Zeiss Otus 85mm f/1.4 lens unveiled for full frame DSLRs

Zeiss has officially added a new member to the Otus family in the body of the 85mm f/1.4 lens, which will be aimed at portrait photographers that “do not accept any limitations when it comes to detail”.

The Germany-based company has introduced a new lens that has been designed to provide the best possible image quality. Zeiss launched the Otus series in October 2013, with the 55mm f/1.4 being the first model.

The second unit has just become official and it is called Zeiss Otus 85mm f/1.4 lens. This “no compromise” optic will also be on-display at Photokina 2014, which begins on September 16.

Zeiss Otus 85mm f/1.4 lens is now official for Canon and Nikon full frame DSLR cameras.

Zeiss announces new Otus lens ahead of Photokina 2014: 1.4/85

Its focal length and maximum aperture present the Otus 85mm f/1.4 as the perfect portrait lens. However, Zeiss calls it an “all-rounder” that can be used for studio, fashion, nature, and architecture photography types.

The manufacturer claims that its new Otus optic will perform admirably in low-light conditions. The fast aperture will allow users to capture even fast-moving objects when the sun has almost set or when indoor lighting conditions are not perfect.

Additionally, the lens will continue to have great “vision” in the dark, a trait borrowed from the owl species that also gives the name of Zeiss’ high-performance lens family.

The internal design of the Zeiss Otus 85mm f/1.4 lens.

Zeiss Otus 85mm f/1.4 lens does not know the meaning of chromatic aberration and other optical flaws

For the people who want to know all the technical aspects, Zeiss has confirmed that the Otus 85mm f/1.4 lens features 11 elements in nine groups. This design is inspired by the legendary Planar model and includes an aspherical element as well as six special glass elements.

Furthermore, this is an apochromatic lens, which means that it deals superbly with chromatic aberrations. In addition, ghosting, flare, and distortions are reduced, so the resulting photos will have an amazing quality.

As expected, the lens only supports manual focusing. The autofocus motor would have interfered with the design of the Otus 85mm f/1.4, while also making it heavier and bulkier. Lack of autofocus will not be a problem for professionals, who will enjoy an all-metal barre, a very fine manual focus ring, and a distance scale.

The minimum focusing distance stands at 80 centimeters or 31.5-inches, allowing photographers to get close to their subjects.

This is the Zeiss Otus lens family. The new 85mm f/1.4 is coming in September for around $4,500.

The newest Otus family member will be released this September and will carry a hefty price tag

The product has a filter thread of 86mm and a diameter of 101mm. In length, this short telephoto lens measures 122mm for the Nikon version and 124mm for the Canon version, respectively.

Its total weight stands at 1,140 grams for the F-mount version and 1,200 grams for the EF-mount model.

As this is a high-end product, which promises to deliver medium format-level quality in a compact form factor, it will be quite expensive. According to Zeiss, the price has been set at $4,490, which is about $500 higher than the price of the Otus 55mm f/1.4.

The Zeiss Otus 85mm f/1.4 lens will be released in Canon EF and Nikon F mounts. Full frame camera owners will be able to purchase the optic by the end of September for the aforementioned price.