ZEISS Otus 1.4/55mm Lens Review

Check the price of the Carl ZEISS Otus 55mm f/1.4 Apo Distagon on B&H Photo

Recently, I obtained the new flagship camera from Sony, the Alpha 1. I decided to do an assignment for ZEISS, surrounding the Loxia family of lenses. It was thought to be a better pairing if I utilized the flagship lenses of ZEISS, the Otus lenses with the flagship camera of Sony's. I couldn't disagree with that and was glad to finally take out in the field the entire line of Otus lenses. I recently concluded my reviews on the ZEISS Otus 1.4/28mm and ZEISS Otus 1.4/100mm lenses, so be sure to check those out after this one of the Otus 55mm.

Unlike the majority of the lenses I've reviewed here, that are designed for the Sony Alpha E-mount system, the Otus lenses are designed for the Canon EF and Nikon F-mounts. You can utilize these with the Sony mirrorless cameras, via an adapter. If you're planning to do so then I recommend selecting the Canon EF versions of these lenses and pairing them with the Sigma MC-11 adapter. This will allow for EXIF data to be transferred to the camera, along with electronic operation of the aperture (if you utilize an adapter without electronic controls then you won't be able to adjust the aperture and it will remain wide open at f/1.4).

The Otus 55mm is the first in the line that I ever got a chance to photograph with, thanks to ZEISS Ambassador Greg Watermann in 2017. There are many lenses of this range out in the world, so how does this lens stand out among the other 50-55mm lenses in existence and how does it justify its $3,990 USD price tag? I can't answer that for you, but hopefully my experience with this lens and the images captured will help you in deciding that. For me personally it is optically stellar for sure, but in comparison to the Sony/ZEISS 1.8/55mm, ZEISS Milvus 1.4/50mm or Sony/ZEISS 1.4/50mm lenses that are all weather sealed and great performing lens I found this one to be the hardest one to sell out of the Otus lens, being that it lacks weather sealing and again, there being many other available options in this lens range (and a lot lighter as well).

Shot with Sony Alpha 1

ZEISS Otus 55mm Specs

Canon EF & Nikon F-Mount (Full Frame lens)
APOCHROMATIC DISTAGON Optical Lens Design
Aperture Range: f/1.4-f/16
ZEISS T* Anti-Reflective Coating
77mm Diameter Filter Thread
Metal Construction
44 degrees - Angle of View
50cm Minimum Focus Distance
Manual Focus
2.27 lbs. (1030g) - Weight

Something to note is that this lens is a Full Frame lens but it can be utilized on cropped APS-H (Canon) and APS-C (Nikon) cameras, which will give you a 35mm equivalent focal range of 88mm (Canon) and 82.5mm (Nikon).

Shot with Sony Alpha 1

What I think about the Otus 55mm

The Otus 55 is a quality performing lens, just as its other siblings. I've said many times that the Otus lenses are the best lenses I've ever used in my 21 years as a photographer. There are numerous lenses in this range, yes, but none with the performance as this and what you can obtain straight from the camera, but at a price of $4,000 that makes it a tough one to decide upon, even among ZEISS' own family of lenses in this focal length. Also keep in mind that this is a full manual lens as well, so that is something that may eliminate this lens altogether for many.

I enjoyed my time with this lens and thoroughly enjoyed the quality of images I was able to obtain from it. It's the lens you'd probably choose as the all around choice in the family and one that can capture multiple applications quite well, without the need of changing lenses. This is especially great, as this is the smallest lens in the line.

I've utilized almost a couple dozen ZEISS lenses in that time frame, but Otus lenses are even better than what I considered to be the best of ZEISS, such as the Loxia and Batis lenses. Otus lenses are designed with one objective. To be the best lens one can produce. This is why these lenses are much larger and heavier than any other ZEISS lens and are all Apochromatic lenses, which have virtually no chromatic aberrations and perform perfectly wide open, without a need to stop down the aperture to increase its performance. You also will notice there's little to no distortion from this lens as well. When I say this lens is VERY good, it's VERY good! It's rather astounding to how amazing the performance of this lens is.

These are manual focusing lenses and just like the other lenses in the ZEISS portfolio, these are incredibly smooth in operation. In having that traditional lens build, with the depth of field scale and meter and feet engravings make manual focusing easier than with the auto-focusing lenses, which utilize the focus-by-wire system and doesn’t have accurate manual focusing capability (with the exception of ZEISS Batis lenses).

There's not much else to add about this lens. It's a 50-55mm lens and most know what to already expect of such a lens, but it's everything you may know with the Otus quality and that's the primary difference.

If you’re looking for more technical specs, then feel free to check out the full lens details here on the ZEISS Lenses website.

Shot with Sony Alpha 1

What stands out about the Otus 55mm?

