First shots with the Otus 28mm f/1.4

[Tristin]

I do not think the CPL caused the dark and dull look.  The boy looking to the ocean, for instance, is just too dark all over.  I do like the image under the PP though.  I have created images with a very blazing bright look with a "maxed" CPL, so I know it's not that. 

As for the Otus lenses looking dulls as some are saying;
http://yannickkhong.com/blog/2016/2/12/extra-credits-applying-the-micro-contrast-test-onto-an-otus-lens

The differences between the highly corrected Otus 28mm f/1.4 and the not so highly corrected Nikkor AF 28mm f/2.8D are very visible, with the Otus indeed looking dull in comparison

[atpaula]

Funny this quest to prove that the Otus is not worth it.
I think that this review http://blog.mingthein.com/2015/10/16/review-zeiss-28-14-otus/ is more serious than Yannick Khong's.

[Bjørn Rørslett]

If one is pleased by the character of the lens there is hardly anything wrong with it - except for weight and price ....

However, that is not the point up for discussion.

[Erik Lund]

I would really love to own this fine piece of glass!

I'm pretty sure the image in the other thread is out of focus.

Anyway - Why are the 'daylight images so dark? I would say about 1,5 stops underexposed skies and ocean in the first shot?

The whole scene would not look like that, I downloaded the small JPG and to my eyes the image shines if you bump it 1.5 and pull down the highlights.

[atpaula]

I would really love to own this fine piece of glass!

I'm pretty sure the image in the other thread is out of focus.

Anyway - Why are the 'daylight images so dark? I would say about 1,5 stops underexposed skies and ocean in the first shot?

The whole scene would not look like that, I downloaded the small JPG and to my eyes the image shines if you bump it 1.5 and pull down the highlights.

When I was pping the pics, they pleased my eyes this way on my bright Retina screen.
The daylight images were taken with a D810 and the only thing that bothered me was the sky color, which is not a pleasant blue. It is too greyish.
I've noted it since I bought this camera, so I plan to sell it soon.
The sky color is very important to me and my Df and D4s deliver what I like.

[Bjørn Rørslett]

The grey overlay might be what makes the images appear so devoid of devoid sparkle? I have seen similar with other highly corrected lenses.

[atpaula]

The grey overlay might be what makes the images appear so devoid of devoid sparkle? I have seen similar with other highly corrected lenses.

I was using a cpl filter, but on the Df and D4s does not happen the same. Even with cpl there is no grey overlay in the skies.
On the other hand, the cactus pic was not taken with the cpl.

[Bjørn Rørslett]

Again, perfection is not easy to quantify. Or might be measured by misleading parameters. The first time I listened to a CD the sales rep told me "it was perfect" and one had to be tone-deaf to agree. What was wrong took the industry a long time to sort out and many believe they haven't succeeded yet.

History might repeat itself with the arrival of the current ultra highly corrected lenses. I'm not alone in being puzzled by the discrepancy of their superb measurements and the resulting images.

[atpaula]

Again, perfection is not easy to quantify. Or might be measured by misleading parameters. The first time I listened to a CD the sales rep told me "it was perfect" and one had to be tone-deaf to agree. What was wrong took the industry a long time to sort out and many believe they haven't succeeded yet.

History might repeat itself with the arrival of the current ultra highly corrected lenses. I'm not alone in being puzzled by the discrepancy of their superb measurements and the resulting images.

Sorry, I was talking about the cameras, not the lens, in the previous post.
I have more pleasant skies with the Df and D4s than with the D810, using the same lens.

[Erik Lund]

Also on a bright color calibrated screen here
I just looked at the overall image and the histogram.

I have seen very dark blue skies with the D810 at ISO 64 in bright daylight, and actually also from Leica M9 at low ISO, both without CPL right out of the camera raw files,,, I have not noticed any gray tones over that,,,

I have stopped using CPL due to problems with focus and loss of sharpness issues back in time when using the D3X with very sharp lenses, even stopped down.

I would recommend to try and shoot some more without the filter on the D810 and see if you don't like the colors better,,,

What raw converter?

[Erik Lund]

BTW is it the same problem when printing and what size? or are you viewing them on a monitor, and at same % or?

I have been a little worried how bad some applications resize the very high resolution images, sometimes a D810 file looks terrible on the screen if not seen at 100%

[atpaula]

Also on a bright color calibrated screen here
I just looked at the overall image and the histogram.

I have seen very dark blue skies with the D810 at ISO 64 in bright daylight, and actually also from Leica M9 at low ISO, both without CPL right out of the camera raw files,,, I have not noticed any gray tones over that,,,

I have stopped using CPL due to problems with focus and loss of sharpness issues back in time when using the D3X with very sharp lenses, even stopped down.

I would recommend to try and shoot some more without the filter on the D810 and see if you don't like the colors better,,,

What raw converter?

Camera RAW 9.1.1.
Don't have this issue with D4s and Df.
My (simple) workflow is always the same, and I don't see any color differences if it is at 100% or not in the screen.

[Erik Lund]

Well they stopped updating ACR for CS6 - Now only CC6 get the latest camera profiles,,, Not pleased with that!

I found out that if I have a version on CC6 on my PC then CS6 will use the lens profiles from the latest ACR...

I found out that on one PC it picked up the profile of the new 24-70 2.8 AFS E VR and not on the other PC.

I have not gone into checking if it also picks up the latest camera profiles from CC6,,, Could be the answer to your issues

[atpaula]

Well they stopped updating ACR for CS6 - Now only CC6 get the latest camera profiles,,, Not pleased with that!

I found out that if I have a version on CC6 on my PC then CS6 will use the lens profiles from the latest ACR...

I found out that on one PC it picked up the profile of the new 24-70 2.8 AFS E VR and not on the other PC.

I have not gone into checking if it also picks up the latest camera profiles from CC6,,, Could be the answer to your issues

Thank you Erik.
I use the latest CC (I was caught by Adobe's strategy of yearly payments  ).

[Erik Lund]

Ahhh, but then I would go for ACR 9.2 and see how it pans out before leaving the D810 in the dustbin