ZEISS Otus 55mm f/1.4 Reviews
Zee Best
By Grzegorz
Rated 5 out of 5
Date: 2021-12-19
Really don't know what words to use...never seen f1.4 image like the ones coming out of this lens?...10++++?....awesome?...magical?....
$4,000 ZEISS Otus 1.4/55 / misaligned aperture blades
By UFUK
Rated 1 out of 5
Date: 2019-02-18
I bought an $4,000 ZEISS Otus 1.4/55 in last month.
Yesterday I just aware I my copy have an alignment problem in aperture blades in f16 and immediately contact to Zeiss customer services for a replacement in Germany.
After see a lot of perfect or near perfect aligned lenses on the net, mine $4,000 Otus annoyed a lot and it increased after the reply from ZEISS. Zeiss promotion these Otus lenses as Uncompromising image quality and I just started to understand not uncompromising in mechanical quality.
Top Quality
By John
Rated 5 out of 5
Date: 2018-06-30
The Otus 55 is without a doubt one of the most flawless lenses created. However, you have to know that that is what you're looking for in an image. So much work, these days, is leaning toward a distressed/vintage look. The Otus line of glass is NOT that! It is clean, distortion free, perfect bokeh, sharp as a tac and contrasty. So if that type of clean look is your bag, the Otus will deliver that, and then some!
The real thang'
By AS
Rated 5 out of 5
Date: 2018-05-17
I have had the lens for three weeks now, used it on my Canon 5DIV, and SonyA7RIII with MetaboneIV, this sure is a real thang. Have the Otus85 for the past three years, so naturally G.A.S. thing was at work and prevailed again. Great color(specially on Canon, sony a little flat and clinically sharp but cold RAW) no comparison with Canon50,1.2 which one of the few lens that I got rid of, a bit closer to Canon35,1.4II color rendition. This lens is much more versatile than my Otus85mm, but again a bit more clinical than 85MM which is my fav. focal length and lens. The more you use it the more you understand the hype, color, contrast, and overall feel of the pictures..oh so deliciously rich in nature. Most all my lenses are L glass, and G-master(24-70, 2.8, Zeiss/sony 35, 1.4) including the 85,1.4LS๏ฟฝand 85,1.2II, 24-70,2.8, and 70-200, 2.8II๏ฟฝwhich are convenient with AF, but again,..I keep coming back to Zeiss boys. 55MM can stay on either of my camera's all day long, even though 35MM would have more keeper with walking around and having more content in the picture. in short, If you can take your time, compose and expose correctly, a bit of manual focus practice for added flavor, you will be forever bitten and in. My (casual shooter) 2-cents worth.Good luck.
Otus
By CARLOS
Rated 1 out of 5
Date: 2018-04-02
Photographers from Brazil and the world, I want to share my experience with the technical assistance for Zeiss lenses, my Otus 85mm f / 1.4 ZF2 (with less than 50 clicks) stopped working (factory default, recurring, just search the net) and Zeiss recommends that I send the concert lens in the USA (8 thousand kilometers away from my house) so, I think I'll be at a loss, I recommend that before investing your money in Carl Zeiss equipment, think twice, when your lens present problems, you will have no manufacturer support!
Yes I would buy this lens again
By David
Rated 5 out of 5
Date: 2017-08-16
I have been using this Zeiss Otus 55 mm ZE for 2 weeks now. Here are my humble comments about it. I am a 44 y.o. keen enthusiast in photography and I do not make a living from it either. I have no sponsors or affiliation with any brand names or stores. This is my first Zeiss lens. I have been shooting Canon L glass for many years now. I used to own mainly zoom lenses and I shoot with a Canon 5D mark IV. The Zeiss Otus 55 mm ZE is a truly amazing lens. The construction is superb altough its black finish will scratch very easily. They do not include a protective pouch which is a pity for such an expensive lens. It feels super solid and yes, it is heavy for a 50 mm lens but if you are used to f2.8 zoom lenses, there is absolutely no problem. The focusing ring is so smooth. Manual focus is doable with a 5D but i use liveview and a loupe magneticaly attached to the camera in order to increase my keeper rate when fully opened at f1.4. If the subject is moving fast and erraticaly (aka kids) forget about using this lens. It is not weather sealed and will need to be protected from sand and rain. The image quality is just out of this world. Sharpness is just amazing. When reviewing pictures on my camera's LCD screen at full magnification you can't see pixels or noise or any kind of artifact. On a screen, it is medium format quality, period. No chromatic aberration visual, distortion is minimal. Ok, I know, lots of people will say that people who pay 5K for a lens will not be able to tell others they have been ripped off. I would just sell it back if I were mot satisfied. This is a keeper for me. I will probably buyan Otus every year (28mm and 85mm). They are that good. This is by far the best lens I have ever owned in my life and I have always used excellent pro glass. It is a no compromise lens in terms of Image quality. If manual focus is for you and weight and not being stealthy are no issues and oh... I was forgetting, the price tag. Go buy it
Works very well for video
By jorge
Rated 5 out of 5
Date: 2019-08-19
This 55mm is still one of the best 50s Iโve ever used. The Zeiss 55mm otus and Leica 50mm APO are in a league of their own.
Best, almost perfect lens.
By Robert
Rated 5 out of 5
Date: 2019-07-11
Best on the planet in terms of optical quality and correction.
Manual focus.