Zeiss 85mm f/1.4 Otus ZE for Canon
ZEISS Otus 1.4/85 The best short tele lens in the world. The Otus 1.4/85 is a superlative lens in every respect - just like every other focal length in the unique ZEISS Otus family. A lens designed and constructed with the comprehensive expertise and vast experience of ZEISS. Features in portraits and finest details in textures are not the only things reproduced in perfect quality by the Otus 1.4/85. Its extremely large initial aperture is simply ideal for isolating subjects from their backgrounds. At the same time, the Otus 1.4/85 is far more than a portrait lens. Take advantage of its high speed for available light photography, its moderate angle of view for landscapes or its close focusing distance for reproductions. The optical correction of the Otus 1.4/85 completely eliminates almost all possible forms of aberration - and makes every picture you take as exciting as the first, even after thousands of exposures.
ZEISS Otus 1.4/85 The best short tele lens in the world. The Otus 1.4/85 is a superlative lens in every respect - just like every other focal length in the unique ZEISS Otus family. A lens designed and constructed with the comprehensive expertise and vast experience of ZEISS. Features in portraits and finest details in textures are not the only things reproduced in perfect quality by the Otus 1.4/85. Its extremely large initial aperture is simply ideal for isolating subjects from their backgrounds. At the same time, the Otus 1.4/85 is far more than a portrait lens. Take advantage of its high speed for available light photography, its moderate angle of view for landscapes or its close focusing distance for reproductions. The optical correction of the Otus 1.4/85 completely eliminates almost all possible forms of aberration - and makes every picture you take as exciting as the first, even after thousands of exposures.
ZEISS Otus 1.4/85 The best short tele lens in the world. The Otus 1.4/85 is a superlative lens in every respect - just like every other focal length in the unique ZEISS Otus family. A lens designed and constructed with the comprehensive expertise and vast experience of ZEISS. Features in portraits and finest details in textures are not the only things reproduced in perfect quality by the Otus 1.4/85. Its extremely large initial aperture is simply ideal for isolating subjects from their backgrounds. At the same time, the Otus 1.4/85 is far more than a portrait lens. Take advantage of its high speed for available light photography, its moderate angle of view for landscapes or its close focusing distance for reproductions. The optical correction of the Otus 1.4/85 completely eliminates almost all possible forms of aberration - and makes every picture you take as exciting as the first, even after thousands of exposures.
ZEISS Otus 1.4/85 The best short tele lens in the world. The Otus 1.4/85 is a superlative lens in every respect - just like every other focal length in the unique ZEISS Otus family. A lens designed and constructed with the comprehensive expertise and vast experience of ZEISS. Features in portraits and finest details in textures are not the only things reproduced in perfect quality by the Otus 1.4/85. Its extremely large initial aperture is simply ideal for isolating subjects from their backgrounds. At the same time, the Otus 1.4/85 is far more than a portrait lens. Take advantage of its high speed for available light photography, its moderate angle of view for landscapes or its close focusing distance for reproductions. The optical correction of the Otus 1.4/85 completely eliminates almost all possible forms of aberration - and makes every picture you take as exciting as the first, even after thousands of exposures.
in 4 offers
The lowest price for Zeiss 85mm f/1.4 Otus ZE for Canon right now is $2,999.95 at Ted's Cameras, compared across 4 retailers.
The all-time low was $2,902.00 on 3 May 2026 — today's price is 3% above the lowest ever. This is at or near its all-time low — a good time to buy.
Prices last updated 30 June 2026.