Apochromatic Lens Design – Otus lenses are all Apochromatic, meaning they have virtually no chromatic aberrations. How true is that? VERY true. You can see in some examples in my full Otus photo gallery of just how there's no CA in the backlit highlight areas of my images. At $4,000 this certainly is the kind of performance you'd expect and this lens doesn't disappoint. You're obtaining the best of the best. This is absolutely a plus for anyone that wants a lens that doesn't require post processing.
Manual Focus – The focus throw of this lens isn't very long, especially compared to the Otus 85mm and 100mm lenses. This is a mechanical lens, so you're gaining the distance markers on this lens, which is a must for proper manual usage. This has become a novelty that you don't find on many modern lenses, as they rely on these focus-by-wire systems. For manual usage this kind of system doesn't offer you an accurate experience for manual focusing like these mechanical lenses. You may think that simply owning an autofocusing lens and using it in manual will work just fine, but that's typically not the case. I know there are many who may feel intimidated by manual focusing, but trust me it's easier than you think. Just like anything else it takes practice and most importantly, patience!
Build/Focus Ring - You're obtaining an all metal design lens. The lens hood is also a metal construction and has a unique yellow color for the letters and numbers on this lens. It's not anything that's distracting, but it is something rather unique for a lens. The focusing ring of this lens is just like what you're familiar with on many of the other family of lenses, such as Batis and Milvus. The focusing ring is incredibly smooth, with just the right amount of resistance as you turn it.
Manual Aperture Ring (Nikon version) – This isn’t something unique to the Otus lenses and is something you'll find on the Milvus, Loxia, Classic and ZM ZEISS lenses. If you're someone who prefers having this then you will have it for the Nikon version of this lens. The Canon version is controlled electronically.
T Coating* - ZEISS lenses are popular for this coating, which reduces lens flare drastically and enhances overall performance of the lens. Whether it’s a filter or lens with this coating you’ll notice the difference from having it vs a lens or filter that doesn’t. It’s always very effective and really brings more contrast to your images. There are times when I do want to have a little bit of lens flare, but the coating of these lenses is so good that it’s sometimes hard to do. The irony!
Image Quality/Color – Just as with any ZEISS the color and sharpness are great quality, but these lenses are that and much more! It's hard to even describe just how detailed and vibrant the images from this lens is! You will be able to see the quality of these lenses with just about any camera, but high resolution cameras, like the Nikon D810 or Sony Alpha 1 will take full advantage of this lens and offer the most stunning images you've ever seen! I should warn you that once you try an Otus lens you might not want to ever part with it. Once you see the possibilities of what your images can look like you would find everything else inferior to this. Grant it, the price may be the factor that brings you back to reality, but I'm certain you'll really think long and hard on it, even with the price!
Size/Weight – Unlike its other siblings the Otus 55mm happens to be the smallest and lightest lens of the four. This has a 77mm filter thread, which is in line with other lenses in this focal length that are also 72 or 77 in size. This will make it more of an option for photographers, as it's not excessive in size and weight and has the leg up on quality against any lens in this range.

Shot with Sony Alpha 1

What is there to dislike about the Otus 55mm?

Weather Sealing - At $4,000 one may assume that this lens has everything, but unfortunately this lens does not offer any weather sealing. I feel this isn't something many may have issue with on the 100mm, as it's not a focal length many may utilize for landscapes. If you should however, then just be mindful of that. For some this may be the one factor that deters people from considering this lens. If you're one of those then look at the family of lenses below this, Milvus, which are also designed for the Canon EF and Nikon F mounts.

Shot with Sony Alpha 1

What about using the Otus 55mm for video?

You can certainly bet that if these lenses are the best for stills then video will be more of the same. At the end of this blog you'll find a video I recently produced, with the other three lenses in the Otus family and paired them with the new Sony Alpha 1 camera. All of the clips in that video were unedited, that way you can really see the true power of these lenses!

Remember, these are larger and heavier lenses and may not be the best option for certain video setups, but they definitely do deliver some incredible visuals. The Otus 55mm is the lightest lens of the family, therefore it may be the lens that most will consider first for any video applications.

Shot with Sony Alpha 9

Is Otus needed if I have other ZEISS lenses?

I've been asked this question quite a lot lately and the real answer is that it depends solely on you and the kind of work you're looking to obtain. I certainly don't expect an amateur or hobbyist to obtain these lenses and really see these being for those who have many of these flagship cameras that are out today, such as the Canon R5, Nikon D810 and Sony Alpha 1 cameras and want to pair their top of the line cameras with lenses that match their quality and capabilities.

If you own any of the other lines, such as Loxia, Milvus or Batis then it's up to you if you just want to add these lenses just to add them, or you're wanting to reserve specific work for these lenses then go right ahead. Optically the other family of lenses are still amazing quality lenses and will do majority of people perfectly fine. As a person who owns almost at least one lens in all of the ZEISS families I can truthfully tell you that you probably won't miss "not" having an Otus lens, but it certainly is nice to have one!

There's an abundance of lenses out there in this focal length and you're certain to be happy with those options, especially with all of them being more affordable than the 55mm, like the lenses mentioned at the beginning of this review. If you're a Nikon or Canon user then the ZEISS Milvus 1.4/50mm will probably be fine for most. If you're a Sony user then you have several other native ZEISS options at your disposal. It's really up to you on what you feel is best suited for you. What would my answer be if someone asked me which lens would I choose? I would say I'm fine with my Sony/ZEISS 55mm and ZEISS Loxia 50mm lenses. Those do me very well in that range, as opposed to the longer range, where the Otus 100mm would always be my top choice! 55mm isn't as important for me and I feel what's available in that range I already have some quality ZEISS optics I'm happy with.

Shot with Sony Alpha 1

Conclusion: Who is/isn’t this for?

If you have a love for manual focusing lenses and have the money to spend or already own top of the line cameras, then $3,990 USD doesn't matter to you. You may be someone who's commissioned to do a lot of high profile work and may require the best possible gear. This lens should be something you consider for that.

I certainly don't see anyone who's starting out or not generating income from photography obtaining this lens. It's really the pinnacle of lenses and something many look to being able to afford, whether they have a desire to obtain this lens or not. Don't feel like your imagery won't be great without these lenses. The other family of lenses are great to own as well and there are many options that are still stellar performing lenses.