Zeiss Otus 100mm F1.4 – Canon EF

With its new Otus 1.4/100, ZEISS has expanded the tried and tested Otus family to include a new telephoto focal length. The ZEISS Otus 1.4/100 is one of the best lenses in its class due to its low sample variation, outstanding imaging performance, and superior build quality.

With the same uncompromising performance that makes all Otus lenses stand out, the ZEISS Otus 1.4/100 is a truly exceptional lens. A lens that is a reflection of the comprehensive expertise and extensive experience of ZEISS.

Although developed for 35 mm full-frame cameras, the Otus® 1.4/100 gives you the quality and look of a medium-format system.

Whether in the studio or on location, this lens stands out in every situation thanks to its high resolution and excellent sharpness – even at the maximum aperture of f/1.4.

Whether portrait or product photography, the bokeh will impress you. The apochromatic lens design with aspherical lenses and special glass prevents almost all conceivable aberrations. In addition, the high-quality coating keeps the contrast high, even when shooting against the light, and minimizes lens flare.

A lens with relatively few glass-air surfaces, it was developed by Dr. Ludwig Bertele at ZEISS in 1930. At the time it was one of the fastest high-speed lenses for 35 mm photography, with apertures as large as 1:1.5 and high contrast thanks to effective stray light reduction. Its high speed and high contrast helped give the lens its name, which is derived from the word “sun,” the symbol of maximum brightness. You continue to find the aforementioned benefits with modern lenses in the normal and telephoto ranges whose optical design is based on this basic type.

Apochromat

Because this lens is an apochromat, chromatic aberrations (axial chromatic aberrations) are corrected with elements of special glass with anomalous partial dispersion. The chromatic aberrations are therefore significantly below the defined limits. Bright-dark transitions in the image, and especially highlights, are reproduced almost completely free of colour artefacts.

The ultimate in image contrast

Aberrations caused by extreme differences between shadows and highlights are particularly obvious in images captured at night. Thanks to the outstanding correction of lateral chromatic aberration, the floodlit facade is reproduced with absolute perfection.

No colour fringing

Sources of light located in front of or behind the plane of focus present particular challenges to every lens. In the case of the ZEISS Otus, longitudinal chromatic aberration is so low that practically no colour fringing occurs.

The medium format look

Thanks to its exceptional sharpness, the ZEISS Otus exploits the full potentials of contemporary high-resolution sensors and rewards photographers with images characterised by breath-taking rendition of even the finest details.

Aspherical design

The aspherical lens design ensures consistent imaging performance throughout the entire focusing range as well as sharpness to the periphery of the image. The asphere’s more complex surface profile can reduce or eliminate spherical aberration and also reduce other optical aberrations compared to a simple lens.