Last updated at 30/06/2026 04:41:18
Zeiss Otus 85mm f1.4 - Canon | Secondhand
Free delivery
Zeiss Otus 85mm F1.4 ZE EOS Mount Lens Zeiss Camera Lens - Best For Portrait Photography
Free delivery between Thu – Fri
Zeiss 85mm f/1.4 Otus ZE for Canon
Delivery $9.90
Zeiss Otus 85mm f/1.4 ZE for Canon
Free delivery
originally posted on bhphotovideo.com
Yes, it has incredible resolution and contrast. You can find specs on this and reviews elsewhere. However, having used the lens for three months now, the most significant feature of the lens which puts it head and shoulders above other fine lenses is its astonishing lack of flare. You can shoot a dark subject in the foreground with a very bright background and lens flare will not overwhelm the picture as it typically does. In fact, you won't notice any flare at all! Pictures taken with this lens have a certain look that makes such pictures jump out at you. Also, it is as sharp at f1.4 as at any other aperture. Thus, there is no need to stop down to obtain maximal sharpness. The only reason for stopping down is to control depth of field. Finally, though it is manual ... MoreYes, it has incredible resolution and contrast. You can find specs on this and reviews elsewhere. However, having used the lens for three months now, the most significant feature of the lens which puts it head and shoulders above other fine lenses is its astonishing lack of flare. You can shoot a dark subject in the foreground with a very bright background and lens flare will not overwhelm the picture as it typically does. In fact, you won't notice any flare at all! Pictures taken with this lens have a certain look that makes such pictures jump out at you. Also, it is as sharp at f1.4 as at any other aperture. Thus, there is no need to stop down to obtain maximal sharpness. The only reason for stopping down is to control depth of field. Finally, though it is manual focus I have found I can focus at f1.4 very consistently by use of the Canon's focus confirmation feature. I have it set to the center point only and recompose after focusing. I admit I am very used to manual focusing having worked that way for almost all my pictures for the past 45 years. Admittedly the lens is very heavy. It feels about twice as heavy as the Canon f1.2 85 which I've owned for some 30 years. However, it actually weighs only 7 ounces more. I am now used to its heft and carry it around all day without any issues. Having said all this, it is not a lens for the beginner. I recommend it only to experienced photographers who are not afraid of manual focus and who can appreciate the enormous benefit's of flare resistance.
originally posted on bhphotovideo.com
I rented this lens and used it for a week. No question that it is as sharp as everyone says and it has great micro-contrast and color rendition that makes your images pop. The downside to this lens is that it is very heavy. So heavy that when using it indoors with my Nikon D800e, it was not great for natural light. Given the resolution of the D800e any movement of the lens at all clearly shows up. Put it on a tripod and no lens that I have ever had was sharper. If you are shooting portraits in a studio with strobes nothing is better. But if you are shooting indoors with natural light, even at an ISO of 2400 to 3600 you are going to have a tough time with a shutter speed of less than 1/250 and then you are losing dynamic range and image quality at those ISO's (people ... MoreI rented this lens and used it for a week. No question that it is as sharp as everyone says and it has great micro-contrast and color rendition that makes your images pop. The downside to this lens is that it is very heavy. So heavy that when using it indoors with my Nikon D800e, it was not great for natural light. Given the resolution of the D800e any movement of the lens at all clearly shows up. Put it on a tripod and no lens that I have ever had was sharper. If you are shooting portraits in a studio with strobes nothing is better. But if you are shooting indoors with natural light, even at an ISO of 2400 to 3600 you are going to have a tough time with a shutter speed of less than 1/250 and then you are losing dynamic range and image quality at those ISO's (people claim that today's cameras have great IQ at high ISOs, but if you are using a high res camera with a lens of this quality, you are throwing away IQ at higher res's). Build quality is the best I've ever seen. But Zeiss doesn't spec it as weatherproof. If I could have given it 4 1/2 stars I would. But at this price and without Zeiss specifying it as waterproof, I have to take a half star off. If you are ready to mount this on a tripod for a high res camera, nothing I've seen is better. But if you are considering more Otus lenses for your full frame high res Nikon, ask yourself whether you would be better off with a medium format camera and lens. Because at the weight of this lens, there isn't much if any difference between a Nikon D800e and this lens compared to the new Hasselblad mirrorless or upcoming Fuji MF camera and a lens made for that system. Just sayin'.
originally posted on bhphotovideo.com
I bought a used version of this lens in used, but mint, condition. It is a "big chunk of glass" as my adult son pointed out.This lens allows you to shoot subjects that you wouldn't normally shoot. It turns the mundane into exciting! When I edit images from this beast and zoom in, it's like I found a new photo! I use it with a Canon 5DS r, on a tripod, at ISO 50.I'll capture several frames of the same subject but refocus each time, to hopefully get the focus correct.I've also just started exploring focus stacking and this lens is perfect for that.I come from the 4x5 world and this lens compares optically to my Schneider Kreuznach lenses.I just wish that I could tilt the Otus!
