Conclusion

The Zeiss Otus 85mm f/1.4 Planar T* is simply a superb prime lens for portrait photographers looking for the ultimate in image quality. You’d expect sharpness to be high across both the frame and aperture range from such a premium optic, and it doesn’t disappoint. In conjunction with the new Canon EOS 5Ds test camera shooting at 50 megapixel resolution, detail is exceptionally detailed and sharp. Shooting at the maximum f/1.4 aperture does reveal a minor reduction in sharpness compared to the rest of the aperture range, but the image is already pin-sharp by f/1.8.

The Zeiss Otus 85mm f/1.4 Planar T* is also a pleasure to use, thanks to its superb build quality and smooth focus ring. As this is a manual-focus only lens, you'd expect this aspect of the operation to be intuitive, and so it proved, although the Canon EOS 5Ds isn't really geared up for accurate manual focusing.

There is only really one drawback to the Zeiss Otus 85mm f/1.4 Planar T* - yes, you've guessed it, the price. £3299.99 / €3360.50 / $4490 is an incredible amount of money to pay for any lens, even one as good as this. If you shoot enough portraits to justify the cost, though, and you can learn to love the manual-focus only nature of the lens, the Zeiss Otus 85mm f/1.4 Planar T* is a superb choice for full-frame DSLR owners that’s capable of truly stunning results.

Ratings (out of 5)
Design	5
Features	4
Ease-of-use	4
Image quality	5
Value for money	4