Zeiss ZEISS Otus ML 85mm f/1.4 Lens (Nikon Z) Review

This lens is a beautiful contradiction. It's an 85mm f/1.4 portrait monster that delivers some of the cleanest, most gorgeous images you can get on a Nikon Z camera, but it asks you to give up almost every modern convenience to get them. The one thing you need to know is that this is a manual-focus-only lens, and that single fact defines the entire experience.

The optical performance genuinely surprised me, and I don't say that lightly. In the 87th percentile for optics and 92nd for bokeh, the images are clinically sharp and the out-of-focus areas are just dreamy. But the real shock is how much you miss autofocus. That 47th percentile ranking for AF isn't just a number—it means every single shot requires your full concentration, which is a massive adjustment in 2024.

At $2999, the value proposition is razor-thin. You're paying a premium for legendary Zeiss optics, but you're getting a lens that lacks features found on competitors costing a third of the price. For most photographers, that math just doesn't work.

This isn't really competing with budget options like the Viltrox 35mm f/1.7. Its real rivals are the Nikon Nikkor Z 85mm f/1.8 S and the Sigma 85mm f/1.4 DG DN Art. The Nikon is lighter, has autofocus and stabilization, and costs less than half. The Sigma is also autofocus, nearly as sharp, and still cheaper. The Otus wins on pure optical character, but you sacrifice everything else to get it.

I can only recommend this lens to a very specific person: a dedicated portrait artist who works primarily in a controlled studio, values manual focus as part of their creative process, and has the budget to burn on optical purity alone. For everyone else—especially anyone who shoots events, travel, or anything moving—the Nikon or Sigma 85mm options are smarter, more versatile buys that won't leave you frustrated.