ZEISS has confirmed the fourth addition to its Otus stable of optics, the ZEISS Otus 1.4/100. Details of the new lens had already leaked, and the company announced last year that the lens would be on the way.
Designed for users of Canon and Nikon full-frame DSLRs, but compatible with those companies' latest full-frame mirrorless models via adapters, the lens offers a 100mm focal length and a maximum aperture of f/1.4.
It will also mount on APS-C DSLRs from the same manufacturers, whereupon its effective focal length increases to around 150-160mm, depending the body used.
It arrives with many grand claims that include low sample variation, outstanding imaging performance and superior build quality. More specifically, it promises outstanding correction of longitudinal chromatic aberration – a particular bugbear with wide-aperture lenses of this sort – while similar claims are made with regards to control over lateral chromatic aberration.
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The 14-element/11-group lens is constructed with a Sonnar optical design that prioritizes wide aperture and high contrast (the word Sonnar being derived from the word 'sun'). It makes use of many elements with anomalous partial dispersion, together with a number of aspherical surfaces, while a floating design has been employed to keep aberration control consistent regardless of focusing distance.
The optic joins the existing 1.4/28mm, 1.4/55mm and 1.4/85mm options in the Otus line, with the lenses sharing many features, including nine aperture blades for rounded bokeh and manual focus-only operation. With a weight of 1,405g, the new lens just beats the 1.4/28mm to become the heaviest in the series.
ZEISS hasn't announced any pricing information for the new lens, nor when it will be available, but to keep us salivating for now, the company has published some sample images taken with the new lens on its official website.