up these comparison shots. I look forward to his review... even if I'll never buy a manual focus lens. 

- A


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## RLPhoto (Sep 8, 2014)

RGomezPhotos said:


> Zeiss is all I use for my fashion and portrait photography. Ever since my first outing with a rental, I fell in love with them. They are definitely not for everyone and may not be the best in any one category. But overall and how happy I am with my images, there is nothing else than Zeiss for fashion and portrait.
> 
> I simply hope that the new model Canon cameras take advantage of these new lenses from Zeiss. On a 5DMKIII, you'll get a 30% increase in sharpness over the older lenses. But is it worth a 400% price difference? Not with these cameras. Sharpness isn't everything.
> 
> ...


MF is not as expensive as it used to be if your willing to look at older systems. I was able to jump into Hassy MF and I'm just an average professional at best. Hassys lenses are very reasonable on the used market and it's got a good size market for MF.

I could buy this otus or a HC 210mm + HC 35mm/100mm HC on the used market. Even to some MF lenses the otus is really pricey.


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## eml58 (Sep 8, 2014)

Eldar said:


> Folks, you are comparing this lens to all the wrong stuff!
> 
> A Koetsu Coralstone Platinum Phono Cartridge is $14.950, but an Ortofon Quintet MC cartridge goes for $299 and plays the same LPs
> 
> ...



Love it, have another to add that works for me.

Bower & Wilkins Nautilus speakers cost $90,000 a pair, a pair of Shure earphones cost $500, each have their place in the Market, I own the Nautilis speakers & enjoy them immensely, my son owns the Shure earphones & enjoys them immensely, he will never convince me we are listening to the same quality of music, how far apart are we, pretty sure it's not $85,500 apart but that's not the point, it's what you are prepared to outlay for that little bit (in this case, a lot) of upside. Although he does have a good point when he suggests the Nautilis speakers would look a bit ridiculous strapped to the sides of my Head.

Those that can afford the Otus 85, and feel it has a part to play in their Photography, will outlay the money & based on my own experience of the Otus 55, are likely to be Happy with the decision, those that can't afford the Otus will either quietly decide it's not for them & enjoy their Canon 85f/1.2 (or wait for Sigma to produce the 85 Art), while others will drop verbal bricks from a great height on the Otus for no other reason than, it's "expensive".

But for those People fortunately there is Sigma, and of course Sigma doesn't go overboard with the Marketing Blurb, do they ??


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## FramerMCB (Sep 9, 2014)

For those wondering about the $$$/Value ratio for a Zeiss Otus lens, think of it in car terms. A Zeiss is like owning a Porcshe 918 Hybrid. Foolishly impractical for most of us, due mainly to cost, and for some due to family/personal space requirements. But oh, to get behind that wheel and zoom it around the Nurbring track, or out on the Autobahn for a weekend! If money were not an object for me, I would certainly consider these OTUS lenses. However, for now, I will stick with the Sigma Art options...35mm f1.4 and now the 50mm f1.4. For the price of the Zeiss you could own both of these, plus the highly rated Sigma 18-35 or the Canon 16-35mm f2.8 II plus a 6D...


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## RobertP (Sep 9, 2014)

I know its the wrong website but if someone paid me to shoot fashion I'd be very interested in pairing this lens with a Nikon D810. I wonder how good the prints would look in a magazine or blown up to poster size.

You can bet if I had this lens I'd find some way of mentioning that I using the world leading Zeiss lenses somewhere in my marketing pitch.


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## KAS (Sep 9, 2014)

RGomezPhotos said:


> Zeiss is all I use for my fashion and portrait photography. Ever since my first outing with a rental, I fell in love with them. They are definitely not for everyone and may not be the best in any one category. But overall and how happy I am with my images, there is nothing else than Zeiss for fashion and portrait.
> 
> I simply hope that the new model Canon cameras take advantage of these new lenses from Zeiss. On a 5DMKIII, you'll get a 30% increase in sharpness over the older lenses. But is it worth a 400% price difference? Not with these cameras. Sharpness isn't everything.
> 
> ...



I agree with this 100%. I still haven't really upgraded from the 1DsIII, other than a secondary 5d3 for low ISO work. I've been waiting since pre-1Dx days...great for the wallet, though.


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## gsealy (Sep 9, 2014)

BLFPhoto said:


> I'm sure these are wonder optics that live up to their billing, regardless of how overblown some of the verbiage is in the marketing slicks.
> 
> But for my money, I think I would pour my $ into a medium format system for portraits before I considered the Otus lenses. I could do a lot more with, say, a Pentax 645Z and a couple of lenses, than by adding the Otus lenses to my lineup.
> 
> ...



How much better is this lens compared to the Canon EF 85mm F1.2L II? Is it worth over twice as much? I don't know and I am not trying to be cynical. I would just like to hear what people say. Thanks.


