RustyRus wrote:
Is there really a market for Gigantic Zeiss Otus lenses on Sony bodies today? Optics are great- So is all of the Sony GM lenses for cheaper and smaller-
I just couldn't see many people shelling out money for a massive lens, that is 12 years old at this point for what gains?
I completely agree. Maybe they are looking at the new Nikon Z-mount lineup of prestige lenses and thinking the market will gladly buy GIGANTIC optics. At least the new Z lenses are autofocus (mostly) and designed for that mount with all the upgrades/gains that have been made in design over the last decade+
My question is: who will the manufacturer be? Cosina...or a someone else entirely?
johnvanr wrote:
In my blogging days I tested most Otus lenses. I loved their rendering, but could never see myself buying any of those enormous lenses. Still can’t.
Maybe they are all new?
A set of f2.0 or f2.8 Otuses?
(Although the Apo-Lanthars have occupied the f2.0 space …)
The 28 and 55 still my favorite, I used them as 1.4 t/s lenses with the Nikon adapter. If they can make the 28 1.4 more compact it would be a dream. So much exciting news lately.
_jim_ wrote:
I completely agree. Maybe they are looking at the new Nikon Z-mount lineup of prestige lenses and thinking the market will gladly buy GIGANTIC optics. At least the new Z lenses are autofocus (mostly) and designed for that mount with all the upgrades/gains that have been made in design over the last decade+
My question is: who will the manufacturer be? Cosina...or a someone else entirely?
Cosina I imagine.
Would be awkward to provide Otus lenses from two different manufacturers …
This is interesting, but I wish it wasn't just E mount. I doubt we'd ever get the CP.2 changeable mount in a consumer/prosumer lens, but one can hope.
Aside from that, I wish they weren't so monstrously large. I totally get the performance, and MF-size, but way too large and heavy. I say that having previously owned the 55 and used it on an A7r. I was operating and handling the lens, with a camera stuck to it on one end.
This is exciting. I, too hope it's not just changing the lens mount but even if it is it's still good to have Zeiss getting involved in 2025. Plus having mechanically manual focus lenses in a native mount is never a bad thing, IMO.
johnvanr wrote:
In my blogging days I tested most Otus lenses. I loved their rendering, but could never see myself buying any of those enormous lenses. Still can’t.
Knut. wrote:
Maybe they are all new?
A set of f2.0 or f2.8 Otuses?
(Although the Apo-Lanthars have occupied the f2.0 space …)
I suspect if they are Otus lenses (owls), they'll be at least f/1.4.
But it would be interesting to see a new set of medium speed, high performance, compact Zeiss lenses. The world of lenses has moved on somewhat since the Loxia line was released.
If this comes to pass, the goal was and should be:
21mm f/1.4 (Zeiss has a great history with quality 21mm primes)
28mm f/1.4 (needed IMO)
40mm f/1.4 (perhaps 38? probably would still be called a 40)
55mm f/1.4 (the actual best 50-ish Zeiss has made to date)
85mm f/1.4 (exceptional from the previous series)
100mm f/1.4 (I would prefer 115 or 125 personally)
I'd personally cap it at 6 lenses in the set and would swap 100mm for something a smidge longer to give more reason to grab the 85mm and whatever that focal length would be.
Full disclosure, format Zeiss Ambassador, these are the same notes I provided last decade on the Otus primes and was/is what I was hoping for all along. The Supremes, cinema glass, received a lot of love that I feel would have been directed towards Otus, but we are now in a mirrorless world and fresh designs are likely worthwhile.
That said, on a more technical note, I do hope they cover 46.31mm diagonal/image circle as that was one of the reasons I was able to use the previous Otus primes for motion picture production.
p.2 #10 · ZEISS Otus ML line officially announced!
My guess is that Zeiss sees an opportunity to make some money without too much of an effort. I don't expect anything more than the original Otus designs but now with an E-mount meaning size, weight and optics will be the same. It is a bit sad, or would be, and I'm hope I'm wrong.
p.2 #12 · ZEISS Otus ML line officially announced!
In fast-moving business sectors, you must run just to keep pace with the competition. Zeiss collapsed on the track almost a decade back. No one will pay Otus prices for ultra heavy 85/100mm f1.4 lenses in 2025. Are the decision-makers who commissioned the ZX-1 still in place?
New right-sized character lenses or hit the road, Jack. They have form, their PR is good so best to be wary. Talk is cheap, deeds are precious.
They could do very well in the current climate by re-releasing some of their great late 20C lenses (a la Leica lenses), but that would take the kind of management we associate with Cosina and the wave of Chinese/Japanese makers these days. I don't fancy their (our) chances. They have gone cine and other modern optical avenues.
p.2 #13 · ZEISS Otus ML line officially announced!
philip_pj wrote:
They have gone cine and other modern optical avenues.
That's something that came to my mind too. Those Nano Primes they have in their line-up do look like a strong blue-print for the way forward in their stills catalog, but that might just be me.
One way or another it's going to be hard for Zeiss to match the expectations out there.
p.2 #15 · ZEISS Otus ML line officially announced!
I don’t think Zeiss would just change the mount and the flange distance. If this rumor is real these will be designed for mirrorless. Will they be autofocus? That probably depends on how small they can make the total package. I’d expect them to be big for mirrorless so maybe not to maintain a reasonable size.
I’d love to see a new reference set of lenses for E mount. 21, 28, 40, 85, 100.
p.2 #18 · ZEISS Otus ML line officially announced!
philip_pj wrote:
In fast-moving business sectors, you must run just to keep pace with the competition. Zeiss collapsed on the track almost a decade back. No one will pay Otus prices for ultra heavy 85/100mm f1.4 lenses in 2025. Are the decision-makers who commissioned the ZX-1 still in place?
New right-sized character lenses or hit the road, Jack. They have form, their PR is good so best to be wary. Talk is cheap, deeds are precious.
They could do very well in the current climate by re-releasing some of their great late 20C lenses (a la Leica lenses), but that would take the kind of management we associate with Cosina and the wave of Chinese/Japanese makers these days. I don't fancy their (our) chances. They have gone cine and other modern optical avenues....Show more →
I think there is a segment of customers who don't care about size. Look at the size and price of Nikon's new f1.2 primes - they are not cheap and huge. An Otus lens even with just an adapter is right at home on a Nikon Z8.
As for price, I think somewhere between Nikon f1.2 and Leica SL pricing can probably be credibly supported as long as the lenses are made in Japan or Germany.
p.2 #19 · ZEISS Otus ML line officially announced!
tzhang4284 wrote:
I think there is a segment of customers who don't care about size. Look at the size and price of Nikon's new f1.2 primes - they are not cheap and huge. An Otus lens even with just an adapter is right at home on a Nikon Z8.
As for price, I think somewhere between Nikon f1.2 and Leica SL pricing can probably be credibly supported as long as the lenses are made in Japan or Germany.
The Nikon stuff has Autofocus
Also, No way I am buying a 35 1.2 as big as that monsters either!!! I feel like wait a few months, they are gonna be all over the buy/sell forum due to the size.
