fuwen
Well-known
It is no doubt the Zeiss Otus 55/1.4 APO Distagon is the lens of the century, at least for now. Never before, has Zeiss removes the restriction of size and other optical design cnosiderations for the design team of Otus, and deploys one ashperical lens element, 6 lens elements of special glass with anomalous partial dispersion and a complicated optical formula of 12 lens elements in 10 groups for a lens of standard focal length. The end product is a gigantic and beefy modern looking standard lens of Distagon design, a lens with an optical performance that is a class of its own, very well corrected for optically, and with a resolving power that can over match the latest 36 megapix full frame sensors!
As for price, I still believe Zeiss puts some consideration on the final cost of the lens. Although no where consider cheap, but with the type of optical performance, Zeiss still cap the price of this lens to a reasonable level (compared to Leica for example) and for obvious reason the lens is made in Japan rather than Germany to keep the price to an affordable level at least for the professionals.
As a result of the elaborate design, the distortion is kept to very low. The MTF is very impressive, supercedes all the Zeiss super stars like Makro-Planar 100/2.8, Planar 100/2, Planar 85/1.2, Planar 55/1.2 and Superachromat 300/2.8. The 40 cycles/mm line at f1.4 is already exceeding 60% almost across the field. Stopped down to f4 will further improve the performance but at f1.4 the MTF is already very impressive and setting new standards in lens design. Zeiss has been very stingy in crowning their lenses with APO designation. The previous few are Tele-ApoTessar 300/2.8, ApoSonnar 200/2, ApoSonnar 135/2, Apo-Makro-Planar 120/4 and etc. All of these APOs come with killer performance. Now the APO goes with 55mm focal length, we can expect killer performance from the latest Zeiss flagship.
The size of Otus 55/1.4 is rediculously huge, with a filter diameter of 77mm and a weight close to 1kg. It dwarfs the Rollei QBM 50/1.4 Planar(as shown in the first photo next to the Otus), which is probably the smallest 50/1.4 Zeiss has made in the history with a filter size of only 49mm. But to me despite the weight and size, the lens is very comfortable to hold and use on a SONY Alpha 7R with vertical grip. But I have to admit the lens is heavy to carry around in the camera bag, but certainly not so when in use.
The lens optical formula is a Distagon wide angle design to allow more possibilities of optical corrections as compared to the well proven and copied Planar design which more or less has reached the limit of technical possibilities. Focusing throw is very large and smooth, which allows very accurate focusing at f1.4 coupled with full frame mirrorless focusing magnifier function. For this lens Zeiss has moved away from the conventional complete lens group focusing method and using internal focusing. The focusing grip is an adequate ring somewhere in the middle of the lens, and the rest of the lens are just not moving while focusing is done.
http://www.fuwen.net/index.php/home...1-4-apo-distagon/121-otus-55-1-4-apo-distagon
fuwen
Well-known
Optical perfrmance of the lens in real life is of very high resolution and very sharp, even at f1.4. And I would say the Otus 55/1.4 is designed to be used at f1.4. The centre sharpness at f1.4 is incredible, and the high resolution allows you to do very large magnification. I tested the lens hand held but with a minimum shutter speed of 1/125. And with the high resolution of the lens at 1/125 hand held I can comfortably take sharply focused photos with Alpha 7R focus magnifier. I remember is those film days where I first encountered the very fine grain Kodak Ektar 25, I do get pictures that were not sharp due to low shutter speed as a result of the high resolution of the negatives.
Alpha 7R, f1.4 1/125, ISO 500
centre crop
left crop
right crop
Alpha 7R, f1.4 1/125, ISO 500
centre crop
left crop
right crop
fuwen
Well-known
Some shots at f1.4
Alpha 7R, f1.4 1/500-1/1000, ISO 100.
Alpha 7R, f1.4 1/250, ISO 320.
Alpha 7R, f1.4 1/500-1/1000, ISO 100.
Alpha 7R, f1.4 1/250, ISO 320.
fuwen
Well-known
Depth of field is of course narrow at f1.4. But a half body portrait with the subject facing fairly direct to the camera both eyes can be adequately sharp like the shot below.
Alpha 7R, f1.4 1/125, ISO 500.
Alpha 7R, f1.4 1/125, ISO 500.
mfogiel
Veteran
Considering a slightly cropped aspect, similar to 645, this lens should produce the same kind of imaging as a 95mm f 2.8 lens on 645 or a 110mm f 4.0 lens on 6x6. This is hardly anything that would make your head spin, in terms of shallow dof, as the Planar 110/2 for Hasselblad offers a much more striking dof effect (equivalent to a 55mm f 0.7 lens on 35mm). It looks that Zeiss wanted to make a lens that would be fully usable with confidence wide open, to recreate the kind of look typical of, say Contax 645 with 80/2 - a darling of wedding photographers.