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## Phenix205 (Sep 9, 2014)

They should have some built in variable ND Filter so that it can be used under bright daily light wide open. Any ND filter or any filter put on it won't have the same Carl Zeiss quality.


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## RGomezPhotos (Sep 9, 2014)

KAS said:


> RGomezPhotos said:
> 
> 
> > Zeiss is all I use for my fashion and portrait photography. Ever since my first outing with a rental, I fell in love with them. They are definitely not for everyone and may not be the best in any one category. But overall and how happy I am with my images, there is nothing else than Zeiss for fashion and portrait.
> ...



Totally. That's the way I look at it. If you have a scene with good and plentiful light, will you be able to tell the image difference between a 35mm digital camera made in 2007 and another from 2014? I seriously doubt it. In fact, I know a full time, successful sports photographer who still uses his two 2005 Canon 1D MKII Ns! That camera has a great AF system even by today's standards and his type of work doesn't need great ISO. He's replaced the shutters a few times. But they keep on ticking. No problems. His work is always published and he makes posters from his work. All on a 2005 digital camera.

I'd like to get at least 1 1DX because that's a camera you can use for a good 10 years. It's a great investment and built to last. I shoot much more than just fashion and portraits and it can easily handle all that other work. If I didn't, I'd be happy with my current gear and go MF when it's time to make the jump.


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## PureClassA (Sep 9, 2014)

I love how this chain moved into high end audio. Talking about the toys I used to work with and sell some of... ;D


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## Maximilian (Sep 9, 2014)

mrsfotografie said:


> Maximilian said:
> 
> 
> > Honestly I don't understand, why people who don't know enough of photography get paid for such... yeah, you got it... moronic marketing blurb!
> ...


Of course you're right. But is this press release good sign of a high _quality of the 'image' _?
IM not so HO really not! It is sort of slipslop not worth of a brand like Leica.


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## Eldar (Sep 9, 2014)

eml58 said:


> Love it, have another to add that works for me.
> 
> Bower & Wilkins Nautilus speakers cost $90,000 a pair ...


Well Edward, you live a hard life. Using a pair of Nautilus as headphones requires a phenomenal physique 

For those of you who have not seen these, an image is attached. People (a very few I admit) buy Moore sculptures for millions of dollars. With the Nautilus you get something just as beautiful with the additional feature of producing mind blowing sound quality. I must admit I wonder what other components you have in your sound system ...

I do not have Nautilus. I have been an electrostatic freak since I got my first Quad ESL-63s in the mid 80ties. And using them as a metaphor for lenses, my current Martin Logan speakers produce phenomenal midrange and a beautiful soundstage, at the expense of a slightly less impressive bass. A bit like an 85/1.2L II, with a phenomenal center, beautiful bokeh, but an issue with CA. I'm sure the Otus 85/1.4 will be the equivalent to the Nautilus.


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## GMCPhotographics (Sep 9, 2014)

ULFULFSEN said:


> GMCPhotographics said:
> 
> 
> > Don't you just hate the moronic marketing blurb that goes with lenses these days? What a load of B/S!
> ...



Yeah...look me up numpty. Don't attack who you don't understand.


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## GMCPhotographics (Sep 9, 2014)

gsealy said:


> BLFPhoto said:
> 
> 
> > I'm sure these are wonder optics that live up to their billing, regardless of how overblown some of the verbiage is in the marketing slicks.
> ...



I'm not jumping ship...my 85mm f1.2 II L is a thing of photographic joy and beauty.


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## Eldar (Sep 9, 2014)

When Zeiss released the 55/1.4 Otus, they had an easier task than they have with this one. There were no real competitors for that. Their initial sales volume was way above what they had expected and planned for and it was backordered for a long time. Even when the Sigma 50 Art came out a little later, with optical quality in the same neighbourhood, but rotten AF and (in my view) a very inferior manual focus option, they continued to sell. If the Sigma had been a Canon L, with L quality autofocus, I believe they would have seen slower sales.

With the 85mm I believe they have a tougher job initially, because the 85/1.2L II is so well established and liked as it is. And personally, I don't believe the +$500 price tag helps. 

I am normally pretty trigger happy, when it comes to buying new gear (I really don't need), but in this case, considering I already have the Otus 55/1.4, 85 1.2L II and the Zeiss 135/2.0 … :


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## Maximilian (Sep 9, 2014)

Eldar said:


> I must admit I wonder what other components you have in your sound system ...


Maybe we should start a new OT thread about photographers HiFi systems.
I would be very interested, having a quite decent 2.1 system at home (I'm not so much into surround). 
unfortunately also no pair of nautilus.


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## Eldar (Sep 9, 2014)

This article includes some test numbers. 
http://www.pcmag.com/article2/0,2817,2467429,00.asp


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## distant.star (Sep 9, 2014)

.
Granger talks about it...

http://youtu.be/S_-vUXkOaOY


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## Eldar (Sep 9, 2014)

distant.star said:


> .
> Granger talks about it...
> 
> http://youtu.be/S_-vUXkOaOY


And now we can start drooling ...


