Zeiss Milvus 85mm f/1.4 Final Review with Sample Images
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- Опубликовано: 9 фев 2025
- Photographer Dustin Abbott shares a Valentine's Day look at a sweetheart of a lens - the Zeiss Milvus 85mm f/1.4. This review examines the build and handling, image quality, bokeh quality, and the lens' overall position in the market. Portrait photographers should be very interested in this lens. To purchase the lens, click here: bhpho.to/1SYyHDk. To check out more images from the lens that I've taken, look here: bit.ly/23xSiOi. You can also read my in depth review here:
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Based on your review, I bought the Milvus 85mm f/1.4 -- and I must say it is the best lens I've ever owned. It is sharp, the color rendering is beautiful, it has a very nice contrast and outstanding resolution. I have photographed a couple of art exhibitions and almost every picture I could use strait out of the camera.
Manual focus is a delight. I particularly appreciate the fact that you need to slow down the proces of taking a photo, adding much more consideration on what you are actually about to do -- in stead of just clicking your way ahead. Slowing down this proces might not be suitable for everyone and every occasion, but it is most helpful for me and what I want to accomplish in my photography.
It's surprising how much manual focus lenses do change the nature of how you do photography. Some people hate it, but I, like yourself, find that it becomes a more organic process that I really enjoy.
Fantastic three part review Dustin, very professionally presented both visually and spoken discussion. It takes a lot of care and preparation to achieve this level of excellence, thank you for providing this valuable resource.
Kind feedback. Thank you!
Best Reviewer in the World. Period.
That's very kind. Thank you!
Great review as always, Dustin. I also love your wardrobe!
+mochannel25 Thank you all around!
great review. i just ordered mine and cant wait for it to arrive
Lucky you. Enjoy!
this descision was all on your review. and i very much trust those. many thanks
This review has the same high standard as the lens beeing reviewed. Bravo!
+Richard Rönnbäck That's kind. Thank you, Richard.
WHAT a presentation! couldn't do Zeiss quality more justice than this! Dustin, if I may ask: with the Nikon mount, the Milvus can be used on the old school film camera's as well, such as the Nikkormat - as is the case with the Otus? At age 63, I still feel I do not need to give in completely to the digital age, manual focusing simply wasn't an issue in the day - as there simply was no alternative. So even the dedicated amateur that I am has genuine interest in this lens, manual focusing doesn't scare me off.
As long as it is an F mount, I don't see why it wouldn't work. The manual aperture ring of the Nikon gives more versatility for that kind of arrangement.
Thank you, I'm thinking about getting this lens.
Enjoy!
@DustinAbbottTWI I decide to get it next year. I will get the 18mm Milvus this year to my D850
I'm sold on this future purchase
It's a beautiful lens.
Classiest lens reviewer on the innerwebs!
+Jeff Cowan :) Classy I can handle!
Great review! I'm so happy to add Milvus 85/1.4 to my collection, it does have outstanding optical quality (even much better contrast and saturation than Milvus 50/1.4, unbelievable).
It's an amazing lens, for sure!
Spectacular review, Dustin! Definitely on my wish list this year.
IF the Sigma 85 Art comes out, it might be a tough decision, but I really like overall Zeiss colour rendering and contrast!
Thanks again :)
+Todd Murrison Thank you, Todd. The lens has impressed me, to be sure. I'm also interested in the Tamron 85mm f/1.4 VC that I think is about to be announced. It is pretty tough to beat Zeiss color and contrast, though.
+Dustin Abbott If it comes out, has great optics, and is positioned at half the price with AF and VC.... It will be the bestselling of its kind. A lot of IFs though. Enjoyed the review, great job.
+AmericanCarioca Absolutely. And you are right about the ifs. I caution people that are expecting a Sigma 85mm ART sometime soon that I don't personally think it is coming for a while. Sometimes we wait for the perfect lens that never arrives. The nice thing about a lot of camera gear is that if you buy smart it holds its value very well.
Excellent Review
+Martin Benford Thank you, Martin.
Excellent review. I want one!
+Mads Meier Jæger I wouldn't mind one, either!
Awesome Review Sir.
+ACiD_ “Th3xRaVeNx” ReinX Thank you very much!
Great in depth review. Thanks.
