Zeiss Otus ML 50mm f/1.4 Lens for Nikon Z Mount

Zeiss Otus ML 50mm f/1.4 Lens for Nikon Z Mount Summary

ZEISS has brought its renowned Otus series to full-frame Nikon Z mirrorless cameras, providing a manual focus experience for photographers and video creators who need the highest optical quality together with manual focus control. The ZEISS Otus ML 50mm f/1.4 Lens for Nikon Z Mount delivers exceptional sharpness, natural colour reproduction, and the signature ZEISS 3D rendering, creating images with depth and almost tangible pop.

With an advanced helicoid focus drive, the long smooth focus throw allows for precise manual adjustments, with an intuitive, tactile experience that immerses the photographer into the moment. An all-metal construction, which is made in Japan, reinforces the premium feel and durable finish, while a frosted anodised finish offers enhanced grip and a beautifully refined style.

ZEISS’ apochromatic optical design renders well controlled chromatic aberration, with specially engineered elements that control colour fringing while preserving micro contrast. The aspherical lens design also eliminates distortion and maintains edge-to-edge sharpness, ensuring an impressively high resolution at any aperture from f/1.4. Legendary ZEISS T anti-reflective coating* reduces reflections and maintains contrast, while enabling photographers to capture great results even when shooting backlit scenes.

Despite its exceptional build and optical performance, the Otus ML 50mm f/1.4 is compact and well-balanced, measuring 77 x 102mm and weighing in at just 718g. Whether you shoot landscapes, architecture, interiors, street or portraits, Nikon Z photographers will appreciate the craftsmanship that has gone into this manual focus masterpiece.

ZEISS Otus ML 1.4/50 Key Features

• Legendary ZEISS manual focus prime lens
• Smooth metal focus ring with precision helicoid drive for easy and accurate focusing
• Precise focus throw for additional confidence
• Unique ZEISS Look with high sharpness, accurate colours and 3D Pop
• Apochromatic lens design for excellent colour fidelity with minimal fringing
• Aspherical design with virtually distortion-free optics and superior optical quality
• ZEISS T* anti-reflective coating for reduced reflections
• Manual aperture control with de-click function for fine-tuning settings silently
• All-metal construction with the highest craftsmanship and quality made in Japan
• Clear, easily readable, and precise scales, allow quick and accurate adjustments
• Compact and portable form at 77 x 102mm
• Weighs 718g

Zeiss Otus ML 50mm f/1.4 Lens for Nikon Z Mount in More Detail

Premium Optical performance

The ZEISS Otus ML 50mm f/1.4 reveals an extraordinary level of detail, delivering optical performance that meets the highest professional standards. Thanks to a Distagon optical design, the lens resolves exceptional sharpness and detail, with edge-to-edge consistency and a level of colour accuracy that renders scenes with absolute accuracy.

As an apochromatic lens, chromatic aberrations are well controlled using special glass elements with anomalous partial dispersion, significantly reducing colour fringing and similar unwanted artefacts. This ensures a natural colour balance, well-defined contrast, and an overall image clarity that is consistent from close focus to infinity.

The aspherical lens construction further refines image quality by minimising spherical aberration and distortions. This allows for high resolution across the entire frame, with subjects rendered in lifelike depth and clarity throughout the frame. Notorious ZEISS T anti-reflective coating* reduces ghosting and flare, preserving contrast even in backlit conditions, while the ten-blade aperture enhances out-of-focus areas, creating a smooth and natural bokeh.

Even when shooting at f/1.4, the lens is exceptionally sharp, allowing for precise subject separation with a signature 3D rendering that makes images appear almost tangible for the viewer. Resolution is consistently high, regardless of aperture settings or shooting distance, ensuring the same level of sharpness across the frame.

Precision Manual Focus

The manual focus design of the Otus ML 50mm f/1.4 provides absolute precision, with a long focus throw for smooth, consistent torque. The finely machined metal focus ring provides a tactile experience that enhances MF control, allowing photographers to find the exact focus point with ease. Unlike many autofocus lenses, this manual design offers zero focus shift when adjusting focus, ensuring that compositions remain stable and predictable, which is ideal for focus stacking or video recording.

With engraved yellow markings focus and aperture scales are clear, easy to read, and ideal for making quick adjustments even in dark settings. The internal focusing system ensures that the physical length of the lens remains unchanged, which provides more intuitive handling, particularly when mounted on a tripod.

Manual focus is especially valuable for low-light situations, where precise control over sharpness can be critical. For portrait photographers working at f/1.4, the ability to manually select the exact focus point enables greater control over depth of field, helps achieve critical sharpness on a subject’s eyes or key details in the frame.

Manual focus for video

This lens offers super-smooth focus transitions with a large rotation angle and well-controlled focus pulls for video recording. The addition of ZEISS Lens Gears allows for a cine-style focusing experience, while the de-click aperture ring offers smooth silent adjustments, which is essential for professional video creators.

All-Metal Build Quality

The ZEISS Otus ML 50mm f/1.4 is built to exceptionally high standards, ensuring long-term durability and a premium feel. The all-metal construction, which is made in Japan, offers a solid yet refined handling experience, with a frosted anodised surface for improved grip and excellent operability in all weather conditions.

Despite housing high-end optics and featuring such robust build, the lens is compact and well-balanced, measuring 77 x 102mm and weighing around 718g.

A blue sealing lens mount ring helps to protect against dust and moisture, preventing environmental elements from affecting performance. Additional sealing throughout the construction provides yet more reliability for challenging conditions, with a temperature tolerance ranging from -20°C to +55°C.

The lens is environmentally tested to DIN ISO 9022 standards, confirming resistance to mechanical stress, vibration, and shock, including drop tests, resulting in a lens that can be enjoyed for years to come.

What’s in the box

• Zeiss Otus ML 50mm f/1.4 Lens for Nikon Z Mount
• Lens Shade
• Lens Caps (front and rear)
• Lens Pouch
• De-Click Key
• User Manual
• Warranty and Test Certificate