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## mackguyver (Sep 9, 2014)

Maximilian said:


> Eldar said:
> 
> 
> > I must admit I wonder what other components you have in your sound system ...
> ...


That might not be a bad idea. I'm on the other side, though. I was a movie theater projectionist in high school and college and my theater was the one that the corporation, Regal Cinemas, which was headquartered nearby, used to try out all of their high end gear. I eventually became addicted (and poor) trying to create some semblance of that at home 

One thing that I find interesting about the Zeiss releases about this lens are that they are pitching it towards landscape & architecture photographers. For architecture, I find that a rather useful focal length, but I rarely use anything near that focal length for landscape. I seem to shoot up to about 70mm, and then I usually go to 135 or even 150 and beyond.


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## eml58 (Sep 11, 2014)

Eldar said:


> Well Edward, you live a hard life. Using a pair of Nautilus as headphones requires a phenomenal physique
> 
> For those of you who have not seen these, an image is attached. People (a very few I admit) buy Moore sculptures for millions of dollars. With the Nautilus you get something just as beautiful with the additional feature of producing mind blowing sound quality. I must admit I wonder what other components you have in your sound system ...
> 
> I do not have Nautilus. I have been an electrostatic freak since I got my first Quad ESL-63s in the mid 80ties. And using them as a metaphor for lenses, my current Martin Logan speakers produce phenomenal midrange and a beautiful soundstage, at the expense of a slightly less impressive bass. A bit like an 85/1.2L II, with a phenomenal center, beautiful bokeh, but an issue with CA. I'm sure the Otus 85/1.4 will be the equivalent to the Nautilus.



I was fortunate in my timing, I was living in Indonesia at the time, the Indonesian Currency took a 60% dive against the USD & one of the suppliers here in Jakarta had a set sitting with no Buyers, i jumped in and bought the set for 1/2 normal price. Like so much in life, it's opportunity & being in the right place at the right time.



Eldar said:


> distant.star said:
> 
> 
> > .
> ...



Pick mine up early November, unfortunately too late for Japan this Year.


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## Eldar (Sep 11, 2014)

Bryan at TDP has published his review:
http://www.the-digital-picture.com/News/


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## mackguyver (Sep 11, 2014)

Eldar said:


> Bryan at TDP has published his review:
> http://www.the-digital-picture.com/News/


I just finished reading it - so does that report sway you towards a purchase, Eldar?


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## GMCPhotographics (Sep 11, 2014)

I wish people would STOP calling this lens a telephoto. It's 100mm long with a focal length of 85mm. It's NOT a telephoto lens...ok. The Canon, Sigma and Nikon are...but this Zeiss is not.
I'm also sick of reading on "review" sites that 85mm is a semi telephoto focal length....no it isn't. A lens is either a telephoto or it isn't. 
Go look up the definition on Wikipedia.


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## Eldar (Sep 11, 2014)

mackguyver said:


> Eldar said:
> 
> 
> > Bryan at TDP has published his review:
> ...


I feel like an alcoholic in a liquor store ...

Trying to be a bit sober, having both the Otus 55, 85/1.2L II and the Zeiss 135/2, it is clearly not something I need and not something I can present a single rational reason for buying. But that is of course totally irrelevant and these Zeiss lenses are addictive. 

I have just ordered a third party S-type focusing screen for my 5DIII (from Taiwan). If that works, I have two good bodies for manual focus and that will increase my use of these lenses even further. I don´t know why, but I make better images with primes than with zooms and I make even better images with manual focus than with auto focus. It is something with the entire compose, focus, shutter loop/process that helps.

I am also getting better and better with manual focus. I am not at my 1985 level, but probably not far off 

I am now getting late for my AG meeting ... (Anonymous GASoholics)


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## DominoDude (Sep 11, 2014)

Inspired by Eldar, here's my take on the Serenity prayer for AG:
God (Canon, that is), grant me the serenity to accept the dynamic range I cannot change,
The courage to up the amount of glass in my bag,
And the wisdom to shoot in manual mode.


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## mackguyver (Sep 11, 2014)

Eldar said:


> mackguyver said:
> 
> 
> > Eldar said:
> ...


I need to attend one of those meetings, too ;D

For my use of the 85 & ~50mm focal lengths, the L lenses are plenty good enough for me because I use them almost exclusively for portraits. Above f/2.8, the 24-70 II & 70-200 II are all I need so I'm satisfied.

I also find that I generally take better photos with primes, but the new zooms are so good, it's hard for me to put a prime on my body unless it's special purpose (f/1.2, TS-E, or supertelephoto).

As for your GAS-fueled decision, I'd take a look at your ~85mm photos. If they are mostly portraits, I doubt the Otus would make a huge difference unless you hate the CA. If you use that focal length a lot with the 70-200 for landscapes on the other hand, it might be a worthwhile purchase.


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