Zeiss Otus ML 85mm f/1.4 Review: A Costly Decision

Chris Niccolls

Zeiss is a famous and prestigious name in the world of optics, and it is very willing to partner with other brands to bring the weight of its name to the table. So often we see the Zeiss name attached to Sony products, Vivo smartphones, Contax cameras, and Cosina optics, to name a few brands, both past and present.

Buy the Zeiss Otus ML 85mm f/1.4 new on Amazon.comBuy the Zeiss Otus ML 85mm f/1.4 used on KEH.com

But it’s not often that we see dedicated products released solely under the Zeiss brand, but Zeiss recently came out with a 50mm f/1.4 dedicated mirrorless lens under the illustrious Otus line.

A close-up photo of a black camera lens with yellow distance and aperture markings, set against a dark background. The lens stands upright on a grid-patterned surface.
The Zeiss Otus 85mm is a large and heavy optic.

If I’m being completely honest, I was a little underwhelmed by the 50mm because of its distressing price-to-performance ratio. However, the 85mm Otus f/1.4 ML is on the market now and I am diving into this latest offering hoping for a better experience.

Close-up of a camera lens with the text " Otus ML 1.4/85 Z 51811585 Made in Japan" printed in yellow on the black lens barrel against a dark background.
The 85mm f/1.4 provides a lot of light, and proves to be good wide open.
Close-up of a black camera lens featuring the blue and white ZEISS logo, with fine texture and ridges visible on the lens barrel against a dark background.
T* coatings and the famous blue badge are all present on this latest mirrorless portrait lens.

Zeiss Otus 85mm f/1.4 ML Review: How It Feels

The new Otus line carries the same attention to build quality that Zeiss optics are famous for with precision metal construction and rugged weather-sealing. However, the mirrorless design does allow for a slightly more compact structure and less weight than the Otus line previously delivered. Despite this fact, the Otus 85mm is still a pretty bulky chunk of metal to carry around, with a 77mm filter diameter and a portly 37.43 ounces (1061 grams) in the Nikon Z-mount version that I tested.

Close-up of the rear side of a camera lens showing the metal mount, electronic contacts, and glass elements, set against a dark, blurred background.
Zeiss know how to make a lens that is solid and sealed well.
A person holds a black camera lens with yellow markings and numbers. The lens features a wide focus ring, and blurred greenery is visible in the background.
It’s hard to justify the extra weight until you consider that the lens corrects most faults with good old fashioned optical design.

Part of the heavier weight is due to the solid metal construction and that even starts with the hood. The bayonet-style hood is all metal and has flock lining to prevent reflections. There is a massive manual focusing ring with an incredibly well-damped tension to it. It’s important to point out that the lens throw is extreme, with manual focusing from near to far requiring a full 360-degree turn to complete. This provides accurate and measured focusing but can be a pain if you need to focus with a major distance change.

A close-up of a Zeiss camera lens, Apo Sonnar 1.4/85, placed on a patterned surface with a lens cap nearby, set against a dark, blurred background.
77mm filters are standard on the Zeiss Otus.

There is an indexed aperture ring which has forced click-stops from f/1.4 to f/16. I like the etched and painted numbering on the lens and the weather-sealing around the lens mount. Zeiss certainly knows how to make a lens feel solid and prestigious when it comes to the design and build quality.

Close-up of a black camera lens showing detailed focus and aperture markings in yellow, with sharp grooves on the focus ring and a blurred dark background.
The aperture ring is indexed properly, and the etched numbers and painted lettering is all immaculate.

Zeiss Otus 85mm f/1.4 Review: How It Shoots

Let’s start with the famous Zeiss T* coatings that have been in use for decades. They do a good job of preventing flare from causing issues with the lens, at least as far as maintaining good contrast when shooting at bright light sources. There is a bit of ghosting visible at f/1.4 though, and this color cast remains when the aperture is stopped down.

Sunlight filters through blurry green foliage, creating a soft, glowing effect. A dark vertical pole stands in the right foreground, partially in shadow. The overall image has a dreamy, out-of-focus appearance.
Ghosting can be an issue even if contrast is well-maintained.