Hello Dustin,
Only recently came across your channel and I have to say your reviews are excellent.
for my interests I am not that concerned with corner to corner sharpness, chromatic aberration and vignettes as I can correct in post with a click of a button.
But mostly how the lens renders depth, colour saturation & microcontrast.
I recently purchased the zeiss distagon 35mm f2 and it is now the best lens I own and have ever used, before the distagon I purchased the sigma art series lens due to all the hype and there is no comparison what so ever. The art series was flat and just really difficult to get pop out of the photo, no matter how good my lighting or composition was, I would spend hours trying to tweak my photos in photoshop & Lightroom blending layers improve 3D characteristics. Whereas the Zeiss was like a magical unicorn, no matter what I shot it looked incredible!.
So my question is... how does the milvus line compare to the previous generations for colour rendition, microcontrast ? I know all lens improvements are a tradeoff, so I am hoping the trade offs aren't the exquisite characteristics that make you buy a zeiss in the first place.
Kind regards,
Wayne
I think this lens and the Milvus 1.4/50mm actually have fantastic rendering and microcontrast. Zeiss knows how to make lenses!
Classy and informative review. I can see a lot of photographers being put off by larger lenses but I actually prefer them as I have large hands. My 2 Nikon D700's are fairly large DSLR's , especially with a battery pack grip on one of them, so small lenses don't really feel right or balance right. My smallest Nikon the D7100 APS actually shoots best with the large 24-120mm F4 and makes good use of the high resolution of that lens with its 24mpx. The beauty of Zeiss is that although older 12 mpx camera bodies may not realize the full benefits of Milvus resolution, they certainly benefit from the extraordinary contrast, sharpness and that signature drawing or rendering of a sccene. Manual focus is for the fearless and confident; not for wimps. Like the Bond look by the way. Cheers!
+James R Thanks for the feedback
I prefer their older look / ergonomics as well. Not sure I'll ever get rid of the 135mm f2.
+Tj Holowaychuk Hard to argue. I like the Milvus look just fine, but the older lenses are certainly very classy. I'm in the processing of adding the APO Sonnar 2/135mm to my own kit.
Awesome! Hard to go wrong with that one, I've neglected it a bit lately but it's still one of my favorites
Hi Dustin, great review!
I'd like to know from you though, when you did the Otus 85mm review, you explained that lens with pure excitement about what you were able to do with it beyond portraiture and especially the optics performance in regards to focus range. Does the Milvus give you the same sensation or is it definitely worth saving up to 4000++ dollars to get the Otus instead?
It's hard to compare reactions. When I did the Otus reviews, nothing was even close to their performance. They were breathtakingly good. But there have been so many amazing lenses released since. None of them are quite at the Otus level, but close enough that the Milvus didn't bowl me over the same way. The law of diminishing returns...
Dustin Abbott I'm watched your Tamron 85mm reviews as well....so many choices to choose from these days! I guess it now all comes down to the character of the lens (bokeh rendering/sharpness/ transition from sharp to soft)
Frans van Terwisga
That's about right...though I think the biggest issue is the handling. Do you mind manual focus, weight, etc... Chose based on your actual shooting style.
Great review of a very sophisticated and stylish piece of glass. Are you in the process of reviewing the Tamron 85mm f/1.8 yet? Thanks for your great reviews, all of them.
It has just arrived. Tamron Canada had a supply issue, so I had to wait for Tamron USA to ship me one.
Thanks, Dustin. Can't wait to see your review!
Just one more thing (As immortalised by Columbo)- you were right that it remains a niche product, even more so now with all the autofocus 85 (and 105mm) lenses for dslr and mirrorless cameras that have arrived since, but to me I can't see how the performance could be topped slightly closed down. Even by sigma's even bigger/heavier 105mm f1.4 art.
It's definitely still a very strong lens.
Nice Tux!
Why thank you!
i used the milvis 85 1.4 and now i own the sigma art 85 1.4 and i loove the sigma art the color rendering chromatic aberration and sharpens in 1.4 is amazing id love to see comparison
Unfortunately there are too many new projects on my plate to revisit older lenses.
Dustin,
What you think about the voigtlander 90mm APO skopar 2.8?
I actually have never tested that particular lens, though I have tested two other of their APO lens and loved them.