| Focal Length | 85mm |
| Maximum Aperture | f/1.4 |
| Minimum Aperture | f/16 |
| Lens Mount | Canon EF |
| Format Compatibility | Full-Frame |
Zeiss Otus 85mm f1.4 - Canon | Secondhand
Free delivery
Zeiss Otus 85mm F1.4 ZE EOS Mount Lens Zeiss Camera Lens - Best For Portrait Photography
Free delivery between Thu – Fri
Zeiss 85mm f/1.4 Otus ZE for Canon
Delivery $9.90
Zeiss Otus 85mm f/1.4 ZE for Canon
Free delivery
Yes, it has incredible resolution and contrast. You can find specs on this and reviews elsewhere. However, having used the lens for three months now, the most significant feature of the lens which puts it head and shoulders above other fine lenses is its astonishing lack of flare. You can shoot a dark subject in the foreground with a very bright background and lens flare will not overwhelm the picture as it typically does. In fact, you won't notice any flare at all! Pictures taken with this lens have a certain look that makes such pictures jump out at you. Also, it is as sharp at f1.4 as at any other aperture. Thus, there is no need to stop down to obtain maximal sharpness. The only reason for stopping down is to control depth of field. Finally, though it is manual ... MoreYes, it has incredible resolution and contrast. You can find specs on this and reviews elsewhere. However, having used the lens for three months now, the most significant feature of the lens which puts it head and shoulders above other fine lenses is its astonishing lack of flare. You can shoot a dark subject in the foreground with a very bright background and lens flare will not overwhelm the picture as it typically does. In fact, you won't notice any flare at all! Pictures taken with this lens have a certain look that makes such pictures jump out at you. Also, it is as sharp at f1.4 as at any other aperture. Thus, there is no need to stop down to obtain maximal sharpness. The only reason for stopping down is to control depth of field. Finally, though it is manual focus I have found I can focus at f1.4 very consistently by use of the Canon's focus confirmation feature. I have it set to the center point only and recompose after focusing. I admit I am very used to manual focusing having worked that way for almost all my pictures for the past 45 years. Admittedly the lens is very heavy. It feels about twice as heavy as the Canon f1.2 85 which I've owned for some 30 years. However, it actually weighs only 7 ounces more. I am now used to its heft and carry it around all day without any issues. Having said all this, it is not a lens for the beginner. I recommend it only to experienced photographers who are not afraid of manual focus and who can appreciate the enormous benefit's of flare resistance.
I rented this lens and used it for a week. No question that it is as sharp as everyone says and it has great micro-contrast and color rendition that makes your images pop. The downside to this lens is that it is very heavy. So heavy that when using it indoors with my Nikon D800e, it was not great for natural light. Given the resolution of the D800e any movement of the lens at all clearly shows up. Put it on a tripod and no lens that I have ever had was sharper. If you are shooting portraits in a studio with strobes nothing is better. But if you are shooting indoors with natural light, even at an ISO of 2400 to 3600 you are going to have a tough time with a shutter speed of less than 1/250 and then you are losing dynamic range and image quality at those ISO's (people ... MoreI rented this lens and used it for a week. No question that it is as sharp as everyone says and it has great micro-contrast and color rendition that makes your images pop. The downside to this lens is that it is very heavy. So heavy that when using it indoors with my Nikon D800e, it was not great for natural light. Given the resolution of the D800e any movement of the lens at all clearly shows up. Put it on a tripod and no lens that I have ever had was sharper. If you are shooting portraits in a studio with strobes nothing is better. But if you are shooting indoors with natural light, even at an ISO of 2400 to 3600 you are going to have a tough time with a shutter speed of less than 1/250 and then you are losing dynamic range and image quality at those ISO's (people claim that today's cameras have great IQ at high ISOs, but if you are using a high res camera with a lens of this quality, you are throwing away IQ at higher res's). Build quality is the best I've ever seen. But Zeiss doesn't spec it as weatherproof. If I could have given it 4 1/2 stars I would. But at this price and without Zeiss specifying it as waterproof, I have to take a half star off. If you are ready to mount this on a tripod for a high res camera, nothing I've seen is better. But if you are considering more Otus lenses for your full frame high res Nikon, ask yourself whether you would be better off with a medium format camera and lens. Because at the weight of this lens, there isn't much if any difference between a Nikon D800e and this lens compared to the new Hasselblad mirrorless or upcoming Fuji MF camera and a lens made for that system. Just sayin'.
I bought a used version of this lens in used, but mint, condition. It is a "big chunk of glass" as my adult son pointed out.This lens allows you to shoot subjects that you wouldn't normally shoot. It turns the mundane into exciting! When I edit images from this beast and zoom in, it's like I found a new photo! I use it with a Canon 5DS r, on a tripod, at ISO 50.I'll capture several frames of the same subject but refocus each time, to hopefully get the focus correct.I've also just started exploring focus stacking and this lens is perfect for that.I come from the 4x5 world and this lens compares optically to my Schneider Kreuznach lenses.I just wish that I could tilt the Otus!
