Zeiss Otus 85mm f/1.4 lens rumored for Photokina 2014 launch

Zeiss is rumored to announce a new Otus lens with an 85mm focal length and f/1.4 maximum aperture at Photokina 2014, an event taking place in Germany at the beginning of September.

Zeiss is well-known for releasing lenses with a high optical quality. The “issue” with these optics is that they are pretty expensive. However, the company has already confirmed that it is not planning to wander off from its philosophy and so the Otus series has been born.

Zeiss Otus 55mm f/1.4 lens is the company’s first Otus optic. It provides amazing optical quality and it has been designed for big-megapixel DSLR cameras.

The Zeiss Otus 55mm f/1.4 Distagon T* is one of the best lenses on the market, but it is available for a price just short of $4,000. The German manufacturer has already confirmed that an 85mm f/1.4 version is in the works and it will be announced in 2014. According to the rumor mill, the announcement will take place during the Photokina 2014.

Zeiss to reveal new high-quality Otus lens at Photokina 2014

Zeiss Otus 85mm f/1.4 lens is probably one of the most sought after lenses for professionals. It will be a manual focus optic without image stabilization in order to provide superior image quality.

The company has said that it could add both autofocus and IS technologies, but adding such systems would hinder the performance and Zeiss is not ready to make such compromises.

The new Otus is rumored to become official at the Photokina 2014. The world’s largest digital imaging event will take place in Cologne, Germany between September 16 and 21.

Wide-angle fast-aperture Otus model to come after Zeiss Otus 85mm f/1.4 lens

Zeiss has previously confirmed that the development of a wide-angle fast-aperture lens has already started.

Its focal length and aperture have not been disclosed, but there have been some voices suggesting that it will consist of a 24mm f/1.4 lens with manual focus and no IS.

Additionally, some sources have said that it is coming in 2014, too. However, this looks unlikely at the moment, so we should not expect the Otus wide-angle sooner than 2015.

Looking for “optical excellence”? Here are a couple of choices

Professional photographers looking to satisfy their thirst for optical brilliance can go for the Zeiss Otus 55mm f/1.4 lens which is available for a little under $4,000 at Adorama and B&H PhotoVideo.

Another optic which has received a lot of praises is the Sigma 50mm f/1.4 DG HSM Art. It can be pre-ordered at Adorama and B&H PhotoVideo for around $1,000.