ZEISS Otus ML 1.4/35 – Newsshooter

The Otus series was only ever available in Canon EF and Nikon F mounts. Originally, there was a 55mm F1.4, and then a year later came the 85mm F1.4. These were later joined by the 100mm F1.4 and then the 28mm F1.4.

I reviewed the 55mm F1.4 and 85mm F1.4 way back in 2015, and I still have fond memories of using them on a Sony F55 with an MTF Nikon to FZ adaptor.

Back in 2016, GL Optics was offering a full ZEISS Otus rehousing.

All three lenses have a 114mm front diameter, which makes them compatible with most matte boxes. The focus rotation was changed to 330 degrees. The optical design remained exactly the same as the stills lenses, just the housing is new and somewhat larger.

The conversion wasn’t cheap, but I actually regret not doing it at the time.

Duclos Lens also started doing a Cine mod for the Otus series.

ZEISS also had their own ZEISS Lens Gears for the ZEISS Otus, ZEISS Milvus and ZEISS Loxia lenses to help them be used as proper cine-style lenses for professional filmmakers. The ZEISS Lens Gears are available in four different sizes: mini, small, medium, and large.

They are supplied with a rubber-covered band, the GumGum, which features an adhesive surface. This means the inner diameter can be reduced according to the lens diameter, thus supporting multiple lenses. The GumGum also protects against scratches and other damage to the focus ring of the lens.

History of the Otus

The Otus lenses were the culmination of all the expertise and experience in optics and mechanics ZEISS optical designers had built over more than 125 years. The lenses featured unusually high contrast and resolution across the entire image field, even with an open aperture of f/1.4, with no perceptible color fringing or distortion, and a very smooth bokeh with impressive three-dimensional effects.

The ZEISS Otus 1.4/85 was introduced at Photokina 2014. The ZEISS Otus 1.4/28 was introduced in 2015. The ZEISS Otus 100mm f/1.4 didn’t appear till 2019.

With the Otus lens family, ZEISS not only set a new standard in what it means to achieve optical perfection but also accomplished a technological milestone from the perspective of modern optical engineering.

Dr. Vladan Blahnik was the Head of Optical Design at ZEISS at the time of the development of the Otus lenses. According to Dr. Blahnik, the search for uncompromised image quality began in 2008 when ZEISS had the very first complex designs on the table. Although those design drafts (which would eventually become the ZEISS Otus 1.4/55), were already at a very high image performance level, there was much discussion and doubt as to whether the size and price would be accepted by the market. At this time, from a commercial point of view, Otus looked like an unprofitable project. Because of its relatively large physical size and high research and manufacturing costs, ZEISS presumed that there would not be enough photographers willing to buy the lenses to make it profitable.

Things changed in 2009 when ZEISS developed new image simulation software that enabled designers to simulate the image formation of a detailed scene by a lens, represented by its theoretical data. The result of this simulation is a large real DSLR-sized image, 24 megapixels and more. The simulations are almost identical to real pictures taken by the corresponding lens in the laboratory.

The initial assumption that the Otus range would be unprofitable turned out to be completely wrong. Many professional photographers using medium format cameras and lenses found that the image quality of Otus in combination with 35mm high-end DSLR cameras was at least on the same level as their much more expensive medium format equipment. This meant that using an Otus lens was actually a lower-cost option.

If you want to read the complete history of the Otus series, you can go to the ZEISS website.

Meet the ZEISS OTUS ML

The lenses feature an all-metal construction, and they are made in Japan. They are smaller and lighter than their predecessors.

Just like their predecessors, they are aimed at anyone looking for optical excellence. If you want very sharp lenses (even when used wide open), high contrast, low chromatic aberration, and lack of optical deficiencies, then these are sure to tick a lot of boxes.

The Otus ML lenses are engineered to provide exceptional optical performance, and according to ZEISS, they can reveal details that may not be discernible to the naked eye. These lenses embody the well-regarded ZEISS Look, characterized by sharpness, accurate color reproduction, and a three-dimensional quality.

Originally developed for SLR cameras requiring a long back focal distance for short focal lengths because of the mirror box (the distance between the back lens element and the film plane must be considerably longer than the focal length), the Distagon lenses (retrofocus design) are also ideal for mirrorless system cameras thanks to their optimized ray path. Even with longer focal lengths, the high-performance Distagon optical design enables consistently good correction all the way to the corners of the image and very low field curvature.

From a mechanical standpoint, the Otus ML lenses offer precise manual focus. The lenses feature a smooth metal focus ring, facilitating accurate focusing.

There is manual aperture control, and the lenses are equipped with a de-click function for video. By using the supplied tool and an adjustment screw on the bayonet surface, the locking mechanism can be disengaged, allowing for stepless and silent aperture adjustments. This enables smooth exposure transitions in video applications, ensuring precise brightness control while panning.

The 50mm F1.4 weighs 677g / 1.49 lb and has physical dimensions of 77 x 100mm / 3.03 x 3.93″.

As a comparison, the ZEISS Otus 55mm f/1.4 ZE Lens for Canon EF weighs 1.03kg / 2.27 lb and has physical dimensions of 92.4 x 127.3mm / 3.64 x 5.01″.

The 85mm F1.4 weighs 1.049kg / 2.31 lb and has physical dimensions of 101 x 124 mm / 3.98 x 4.88″.

As a comparison, the ZEISS Otus 85mm f/1.4 ZE Lens for Canon EF weighs 1.2kg / 2.65 lb and has physical dimensions of 92.4 x 127.3mm / 3.64 x 5.01″.

The lenses feature a completely new optical design that consists of 12 groups and 10 aperture blades. ZEISS told me that the optical performance is better than the original Otus series and that they have better edge-to-edge performance and produce better results in challenging lighting conditions.

The aspherical lens design is claimed to ensure consistent imaging performance across the entire field of focus as well as sharpness at the edge of the image. Both lenses utilize ZEISS’ signature Distagon and Sonnar designs, and they are apochromat. ZEISS claims that chromatic aberration is corrected by utilizing lenses made of special glasses with anomalous partial dispersion. They also inherit the ZEISS T* coating to effectively reduce ghosting and flare.

The focus rotation is 260 degrees, which is good news for anyone wanting to use these to shoot video.

The lenses also feature extremely good weather sealing, as this was a request when talking to photographers.

Will there be more focal lengths?

In short, yes. ZEISS plans on introducing more focal lengths in the future, but the details of what those focal lengths will be are not yet known.

Thoughts

Expensive manual focus still lenses are only going to appeal to a select number of users, and they are going to have to compete with a large array of good quality AF lenses on the market, especially since they are only available in mirrorless mounts.

In saying that, it is great to see ZEISS making high-quality stills glass again. These are sure to be excellent lenses with very good optical performance.

For video shooters, the Otus series will arguably also have to compete with the ZEISS Nano Prime series and the Cooke SP3.

Pricing & Availability

The ZEISS Otus ML 1.4/35 is now available to pre-order for $2,299 USD. The ZEISS Otus ML 50mm F1.4 and 85mm F1.4 retail for $2,499 USD (although B&H currently has it on special for $1,999 USD) and $2,999 USD, respectively.