Where details count in wide-angle photography, the Otus 1.4/28 for DSLR cameras with F- and EF-mount is the lens of choice.

The Otus 1.4/28 shows off its strengths particularly in landscape and nature photography. Even with a maximum aperture, the corners of the image are completely usable, so there are no limits to composition. In poor light combined with fast-moving objects, the lens also doesn’t break a sweat – thanks to its high speed of f/1.4. While other lenses reveal their shortcomings in correction in night photography, especially when lots of open light sources dominate an image, the ZEISS Otus 1.4/28 boasts a stellar performance. Finally, the latest member of the ZEISS Otus family is excellent for taking pictures of image elements in the foreground, as they take on a greater feeling of depth to the scene due to the wide background and the open aperture; here, the lens’s harmonious bokeh ensures a 3D effect.

For professional photographers

Inner focusing, a dial window and yellow labeling of the dials for easy legibility designate the Otus 1.4/28 as a lens, developed to meet the high demands of professional photographers. The mechanical quality also impresses: the soft focus operation with the large rotation angle allows for the finest variations when focusing – something that is only possible with a metal construction. In every focusing situation, the user is given freedom to compose – one of the most important creative factors in photography. An artistic tool is literally put in the photographer’s hands. With its robust all-metal barrel and easy-to-grip focus ring, the Otus 1.4/28 is also well suited for a photographer’s demanding everyday work.

With high image contrast all the way into the edges of the image – already at an open aperture of f/1.4 – the Otus 1.4/28 demonstrates its optical brilliance. At all distances it offers consistent performance (minimum working distance of 0.15 m), highly detailed images without any bothersome artifacts, and a neutral bokeh in the background.

“With these features the ZEISS Otus lenses set themselves apart from the other ZEISS SLR lenses, such as the ZEISS Milvus family, which we recently presented,” said Christophe Casenave, Product Manager with ZEISS Camera Lenses.

See high-res pictures on Flickr.

Intricate construction for uncompromising imaging performance

A view inside the lens reveals how such optical excellence is achieved: The lens consists of 16 elements in 13 groups. One of the lens elements has an aspheric optical surface and one element is aspheric on both sides. Eight other lens elements are made of special glass. The basis of the optical design is a Distagon. The special glass has anomalous partial dispersion, as is typical for an apochromatic lens. This corrects the longitudinal chromatic aberrations superbly, which therefore lie considerably below the tightly defined boundaries. Bright-dark transitions in the image, in particular highlights, are depicted almost completely free of color artifacts. The floating elements design (the change of distances between certain lens elements when focusing) allows for unrivalled imaging performance along the entire focusing range, from 0.3 m to infinity.

The ZEISS Otus lens family

When ZEISS introduced the ZEISS Otus 1.4/55 in 2013, creating a new family of high-end SLR lenses, the trade press and users alike were enthusiastic. The ZEISS Otus 1.4/55 has exceeded its promises up to this day. The second member of the family, the ZEISS Otus 1.4/85, which was presented at photokina 2014, continued this success story in the short telephoto range. It enables photographers to express their creativity in a unique way – and that with the unsurpassed high imaging performance for which the lenses in the ZEISS Otus family are known.

“The ZEISS Otus 1.4/28 continues the tradition of its lens family. It is the best wide-angle that has ever existed. Now we can offer three outstanding lenses for the widest variety of applications,” added Casenave.

Price and availability

The Otus 1.4/28 ZF.2 and Otus 1.4/28 ZE will be available worldwide starting in the second quarter of 2016. The lens shade is included with delivery. The retail sales price is unknown to date.

Further information and technical data:

www.zeiss.com/otus

“Since the Sony α7 series has been stirring up the photography market, the calls for a powerful super wide-angle lens were growing ever louder. For many photographers such a lens is the missing tool in their gear. ZEISS is now meeting that demand with the Loxia 2.8/21,” said Christophe Casenave, Product Manager at ZEISS Camera Lenses.

The Loxia 2.8/21 offers trusted features that combine traditional photography and modern technology. Lens data (EXIF) and focus movements are transmitted by the electronic interface. If desired by the photographer, this activates the magnifying function of the camera. For the sophisticated photographer who does not want to leave all the work to the camera, there are many opportunities to compose thanks to the lens’s precise manual focusing with end stop and the mechanical setting of the aperture (aperture priority mode for the working aperture). As a result, photographers can take advantage of all the possibilities offered by modern compact system cameras with an electronic viewfinder.

Optimal for different types of use

With an angular field exceeding 91 degrees (diagonal) on a full-frame camera, nature, landscape and architectural photography are the specialty of the Loxia 2.8/21. An exact infinity setting is a critical factor particularly in landscape photography. Here, the precise manual focusing of the ZEISS Loxia 2.8/21 supports the user enormously. Furthermore, the lens enables creative, naturally proportioned images with a low minimum object distance of just 0.25 meters. Because of its compact construction and the low weight, the Loxia 2.8/21 is also the perfect choice for travel and street photography.

You can find the high-res photos taken with ZEISS Loxia 2.8/21 on Flickr.

ZEISS Loxia lenses for video

The mechanical deactivation of the aperture click stop for infinite aperture settings (de-click), which already came with the Loxia 2/35 and Loxia 2/50, is also found in the new Loxia super wide angle. This gives ambitious videographers once again a tool that offers optimum creative potential. In addition, the smooth focus operation with a rotation angle of 90 degrees allows for fine variations when focusing video cameras with E-mount, such as the Sony PXW-FS7 or PXW-FS5. “The identical external diameter of the ZEISS Loxia lenses across all focal lengths additionally simplifies the changing of lenses during shoots, so accessories like a follow focus don’t need to be readjusted,” added Casenave.

Newest optical design with robust construction

Specially developed for digital sensors, the newly calculated Loxia 2.8/21 consist of 11 lens elements in nine groups. The underlying optical design is a Distagon type. High resolution along the entire image field, low distortion and color fringing, and an appealing bokeh – especially at the maximum aperture of f/2.8 – round out the exceptional features of this lens.

 “It’s a small jewel offering outstanding optical performance,”

said Casenave, summarizing the qualities of the Loxia 2.8/21.

As is usual, the impressive mechanical quality and robust barrel are also part of the excellent features of the new Loxia. Made entirely of metal, the barrel protects the lens and can withstand the rugged everyday situations that professional photographers face, thereby ensuring a long product life. Like the other Loxia lenses, the filter diameter is 52 mm. Finally, a special weather protection on the lens mount protects the lens from spray getting between the camera and lens.

Price and availability

The Loxia 2.8/21 will be available worldwide starting December 2015. The lens shade is included with delivery. The recommended retail price is USD 1,499 (excl. VAT) or EUR 1,259.66 (excl. VAT).*

Further information and technical data:

www.zeiss.com/loxia

* Status 12.10.2015