I have the Otus 55 and 28. IMHO, where they excels and where they amazes me is in low light conditions, where the light is poor. This Otus 1.4/100 should give me the same feeling
Agree on micro-contrast... i experienced it firsthand on the sonnar 135... it has a unique rendering and pop, i thought my EF200 f2 was the king until i owned the ZE135 (2016). Edit: also own the sigma 105 f1.4; color and IQ goes to the zeiss 135... so im expecting the zeiss100 to be better. The sigma 105 is a beast in term of image sharpness and bokeh but i noticed it has problems with blooming effect of highlights (it tends to washout and act like headlights, so i try to underexposed the image)
Doesn't surprise me you are a top pro photographer Dustin. Your pics on here are absolutely incredible. Oh and that was an exceptional review as well Thank you.
Enjoyed this video very much, Dustin. Like you, I have the brilliant Zeiss Milvus 135mm F2 Apo lens and it is truly outstanding. I have used this lens for astrophotography too where it delivers unbelievably sharp images with no distortion, even at the edge of the field at F2.8. And, as you always say, there is that indefinable 'Zeiss look', a crispness, brightness and clarity that sets it apart. Thanks again for an interesting review.
Excellent review being an owner of 6 Milvus series lens I'm very happy with there performance. The 135/2 is a magic lens as is the 85/1.4. The Otus are that bit better but more fragile and not weather sealed. but lovely to use and the IQ is.....
Probably at some point. The problem for RF reviews is that I don't own an EOS R camera. I don't really have a platform for doing RF reviews, and, frankly, I don't like either of the current RF bodies well enough to sink my own money into them...which is in limited supply :)
I just read a lens review where in the comments one man heavily laughed at the term microcontrast. Not going down that rabbit hole but this lens definitely shows it . The “inner tonal detail is absolutely insane. The Japanese maple tree leaves were amazing. The portrait of the two older men was gorgeous . Wow ! For the image quality. Thanks for your great reviews and cannot wait for the portrait review.
I don't quite get why people mock the concept when clearly there is a significant difference in the acutance of lenses and their ability to render fine details (and contrast in those details).
Hi Dustin, do you think that the bokey of the Sigma 105 mm is better than the bokey of the Otus 100 mm? According to you, which one is sharper? Thanks.
It would be good to compare the CA to a comparable lens such as the Sigma 105mm or Otus 85mm. I was surprised to see as much as there was in that backlit photo. I understand it's a challenging situation but that's why the need for a comparison - I was expecting perfection after all, especially given the price!
You do realize that you are asking me to bring in another $5500 worth of lenses while I'm simultaneously reviewing four lenses at the moment? I'm afraid you may have an over-inflated expectation of my superpowers and wealth ;)
Thanks for the cool review! There is actually one more area, in which I would expect the Otus to shine - flare resistance when shooting against bright light (or doing some heavy exposure stacking / HDR of very high-contrast scenes like certain night cityscapes). I wonder... have you happened to experience any differences between the Milvus 2/135 and the Otus 1.4/100?
What focal lengths do you think are "most realistic" for facial features in portraits? I was thinking as a good compromise (filling whole frame)... Full body - 50-70mm Sitting/Waist Up - 85mm Head n' Shoulders - 135mm Face Only - 200m? Maybe just get 85mm and 135mm... Or just 105m... EDIT: Ooo, just read your take on your Sigma 105mm written review.
Great review and great lens. I own the ZE 135mm which is as you know is a very special lens (especially back when it was released). However I find the 100mm focal length more versatile and my ZE 100mm Makro Planner gets more use even though it it technically inferior.
How do you align the camera with the brick wall? To really compare sharpness line you do, the distance must be equal on all 4 sides and you seem to be doing an exceptional job on that
Dustin Abbott But let’s not let Zeiss totally steal the spotlight from Voigtländer. Their recent releases on the Sony FE mount are really some of the best you can get. Especially their APO lenses, but the 21mm f/1.4 and 40mm f/1.2 are also quite exceptional in their rendering if not optically. I would love to see some updated Loxias or a new series as well. But that’s to be expected, as Cosina works for both of the brands. In fact, I just ordered the Voigtländer 50mm f/2 APO, and I’m planning to get the 110mm as well soon. I would love to get my hands on the 65mm as well, but I can’t justify getting both an expensive 50mm and 65mm, especially not with the wallet of a student. I have, however, been saving up for quite a bit now to get my hands on some Zeiss and Voigtländer offerings. But one day, one day, you and I will have a collection of these beautiful instruments. Or maybe we will have to win the lottery
Dustin, is it true that you can get somewhat similiar results when speaking of true resolution by taking a series of hand-held pictures and combine them in an editing program, as to put the camera on a tripod and use pixel shift? I know that there always will be some motion without a tripod, but this isn’t much of a problem on a sunny day with fast shutter speeds and Photoshop can compensate for the rest. I thought this would make sense, as the pixels would shift by taking a series of pictures hand-held. I want to switch to Fuji’s crop sensor system, but I often need a lot of pixels to print, and I probably would want more. If I had the budget, I would go for the Fuji GFX100 for sure. If this method works, then I might just be fine. I just love their camera bodys and lenses (especially their X-H1 with Fuji 8-16mm f/2.8 and some of their nice primes). If I never printed, I would probably be fine with this.
Usually my videos are uploaded well in advance, but there was an error in the rendering on the original, so I had to replace it today. It takes a little while for higher resolutions to become available.
Thanks! Interesting. I would love to see you do a comparison with the new Sony 135mm mm lens. Also, I believe these Zeiss lenses do not support autofocus. I have always been a fan of manual focusing, but lately am beginning to rethink that position, seeing some evidence that in many situations autofocus is actually more accurate. I'd love to know your thoughts on this? Cheers Bob Locher
Hello Dustin, Ive ordered an Otus 1.4/55 but I do have reservations about its resistance to the elements. I am completely aware of its lack of weather sealing relative to the Milvus line. My question to you is, in your review of the Otus 1.4/85 I recall you using it during a “snow storm”, so I would love to know how that lens faired in the inclement weather? Overall, should I be concerned? I should have prefaced before that I do not shoot in harsh weather, but I do live in Dubai, which is a place susceptible to dust and sand storms. I personally would not use my gear in those conditions, but generally with regards to drizzle and say photography on a windy day, are my concerns warranted? Shall remain looking forward to your reply. Many thanks. Sherome
Hi Sherome, unfortunately I've never tested an Otus in extremely dusty condition and so don't know how vulnerable it would actually be. You might want to reach out to Zeiss and ask them.
Thank you for the great review (as always ;-) ). Can you comment more on comparing Otus to Sigma 105/1.4. (Sigma 105/1.4 is the best lens I own - better than 70-200/2.8GM, 85/1.4GM, 135/1.8GM, Canon 200/2 in terms of IQ [especially CA and corner sharpness].)
I would say the two lenses are relatively close in sharpness (perhaps a bit of a contrast edge to the Otus). The Otus will have slightly richer color and contrast.