I purchased the Zeiss 85 Otus after great disappointment with Canon's EF 85mm f/1.2. The autofocus reliability and edge sharpness on Canon's lens was mediocre at best. I decided to get the best on the market and I am NOT DISSAPOINTED! I rarely took Canon's 85mm below f2.0 for sharpness reasons. The Zeiss Otus BLOWS canon's sharpness out of the water, even at f/1.4! I was a little worried about the full time manual AF, but got used to it quickly. The long throw focus ring makes it easy to dial in critical focus. Build quality and weight is great, and reminds me of Sigma's 50mm DG Art Lens. Zeiss does NOT have a cover of any kind over the zoom distance dial which makes me a little nervous about internal contaminants. Nothing noticed so far, and I assume Zeiss thought ... MoreI purchased the Zeiss 85 Otus after great disappointment with Canon's EF 85mm f/1.2. The autofocus reliability and edge sharpness on Canon's lens was mediocre at best. I decided to get the best on the market and I am NOT DISSAPOINTED! I rarely took Canon's 85mm below f2.0 for sharpness reasons. The Zeiss Otus BLOWS canon's sharpness out of the water, even at f/1.4! I was a little worried about the full time manual AF, but got used to it quickly. The long throw focus ring makes it easy to dial in critical focus. Build quality and weight is great, and reminds me of Sigma's 50mm DG Art Lens. Zeiss does NOT have a cover of any kind over the zoom distance dial which makes me a little nervous about internal contaminants. Nothing noticed so far, and I assume Zeiss thought this through and that dust entering this cannot make it into the internal elements? We will see We routinely print VERY large photos for our clients, when doing so they are typically not in the center of the image, rather small and toward the edge of the frame where sharpness plays a huge factor. With this lens I will be able to take these large, artistic prints to the next level as edge sharpness is absolutely wonderful. Zeiss was only willing to compromise in one area on this lens, and that is with vignetting. This is not a concern for me as Adobe Camera RAW and Adobe Lightroom 6 already has a lens profile for the Zeiss Otus making it of no concern. IF YOU WANT THE BEST, THIS IS IT!
I've reviewed the Otus 55 and the 85mm is that same quality with a tighter field of view. But because the focal length is longer the out of focus rendering and 3-D pop is extraordinary. This is one of the highest quality pieces of glass ever manufactured. Solid and clean in every way and in every detail. Is it flary, vintage and milky - NO - it is clean, sharp, contrasty and distortion-free. It is an excellent choice for video and stills. I highly recommend it.
I'm primarily a portrait person and I own an assorted number of Canon lenses. For portrait use, I primarily use the Canon 85 f1.2, 24-70 f2.8ii, 70-200mm f2.8 IS ii and others. I also have exotic varieties like this Otus 85, and Otus 55 and the Canon 200mm f2. The Otus 55 is EXCELLENT for location portrait work where one wants to incorporate more of the environment into the composition. The Canon 200mm f2 creates beautiful bokeh and subject isolation (however it's rather heavy to wield). I rank the Otus 85 to the king of them all. What they say about the Zeiss Otus pop is definitely true. I only see this kind of pop in my Otus 55 and 85, and it's not even there in the 200mm f2. Perhaps my photo editing skills are lacking, but I don't see how I can easily manipulate ... MoreI'm primarily a portrait person and I own an assorted number of Canon lenses. For portrait use, I primarily use the Canon 85 f1.2, 24-70 f2.8ii, 70-200mm f2.8 IS ii and others. I also have exotic varieties like this Otus 85, and Otus 55 and the Canon 200mm f2. The Otus 55 is EXCELLENT for location portrait work where one wants to incorporate more of the environment into the composition. The Canon 200mm f2 creates beautiful bokeh and subject isolation (however it's rather heavy to wield). I rank the Otus 85 to the king of them all. What they say about the Zeiss Otus pop is definitely true. I only see this kind of pop in my Otus 55 and 85, and it's not even there in the 200mm f2. Perhaps my photo editing skills are lacking, but I don't see how I can easily manipulate my non-Otus photos to have that Zeiss pop. The obvious challenge of using this lens is manual focus. Unfortunately, I do find my Canon 5DS to be quite difficult to use in this department. The focus dot on the bottom of the viewfinder is often inaccurate, especially when you shoot at f1.4 (who buys an Otus an not shoot at f1.4?). I've recently found that using the Sony A7riii with the Metabones V adapter with this Otus 85 to be the dream combo. The EVF on the Sony really, really, really makes manual focus much easier on this lens!
