First shots with the Otus 28mm f/1.4

[Jakov Minić]

A sincere message to all those who hate the Coastal Optics 60/4 and claim it is dull.
I will gladly volunteer and become the proud owner of such a dull lens
Bjørn was generous enough to allow me to use it when we were in Montenegro and I haven't experienced the dullness at all.

[Bjørn Rørslett]

I didn't state the CO 60 is dull, just that it is clinical in the way it dissects a motif.

[Michael Erlewine]

I didn't state the CO 60 is dull, just that it is clinical in the way it dissects a motif.

I did not find the CO 60 dull. Because I am a close-up photographer and because it had a large hot spot about 1:3 (if I remember), this was a serious problem for me. Also, IMO, it handled mottled light less well than other lenses, like the kind of light you would get in a forest, where sunlight was coming through in rays. For some reason, it seemed they blew out easier than other lenses, but that could just be me. Having done over 33,000 flat posters on a vacuum table (rock concert posters), the CO 60 would be a perfect lens for that kind of copy work. Worse, it had such a short focus throw that really fine work with it had to be done on a focus rail. Aside from its brilliant lens work, the rest of the design of that lens is poor, to bad. Not thought out carefully, in terms of focus thrown, hot spots, etc. -- especially if it was designed for forensic work.
 

[Birna Rørslett]

I agree that the bodywork of the CO 60/4 could be improved. The dreaded hot-spot issue is easily solved by a properly designed lens hood, though.

[Michael Erlewine]

I agree that the bodywork of the CO 60/4 could be improved. The dreaded hot-spot issue is easily solved by a properly designed lens hood, though.

What most bugged me was the short focus throw (210 degrees), which is (IMO) too short for stacking a large stack. Also, the lens did not come with a hood, which is a help to have, and yada, yada, yada.

[Michael Erlewine]

I agree that the bodywork of the CO 60/4 could be improved. The dreaded hot-spot issue is easily solved by a properly designed lens hood, though.

I am interested in how that is done, if you don't mind explaining it.

[Bjørn Rørslett]

I fully understand why this lens displeased you. For the information about the hot spot issue and solution, see

www.ultravioletphotography.com/content/index.php/topic/502-how-to-avoid-a-hot-spot-for-the-coastal-60-apo-lens

[Michael Erlewine]

I fully understand why this lens displeased you. For the information about the hot spot issue and solution, see

www.ultravioletphotography.com/content/index.php/topic/502-how-to-avoid-a-hot-spot-for-the-coastal-60-apo-lens

Thanks. Interesting indeed.

[pluton]

Outside of forensic, machine vision, and instrumentation photography, there is a place for both the clean and clinical rendering AND the more lensy, aberrations-present style.  Both can be employed to create a graphic image worth looking at.
An audio expert was once asked the question:  "Why are recordists still using Neumann microphones made in the late 1940's?  Aren't the newer products better, with less distortion?
The answer was: "All of them distort;  it is a question of which distortion sounds more pleasant to the human ear and brain."

[Tristin]

The only real issue I see with these images are that they indeed look very dull and do not make me feel like I am in a sunny tropical location.  I think it has most to do with the chosen exposure/PP, perhaps too much emphasis was placed on retaining highights, technicality killing the feel.  The images make it feel like you went there on days with simply depressing weather.

I'd have to see that changed before I could judge the lens.

[atpaula]

The only real issue I see with these images are that they indeed look very dull and do not make me feel like I am in a sunny tropical location.  I think it has most to do with the chosen exposure/PP, perhaps too much emphasis was placed on retaining highights, technicality killing the feel.  The images make it feel like you went there on days with simply depressing weather.

I'd have to see that changed before I could judge the lens.

Thanks for the comment.
Apart from the pp/exposure comment, which I totally agree, I find the parts regarding a sunny tropical location and depressing weather very surprising.

[Tristin]

The weather doesn't look depressing at all, but the pictures make the weather feel that way.

[Michael Erlewine]

Thom Hogan has an interesting article today on micro-comtrast, and he mentions the Otus lenses. Here is a brief quote, in which he ends the article:

"You’ll note that in my lens reviews I rarely mention micro contrast. I think you know why now. Trying to distinguish between what was the lens’ contribution and what was the demosaic’s contribution (or deduction) is a fool’s errand. I do sometimes mention micro contrast with a lens when it is so exceptional that it can’t be ignored and must be an attribute of the lens, though. The Zeiss Otus lenses are one good example of that.
"
 

[Tristin]

Michael, I don't think anyone is attacking the Otus lenses or how well they do in certain areas.  Some just have a strong preference for character, which is the opposite of correction.  We all fall somewhere on the character<---->correction spectrum, and the Otus lenses being an extreme of one end is bound to bring polarized opinions just as extreme on it.

[pluton]

Speaking of "polarized", the choice of using a pola at maximum polarization may have contributed to the weirdly dark skies and flat, shine-free surfaces.  If given these shots to process(edit), I'd have at least experimented with lightening the sky.