George Bonanno
Well-known
Hi Fuwen..
What are you inhaling these days ?
Best,
George
What are you inhaling these days ?
Best,
George
Harry S.
Well-known
Glad I didn't buy this lens (got so close!)....I see nothing extraordinary unfortunately.
mfogiel
Veteran
Well, the sharpness is superb, and so is the bokeh, no need to mention flare control - what else do you need in a lens?
redisburning
Well-known
you can make some argument that the 55 distagon requires effort to look aggressively sharp at small sizes. this is the opposite of say, the 50 makro-planar, and probably has to do with the contrast signature at lower frequencies.
however, with samples anyway, you can solve that easily and the otus offers something that no other lens does which is absurd sharpness, easily surpassing most lenses' peak aperture at f2.8. additionally, it really stomps on some some fine lenses like the new sigma 50/1.4 at larger apertures or when you look at higher frequencies.
it takes a bit more work than some of my personal lenses (again, 50MP comes to mind, as does OM90/2) in post if your output size is small, but with that work it produces results that make it easily worth its price (IMO). and I was working with JPEGs.
once people start getting 4k monitors and Xx2048 is common, it will become obvious why this lens and the 50AA exist.
however, with samples anyway, you can solve that easily and the otus offers something that no other lens does which is absurd sharpness, easily surpassing most lenses' peak aperture at f2.8. additionally, it really stomps on some some fine lenses like the new sigma 50/1.4 at larger apertures or when you look at higher frequencies.
it takes a bit more work than some of my personal lenses (again, 50MP comes to mind, as does OM90/2) in post if your output size is small, but with that work it produces results that make it easily worth its price (IMO). and I was working with JPEGs.
once people start getting 4k monitors and Xx2048 is common, it will become obvious why this lens and the 50AA exist.
Samouraï
Well-known
I believe the 50 Art from Sigma has less distortion. Though I don't really love its draw. The 55 Otus is really quite lovely (and seems to be better than anything except the 50 Apo-Summicron). Even illumination and sharpness are pretty amazing from what I've seen, but I'd sooner stick to my 55FE for now and see what native FE lenses Zeiss has to offer, come Photokina-time.
I'd prefer a 50 OSS manual focus lens anyway.
Can you tell me how the focus breathing is for video use?
I'd prefer a 50 OSS manual focus lens anyway.
Can you tell me how the focus breathing is for video use?
Emile de Leon
Well-known
Looks to be amazingly sharp..and a big un..
Ranchu
Veteran
I don't know why anyone wouldn't want one, looks good to me. I have no Idea how much it costs, though. How's it look when you do this?
GaryLH
Veteran
Doesn't matter how much it cost or that it is the best lens ever made.. For me once it gets too big, the reality is that I would never use it.. I just hate lugging that around. I already think that some of my sigma lenses for the sd1m is already too big. I think my zooms maybe smaller than the Ottis just by doing a rough compare against that smaller lens next to it. Just me of course.
But for those who want it, more power to u
Gary
But for those who want it, more power to u
Gary
kxl
Social Documentary
Certainly a valid sentiment, but to me, it's more about balance that just size. If I owned one (and I might someday), I would likely pair it with my D800e rather than my A7R. I think its bulk may actually be to its advantage when mounted on the D800e.
semilog
curmudgeonly optimist
I thought the APO-Summicron was silly… until I saw the Otus. Suddenly the APO-Summi' made sense. Not "I'm going to buy that" sense, but at least it's not so over-sized as to be overtly absurd.
George Bonanno
Well-known
Hi Fuwen...
Off topic as always... just finished building two 6N6 SE monoblocks. These guys are resistance coupled and highly filtered at every stage. Feeding Norelco infinite baffle speakers... the fidelity is the cat’s meow !
Best,
George
Off topic as always... just finished building two 6N6 SE monoblocks. These guys are resistance coupled and highly filtered at every stage. Feeding Norelco infinite baffle speakers... the fidelity is the cat’s meow !
Best,
George
kanzlr
Hexaneur
It shows how far you have to go to really improve significantly on the old double gauss designs.
GaryLH
Veteran
Btw to the op..thanks for posing your results..
Gary
Gary
f16sunshine
Moderator
Yes thanks OP
For me sharp is sharp. This lens goes over the top afaic.
I just want to take some photos... Not carve a turkey!
For me sharp is sharp. This lens goes over the top afaic.
I just want to take some photos... Not carve a turkey!
fuwen
Well-known
Not much into Hifi nowadays, the musical fedility a3 is skipping tracks, bought a marantz sacd player to replaced my dead marantz sa14. Not into LPs which seems like the in thing now, hope one day film will come back strongly like LP. So is mainly classical CDs for the time being. I travel to and fro with a Technics vintage PCDP every day!
And of course have to find time for the Otus. I am crazy as I love it. : D