ZEISS Otus 1.4/55

The standard lens.

Otus Lenses

1.4/28

1.4/55

1.4/85

1.4/100

1.4/28

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1.4/28

1.4/55

1.4/85

1.4/100

With the unrivalled performance that sets all Otus® lenses apart from the rest, the ZEISS Otus 1.4/55 is the absolute measure of perfection when it comes to standard lenses. Now you never need to settle for less again.

Is a focal length of 55 mm always neither here nor there? A lacklustre lens somewhere between the excitement of super wides and the fascination of long teles? Not when it combines the more than 120 years of optical and mechanical excellence ZEISS is famous for throughout the world.

Experience the quality and look of medium format photography – with the ZEISS Otus 1.4/55. No matter whether you shoot in daylight or at night, close up or more distant subjects, people, objects or landscapes, this lens will simply take your breath away with its high resolution and outstanding sharpness in every photographic situation.

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 breathtaking rendition of even the finest details.

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.

Apochromat

Because this lens is an apochromat, chromatic aberrations (axial chromatic aberations) 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 color artifacts.

Virtually distortion-free optics

Dramatic perspectives and a view from extraordinary image angles – ZEISS lenses open up new composition possibilities. Distortion would disrupt the composition because straight lines, whose image does not go through the image center, would be reproduced with a curved shape. This annoying effect is accordingly and largely compensated through elaborate optical designs at all focal lengths.

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.

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.

Performance

Focal length	55 mm
Aperture range	f/1.4 – f/16
Camera mount	Canon EF-Mount* (ZE) \| Nikon F-Mount* (ZF.2)
Format compatibility	Full Frame
Focusing range	0,5 m (19.68") – ∞
Free working distance	0,33 m (13.2") – ∞
Angular field** (diag. \| horiz. \| vert.)	44° \| 37° \| 25°
Diameter of image field	43 mm (1.69")
Coverage at close range (MOD)**	246 x 163 mm (9.69 x 6.42")
Image ratio at minimum object distance	1 : 6.8
Lens elements \| groups	12 \| 10
Flange focal distance	ZE: 44 mm (1.73") \| ZF.2: 46 mm (1.83")
Entrance pupil position (front of image plane)	101 mm (3.50")

Features

Autofocus	–
Image Stabilization	–

Physical

Filter thread	M77 x 0.75
Rotation angle of focusing ring	248°
Diameter max.	ZE: 92 mm (3.64") \| ZF.2: 92 mm (3.64")
Diameter of focusing ring	ZE: 83 mm (3.27") \| ZF.2: 83 mm (3.27")
Length (with lens caps)	ZE: 144 mm (5.66") \| ZF.2: 141 mm (5.55")
Length (without lens caps)	ZE: 127 mm (5.01") \| ZF.2: 125 mm (4.93")
Weight	ZE: 1030 g (2.43 lbs) \| ZF.2: 970 g (2.22 lbs)

Originally developed for SLR cameras requiring a long back focal distance for short focal lengths because of the mirror box (the distance between the back lens element and the film plane must be considerably longer than the focal length), the Distagon lenses (retrofocus design) are also ideal for mirrorless system cameras thanks to their optimized ray path. Even with longer focal lengths, the high-performance Distagon optical design enables consistently good correction all the way to the corners of the image and very low field curvature.

Distagon Design

Lens with aspheric optical surface

Lens made of special glass with anomalous partial dispersion

"Floating elements" design

ZEISS SLR Lenses

Brochure

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ZEISS Camera Lenses Product Overview

Brochure

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ZEISS Otus 1.4/55

Datasheet

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Awards

Reviews

dxomark.com (Canon)
"With a DxOMark lens rating of 38 points the ZEISS Otus 1,4/55 is highest performing lens we’ve measured on a Canon body..."
dxomark.com

dxomark.com (Nikon)
"The ZEISS Otus 1,4/55 has the highest optical quality of any retrofocus 35mm format design to be assessed by the labs at DxOMark..."
dxomark.com

diglloyd.com
"The Zeiss Otus 55mm f/1.4 APO-Distagon is the first lens in the new ultra high-grade 'Otus' line for Nikon and Canon DSLRs..."
diglloyd.com

blog.mingthein.com
"You’ll find it’s so outstandingly good that you too will feel a small pang of disappointment when you have to use anything else..."
blog.mingthein.com

lensrentals.com
"As you know, I usually like to have a half-dozen or more copies of a lens before testing, but in this case getting a..."
lensrentals.com

dustinabbott.net
"What came out of their design rooms was the best standard prime lens the world had seen– the Zeiss Otus APO Distagon T* 1.4/55mm..."
dustinabbott.net

mattgranger.com
"If you are one of those 'give me a star rating' types, then... I guess this is 7 stars - like that hotel in Dubai - or as high as the scale goes..."
mattgranger.com

lensvid.com
"What is so special about the Otus line? well, the way Zeiss explained it to us, this line was designed to produce the best possible..."
lensvid.com

newsshooter.com
"I recently had the opportunity to try out the beautiful Zeiss Otus lenses. There are currently only two lenses in the range..."
newsshooter.com

lenstip.com
"You can’t complain about the lack of classic 50 mm f/1.4 lenses, available currently on the market. However, all of them seem to..."
lenstip.com

Lens Accessories

Round off the fully unique product experience.

When taking pictures, an optimal image is not the only consideration. Capturing that special experience also plays a key role. With their reliable functions, camera lenses from ZEISS ensure that photographers can fully concentrate on the image and composition, and bring their creativity to life. In order to perfect this experience, ZEISS now offers accessories tailored to the requirements of demanding photographers.

Cleaning Products

Optimal care for optical surfaces.

Cleaning Products

T* UV and POL Filters from ZEISS

Quality down to the last detail.

T* UV and POL Filters

Comfort Camera Strap

Ensure comfortable carrying or your equipment.

Comfort Camera Strap

Lens Gear

Attached in a flash.

Lens Gear

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Obtain the extended warranty

Product Registration

ZEISS grants a warranty period of two years from the date of purchase for all its photographic lenses. This may be extended to three years after registering with ZEISS Online Registration. Although the ZEISS extended warranty is already available in numerous countries, claims under warranty may only be made in the country in which the product was purchased.

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