Great review Dustin ... I have a question regarding the Milvus range - why is the aperture ring missing on some Canon versions? The 50/1,4 is missing it but the 85/1,4 has it ... also the de-click feature is also missing. Since I am coming in with a clean slate (no brand alignment) and want the aperture ring and the de-click feature on all Milvus lenses I buy, do all the ZF.2 (Nikon) meet this requirement? Thanks !
The aperture ring is missing on all Canon (ZE) versions. It has a lot to do with the electromagnetic aperture iris...and possibly the lens mount, too, which is quite a bit smaller in diameter than a Canon EF. If you want those features, you need to go Nikon
In 2022 a friend is selling me his 85mm Milvus for 1k and 135 mm for 1200... Would you think this is a good deal... I saw the lenses and they look almost perfect
Hi, I get the feeling that Zeiss did not name this lens an APO lens to avoid hurting the sales of the Otus, because this one is truly apochromatic in my opinion. Would be good to get a report from you about how these Zeiss lenses perform with manual focus on the mirrorless Canon EOS R.
I love the EOS R's "focus guide". It's a lot of fun, and I love my Zeiss lenses there. The only missing piece is IBIS, though it looks like Canon will release at least one body with stabilization this year.
@@DustinAbbottTWI Looks like we are in for a treat from Canon - finally, and these manual lenses will maybe get a Renaissance. Do not forget the cheap gem from Samyang, the 85 1.2, in this context. Would be interesting to know if you still stand by your words about the bokeh of that lens as the best you had seen on any 85mm?
I would say yes, actually. The new RF85mm is amazingly sharp, but the bokeh isn't as nice as the Samyang. I also find the bokeh from the Samyang AF 85mm f1.4 for Sony quite good.
Hi Dustin!
Great Review...;) Can you help me to decide between this Zeiss 85 Milvus or Canon 85 f1.4IS??? I have 5D mark IV....Please help me Dustin, need to buy it this week
Thanks a lot
Best regards
Manne
Hi Manne, I would probably recommend the Canon lens for the simple reason that the 5D Mark IV isn't a great platform for MF lenses.
Dustin Abbott
Så kind of you. Thanks a lot once again and keep your great work✌️👍
Wow! Honestly you are the best reviewer on youtube! I'm in love with Zeiss lenses, I shoot with a canon 7d and am interested in the 50mm f1.4 milvus to give me similar results to what the 85mm would give to a full frame.What do you think of that?And will you review the 50mm f1.4 milvus anytime soon?Thanks!
+Loui Ezzat The Milvus 50mm should arrive within a week or two.
Got to say..you are probably the best dressed reviewer on youtube.. Cheers.
But what's more important is the content.. And that you are doing very well too. Very informative reviews. You surely deserve more subscriber
Hopefully 1 day will get to see you reviewing Sony Full frame E mount stuff too since that system is very hot right now.
nonetheless, keep up the good work. I am watching even tho i dont use these.
+sgpork That's always a high compliment. I'm certainly interested in the Sony cameras but haven't had the time, inclination, or money yet to branch out that direction.
yes, indeed. 30k subscribers, all of them must be the real deal when it comes to photography. Dustin's reviews have it all, simply the best.
Just added the 85/1.4 Milvus to my other line of Zeiss Milvus lens. With the large MP sensor of the D850 or Z7 shooting the 85 @ 1.4 and cropping performs better than my Nikkor 105mm Macro lens. BTW, using the Nikon Z7 with its IBIS and the EVF bring new life to manual focusing non-VR lens. with programming the 100% magnification feature to the FN1 button and with focus peaking the Z7 with the Zeiss Milvus is a match made it heaven.,
That's exactly the way I feel about using these lenses on my Sony a7R3.
Dustin Abbott at least your using a great lens.....🤣
:)
Hey Dustin, I've been looking at the Zeiss 100mm F2 lens for my Nikon D810. Tried comparing it to this Zeiss 85mm. I really wanted to be able to get close to my subject and the 100mm has a 1:2 ratio. Slap on an ext. tube and you've got a good Macro lens :-) I noticed you didn't have a review of the 100mm on your site so what do YOU or anybody out there think about it? Thank's in advance. Lou
+hawg427 It's on my "to do" list, but won't happen until after I do the 1.4/50 Milvus and then 1/4/28 Otus.
Nice fly.
Now I want you to review a Master Prime.
Just to see what's the appropriate dress-code ;)
White suit with a hat?
