ZEISS Otus ML 1.4/35

Early reviews report excellent centre sharpness at f/1.4 that improves only slightly when stopped down, good corners even wide open, and almost no vignetting. Bokeh gets strong praise: transitions are smooth, highlights show only mild cat's-eye shapes at f/1.4, and there is no onion-ring texture. Flare and ghosting are well controlled.

The main optical weakness is longitudinal colour fringing at wide apertures, which is more visible than the Apo name suggests. The usual Otus trade-offs also apply: no autofocus, a high price, and a size and weight closer to autofocus f/1.4 primes than to compact manual lenses.

Owner feedback so far centres on the focus ring and the rendering. People describe a very smooth, well-damped focus action and images with a distinctive 3D look and rich colour. Video shooters like the long throw and the de-clickable aperture.

The concerns are the $2,299 price for a manual lens, purple and green fringing on backlit edges at f/1.4, and the long throw being slow for quick candid shots. Some prospective buyers are waiting to see how the lens holds up over time, given mixed reports about ZEISS service.