Every review of this lens touts its magnificent sharpness and resolution. But thats not why I felt justified in buying this outrageously expensive lens. I rented it for a week prior to my purchase to test it. The pictures below make clear the factor that made my purchase a necessity: its astounding resistance to flare.As you see, this first image of the man by the windowwas taken with the Canon 85 mm f1.2 which I owned at the time. The window behind the subject was open on a white surface reflecting direct sunlight and probably eight stops brighter than the interior. The image is flared out exactly as I expected. That is why I did not ever take pictures with very bright areas behind the subject. I knew the results would be hopeless. Why bother even trying?I then ... MoreEvery review of this lens touts its magnificent sharpness and resolution. But thats not why I felt justified in buying this outrageously expensive lens. I rented it for a week prior to my purchase to test it. The pictures below make clear the factor that made my purchase a necessity: its astounding resistance to flare.As you see, this first image of the man by the windowwas taken with the Canon 85 mm f1.2 which I owned at the time. The window behind the subject was open on a white surface reflecting direct sunlight and probably eight stops brighter than the interior. The image is flared out exactly as I expected. That is why I did not ever take pictures with very bright areas behind the subject. I knew the results would be hopeless. Why bother even trying?I then put the Zeiss 85 Otus on my camera and took a picture of the exact same situation. I cannot tell you shocked I was at this result! What happened to the flare? How could the subject hold its blacks with this much back lighting? I was amazed beyond words. It was at this moment I realized that I had to buy the Otus for the simple reason that scenes with intense backlighting are actually very common in everyday shooting. Generally we photographers either dont bother taking those pictures or, if the situation is more mild, put up with the flare problems figuring we can improve things in Photoshop. And it is true that we can reduce the effects of flare but never to the degree that I saw in this picture on the back of my camera without any Photoshop adjustment. This is the primary reason for my buying the lens.As it happens, the lens is also insanely sharp. But I regard that as a bonus. Its nice to have a phenomenally sharp lens but most of my lenses are already quite sharp and the improvement in sharpness would not have been enough to make me fork over the big bucks for the Otus.I include one more comparison of flare reduction with the Otus of a table set with glassware. This, too, is a commonly encountered situation. Though the difference may be more subtle; it is still quite significant.With the Otus I no longer have any concerns about flare when shooting into harsh backlit situations. My results are crisp and contrasty and perfectly sharp. It doesnt get much better than that.
I've rented this lens and done a bunch of pixel peeping, shooting all the usual test shots, as well as just a lot of photography. It is absolutely peerless optically. There is zero detectable flaw in distortion, fringing, bokeh (shape, onion ring, etc), -- anything. I have never used a lens I couldn't find fault with, which is not to say I don't love my flawed lenses, but I've never used one without flaws before this. A couple of notes: this lens has absolutely zero character. What you point it at will be projected faithfully onto your film/sensor. It has incredible color rendition; colors are more saturated than I've ever seen. I've even had to dial down saturation of blues in a portrait because due to the lighting, the eye color looked absolutely fake. I've never ... MoreI've rented this lens and done a bunch of pixel peeping, shooting all the usual test shots, as well as just a lot of photography. It is absolutely peerless optically. There is zero detectable flaw in distortion, fringing, bokeh (shape, onion ring, etc), -- anything. I have never used a lens I couldn't find fault with, which is not to say I don't love my flawed lenses, but I've never used one without flaws before this. A couple of notes: this lens has absolutely zero character. What you point it at will be projected faithfully onto your film/sensor. It has incredible color rendition; colors are more saturated than I've ever seen. I've even had to dial down saturation of blues in a portrait because due to the lighting, the eye color looked absolutely fake. I've never seen that before! Also, as others have noted, it is physically a beast: very heavy, very large. Be careful if you're tripod-mounting it, because it's borderline too heavy for my camera's tripod mount (can't tilt it sideways without care, or it'll start twisting floorwards; I had to crank the mount screw tighter than I felt comfortable with). You might need to tripod-mount it though, because it has no stabilization. Finally, the lens focus throw is very very long, so you'll be twisting and twisting to move the focus.
After getting this lens I decided to really put it to the test, I photographed a mountain side with a 200 mm L series Canon lens then I photographed the same mountain side with the Zeiss Otus 85mm.I then cropped and enlarged it to match the frame composition of the 200mm and the zeiss image was still a little sharper and had better color! Now I'm a believer!
I bought this for portrait, landscape, and architecture photos. It is very expensive, but every reviewer says that. It is fun to use...I'm a novice at manual shooting, but with my Nikon 810, it's a breeze. I took a few pictures in Chicago this weekend...and it was sharp and accurate. I agree with folks who say, don't use this if you don't have a second to focus(e.g.wedding shots). But I love this lens. I think it will be one of my prime lenses in the coming years.
| Focal Length | 85mm |
| Maximum Aperture | f/1.4 |
| Minimum Aperture | f/16 |
| Lens Mount | Canon EF |
| Format Compatibility | Full-Frame |