I was happy to see a lack of any distinct chromatic aberrations (CA). The 50mm Otus suffered from some obvious color aberrations, but the 85mm is incredibly clean. There are no longitudinal chromatic aberrations (LoCA) at f/1.4 that would cause any issues in post production. The Zeiss Otus lenses are designed to correct for issues like CA and distortion without resorting to digital corrections afterward, requiring serious optical engineering and precision. At a time when most lenses use digital corrections to allow for more compact lens designs, this engineering required has to be appreciated in the Otus lenses.

A group of people walk along the top of a large steel bridge structure with beams and railings, set against a clear blue sky.
Chromatic aberrations and LoCA are not an issue on this particular lens design.

Sharpness is very good, with excellent detail throughout the image at f/1.4. There is some vignetting present in the corners when shooting wide open but this all goes away after closing down the lens a couple of aperture stops. There is no dreamy haze or softness to the contrast when shooting at f/1.4 which I did find present in the 50mm version. The 85mm really reminds me of the Zeiss lenses of the past which provided a sharp and contrasty image at any aperture.

Side-by-side comparison of two test charts featuring currency and a radial pattern, labeled f/1.4 on the left and f/2.8 on the right, showing differences in sharpness and contrast at each aperture.
Center sharpness is great at f/1.4. This is a sharp optic.
Side-by-side comparison of two photos of a test chart with a Canadian dollar bill, one labeled f/1.4 (left) and the other f/2.8 (right), showing differences in sharpness and clarity. A red leaf is partially visible at the bottom right.
Corners have some vignetting but the results are still very good.
A person with a backpack walks past a tattoo shop on a sloped street; a person sits inside the shop while another works, and graffiti covers the door and window. The scene is in black and white.
There is plenty of detail present in the images from this 85mm lens.

Black and white portrait of a person with platinum blonde hair, dramatic eyeliner, nose piercings, hoop earrings, and a neck tattoo reading "11:11." They are gazing upward with a thoughtful expression, hand resting on their face.

A mural of a woman's face painted in shades of blue on a brick wall, with peeling paint revealing patches of the underlying surface. Blue flowers and detailed features highlight the expressive portrait.

Bokeh is also quite pleasant-looking, with soft transitions between areas of focus. This is largely thanks to the clean specular highlights and lack of strong soap bubble effect. There was a very slight onion ring look to the highlights but this isn’t strong enough to cause issues, and I felt the overall look to the bokeh was smooth and natural.

Bright neon circles in blue, red, orange, green, and white overlap against a dark background, with orange bokeh lights scattered throughout, creating an abstract and vibrant composition.
Bokeh is quite clean, with good softness and rendering of the out-of-focus backgrounds.

A woman in a red leather jacket and blue jeans stands at a brightly lit food truck menu at night, holding her phone and a card, appearing to make a selection. There are posts with ropes forming a line.

A person stands near a white picket fence at night, illuminated by blue and purple lighting, looking at a smartphone. A blue wall and window are in the background.

A man stands alone on a narrow sidewalk next to a graffiti-covered wall under an overpass in black and white; light filters in from the left, casting shadows along the alley.

I did find the Zeiss 85mm to have a fair amount of lens breathing, which causes the field of view to change quite dramatically as the focus is moved from near to far. Using this lens for video work makes sense given its interesting character and buttery-smooth manual focusing, but the lens breathing could be quite distracting.

A woman wearing glasses and a pineapple-print dress smiles while serving drinks at a colorful outdoor bar. A sign advertises a new piña colada flavor, and various drinks are displayed in clear dispensers.

A black and white photo of a tall building façade, viewed at an angle, with repeating vertical columns and rows of small protruding shades beneath each window, creating a geometric, rhythmic pattern.

Shadows of tree branches fall across a corrugated metal roof, with purple jacaranda blossoms and tree limbs visible above and behind the roof.

Zeiss Otus 85mm f/1.4 Review: High Quality for a High Price

I really enjoyed the images that came out of the Zeiss 85mm Otus lens. It looks and shoots like the prestigious Otus lenses that I remember from the DSLR days. However, the downsides are pretty serious, and have to be factored in to the equation. I did find the lens overly heavy and bulky when walking around. In the studio, this would obviously be less of an issue, but I didn’t enjoy the experience of walking around with it as much. The manual focus experience is really nice, but of course, many users will quickly miss the option for quick autofocusing.