+F To LOL. I'm afraid my wardrobe doesn't extend quite that far :)
30k subscribers - crowdfunding? my 2 cents ... or rather, dime :)
OK. Thanks.
An interesting lens to compare with the new Sony 85mm 1.4 GM which has the same price tag. Dustin, you should get a sony mirrorless body for the max resolution of your lenses
+Huy Le I'd love that...and might do it should I find $3000 laying around :)
do you think that the older version is more artfull in is redering ?
Not really.
Dustin do you know if there is focus confirmation on the canon 5DS with this lens?
+cindyfoto Yes there is
Thank You for the reply! I enjoy your reviews they have been very helpful! :)...I have one more question, I haven't been able to find any info on super precision focusing screen for a canon 5DS. do you know if the focusing screen is changeable in the 5DS?
All focus screens can be replaced, but perhaps not easily or cheaply. I'm afraid the 5DS falls into the latter category.
if this is a sweetheart of a lens, what would the Zeiss Otus 85mm then be?
The Otus 85 impressed me in a way that no lens ever had. There are a number of other amazing lenses that have come to market since then, but that Otus 85 was just so incredibly sharp wide open at any focus distance.
Have you shot Milvus with Canon R5?
I haven't.
milvus vs distagon, planar wish line is better in your honest opinion?
+Walid Hoyek I can't really give an honest opinion as I have (thus far) only reviewed the one Milvus lens. I have the 1.4/50mm coming later in the month. 4 of the 6 Milvus lenses are basically optically identical to the Planar/Distagon versions. The two new optical formulas (1.4/50 and 1.4/85mm) are far superior in absolute performance compared to the older versions.
i heared bad reviews regarding tge mivus someone even went far and said this line is total crap, i live in the middle east where we cant try lenses unless we buy, im afraid to buy a set and be stuck with something bad, thank u very much dor replying.
Walid Hoyek
I don't think that is true AT ALL. The Milvus 85mm is one of the sharpest 85mm instruments in the world and has great bokeh and drawing to boot.
+Dustin Abbott i see, i cant wait to see your next review on the 50mm, thank u very much.
How does this compare to say an old nikon ais 85 1.4?
I've never been a Nikon shooter, so I can't answer that question.
Do Zeus make two versions of this lens ?
There is an Otus 85 and a Milvus 85.
The design of a lens should never compromise it's optical performance, so if the design is polarizing, I guess that's a fail!
+Hubieee I think that Zeiss fans tend to be "traditionalist" for the most part, so new change may come hard.
Ok Dustin, so the Zeiss Milvus 85mm is about .75 of a pound lighter than the The Zeiss Otus 85mm and the Milvus has weather sealing. The Milvus is also more compact compared to the Otus. And 2.49 times cheaper. So here's the big question: Given the exact same shoot with the exact same lighting conditions with both lenses mounted on a camera side by side, is the Otus THAT much better? I really need to know this because you might be one of the privileged few to have handled/tested both lenses. Thanks so much again.
I've not shot them both side by side, so I can't definitely answer the hypothetical situation. I can say for most users that it would be very close.
I don't know why you're showing off these lenses (Milvus/Otus 85mm) with such a low-end full-frame body like the 6d. Great, well versed, enlightening content, but it's annoying to see high-end glass paired with a consumer-grade body.
The 6D actually had Canon's best sensor of the previous generation. I use a 5D Mark IV for these reviews now, but, at the time, the 6D was the best platform to showcase those lenses.
Hello Dustin. In the last few months, I have made several purchases (namely the Canon 35mm F/2 IS USM and the Canon 135mm F/2 USM L) because of your excellent video reviews. Thanks a million! Keep fighting the good fight :)
Here is a link to my flickr if you'd like to see some of my work:
www.flickr.com/photos/131282758@N02/?
+Andrew West I took a quick work. Some great stuff there. Keep up the good work!
what the hell is that harsh lighting about? could use a little diffusion, at least. crushed blacks...
0:33x.
Totally useless on a Canon ,as one can not accurately focus with it!
I would like to think that all the images included in the review (all shot on a Canon body) say otherwise.
what's wrong with your lighting? next time maybe u should turn off all the lights instead of just half ur face
Never heard of split-lighting? That's the look I wanted for this video; a choice you clearly don't agree with.