A man with short black hair and a trimmed beard poses against a blurred background, wearing a dark t-shirt layered with a light denim shirt. He looks slightly to the side with a neutral expression.
Zakari Kah was kind enough to pose for a quick portrait session.

A person with curly brown hair, bold red lipstick, gold hoop nose ring, and gold earrings, wearing a white sleeveless top, looks confidently at the camera against a dark background.

A man with short hair and slight facial hair looks over his shoulder at the camera. The background is blurred with large, circular bokeh lights, creating an artistic and dramatic effect. The photo is in black and white.

Finally, the lens is very expensive at just shy of $3,000, and there are also many excellent alternatives available. As good as the Zeiss 85mm Otus is, it makes little sense from a practical standpoint, except for the users who specifically want the manual focusing experience, and who also want to avoid a lens that relies on digital corrections in camera. I feel like the demand for this lens is going to be small indeed, but for those who relish the idea of the Zeiss Otus line, the 85mm will bring them much joy.

A group of people sit on stools at an outdoor patio at night, under string lights. Two couples sit close together and two children sit nearby, looking out over the railing towards a dark, softly-lit landscape.

A woman with a stroller and a man stand in shadow beneath large geometric stone columns, with dramatic light and angular shadows creating a striking urban scene.

A man with short hair and a beard looks seriously at the camera. The black and white photo has dramatic lighting, casting shadows on half of his face, and he wears a collared shirt over a t-shirt.

Are There Alternatives?

In the Nikon Z mount, the Nikkor 85mm f/1.2 S is an exceptionally good lens, which also provides more light for less money, and at roughly the same weight. Sony E-mount offers even more choices. The G Master 85mm f/1.4 II is much lighter, optically amazing, and only two-thirds of the total price. Or go for the Sigma 85mm f/1.4 Art and save a ton of weight, and even more money. The exorbitant price of the Zeiss unfortunately pits it against some excellent alternatives.

Buy the Nikkor 85mm f/1.2 S new on Amazon.comBuy the Nikkor 85mm f/1.2 S used on KEH.com
Buy the Sigma 85mm f/1.4 DG DN Art new on Amazon.comBuy the Sigma 85mm f/1.4 DG DN Art used on KEH.com

A person walks on a sidewalk next to a brick wall, casting a shadow. A tree and two parking signs are also visible, with the tree's shadow stretching across the wall. The image is in black and white.

A man with long brown hair and light stubble wears a colorful cap and a yellow shirt with a handwritten name tag that says "Hi, my name is Glen" and a quote about lavender, milk, an orange, and laughter.

Close-up of green palm fronds with soft sunlight highlighting the leaves; blurred background features round orange lights and indistinct shapes.

Should You Buy It?

Maybe. This is a really tough sell for most people. Only those who highly value the look and feel of this manual focus lens will appreciate its uniqueness.

Buy the Zeiss Otus ML 85mm f/1.4 new on Amazon.comBuy the Zeiss Otus ML 85mm f/1.4 used on KEH.com

,
, , , , , , , , , ,
PetaPixel articles may include affiliate links; if you buy something through such a link, PetaPixel may earn a commission.
Related Articles
Two black camera lenses with yellow marking details stand on a stone surface. The background features a soft-focus landscape with mountains and a clear sky. Zeiss’ Otus ML Lenses Promise Photographers Something Entirely Different
Two black camera lenses with yellow marking details stand on a stone surface. The background features a soft-focus landscape with mountains and a clear sky. A Closer Look at the Zeiss Otus ML 50mm f/1.4 and 85mm f/1.4 Lenses and Their Unique Promises
A hand holding a black camera lens with yellow markings and numbers, against a blurred background with green leaves and natural light. You Can Finally Get Your Hands on the Zeiss Otus ML 85mm f/1.4
Review: The Zeiss Otus 85mm f/1.4 is a Stellar Prime Lens for Portraits
Discussion