Why Zeiss makes the best lenses.

[@KendallChristiansonYT]

Excellent video! Absolutely love my otuses. Theyre my go to lenses. Such a crisp look from all of them and they really have that true zeiss punch. Dont buy into some of the snobs in thjs comment section, who dont know how to properly use photo lens in cinematography. Once again, excellent work 👊🏽

[@cleverghostchili]

I love the manual focus, but it's mostly a non-issue as there are mods and gear rings you can buy for the otus for follow focus system. My only lens i use now, although i use the 28 the most, the 55 gives me the money shots

[@BlaineWestropp1]

Well I need one!

[@cleverghostchili]

A wild bagel appears!

[@dabistudio_japan]

Wow! she is gorgeous! Very nice on camera! Your dark shots are pretty nice! Shot on Fujifilm! Wow, very nice quality!

[@0xDoohu]

Great video as always. I really like the dreamy/artistic look you get with this lens wide open!

[@cleverghostchili]

I think so too, I used to be a f5.6 2.8 kind of guy but it’s growing on me

[@wilhelmrosenthal1305]

Hands down my favorite lens

[@captainkanji1]

Classics and Contax are what my budget affords 😂

[@cleverghostchili]

Feel you, milvus are also very nice, can find used copies under 1000$

[@anirudhtd7193]

OMG dude. If you are going to keep this quality you are gonna be even better than the Gxace guy in no time!!!

[@cleverghostchili]

Well! All i can say is i always try to make each video better than the previous one

[@anirudhtd7193]

@@cleverghostchili People like you are the front of youtube new wave. I really think you have something special. Your intros are just something else man

[@deonvnzl]

really beautiful.

[@cleverghostchili]

Ayy bagel army 🥯

[@ArunWadhwa]

This video is what I’d describe as ‘Visual Masturbation’ - I was left awestruck by so many frames, and the grayscale at 3:47 had me melting. The worst part is, I’m still not done with the video. I just couldn’t help but pause and comment. Keep up the good work, mate!

[@cleverghostchili]

I also love this frame, great eye

[@MichaelLaing71]

Lovely video. I keep thinking about getting the Zeiss Otus f/1.4 lenses. They are on my list of dream lenses, but they are very hard to justify buying, especially as I have the Zeiss Milvus 21, 25, 35 f2, 50, 85 and non Milvus 135mm. The other issue is I shoot a lot of my work with the Fujifilm GFX and the 110mm f/2, and 80mm f/1.7 are just wonderful lenses. Even going back to my Nikon, I also have the Nikkor 105mm f/1.4e, which I know isn't as good as the Zeiss Otus 100mm f/1.4, but it is still more than good enough for anything I shoot. In the end, for me buying Otus lenses is more than a want than a need, and that is very hard to justify.

[@cleverghostchili]

I think the Otus will have a sparkle of specialness compared to the Milvus, which I also love. But the problem is that there aren’t enough focal lengths for a complete set so I think maybe one Otus as a special lens will be enough. I’d recommend the 55 or 28, however the 100 does cover the gfx sensor I believe

[@loganlambert]

This is dope great review 🙌

[@cleverghostchili]

Thank you, king

[@gabrielfullframe7864]

God damnit, what a great video. I'm about to do my first low budget short film, and I'm gonna rent some cinema lenses. My options are between Zeiss or Rokinon, but this video helped me a lot with the choice. New sub from Venezuela!!

[@cleverghostchili]

cheers! I would absolutely choose zeiss, not a fanboy...

[@bijosn]

My dream lens

[@---us7qf]

Roll on Christmas! This is when I'll be getting my very own set of Zeiss Otus lenses. Then I'll be a satisfied amateur photography. Coupled with a Z9, will be my ultimate gift. Well, gift to myself that is.

[@cleverghostchili]

Very exciting! This lens is equally fantastic for photography, very unique at f 1.4 very clean above 2.8

[@---us7qf]

@@cleverghostchili indeed! I have been planning this for a year now. Once in hand, I'll be closer to my trip to Iceland. Of course, I'll need to practice and practice some more, to get used to the new equipment, before this trip. Man ALIVE! I can scarcely wait.

[@illius85]

splendid review 👍 love the look.. it reminds me on the GM 50mm 1.2 - which i am gonna stick with for now

[@cleverghostchili]

1.2 is crazzzzzyyy

[@danlgz]

Beautifully done review!

[@ChiliChen-j1s]

Amazing!📹

[@ChiliChen-j1s]

As always

[@cleverghostchili]

Thanks, Chilipal

[@vanraz]

I have a set of zeiss contax lenses and I love them :)

[@cleverghostchili]

I hear nothing but praise for the CZ, 28mm especially

[@vanraz]

@@cleverghostchili my favourite are the 35 1.4 and the 35-70 zoom, that thing is magic.

[@cleverghostchili]

Need a zoom, and the compact zooms are so expensive 😫

[@vanraz]

@@cleverghostchili the 35-70 contax zeiss is also a push\pull design and is parfocal :)

[@helisoma]

no other lens i've used behaves like this one at f1.4...as you get closer to a subject at f1.4 the background just blows away and at longer distances it's look is more like an 85mm than 55mm...but you get the coverage of a 55mm....i have Voigtlander 58, Sigma 105 and 85 and 55 and the Zeiss still looks otherworldly

[@cleverghostchili]

This is the lens I use for the money shots. Very unique rendering but also lovely at 5.6

[@XingxianYAN-dc2lc]

Great video

[@MnFilmCO]

i just wish they had this lens in a PL mount, but at that point im guessing its the same as their ultra primes

[@cleverghostchili]

Yeah it seems like EF mount is also going out the door. Apparently ZF is a perfect mount and probably won’t change anytime soon l, you also get an aperture ring with it. Also I think ultra primes only cover s35 and also have a higher T stop around T2. They’re more comparable to the zeiss supremes, which have closer minimum focusing distance and better breathing, same image quality

[@antonzavarzin7208]

Just waw. I saw almast every filmmaker on youtube but you are next level. Is there any way to get this look with something like Sigma 18-50 on Sony A6700.

[@cleverghostchili]

Sigma glass is a tier below but very good, I think the new sigma 28-45mm f1.8 would be a lot closer but you could still get close to Zeiss with the 18-50 if you use some post blur since your lens is f2.8 and the Zeiss is f1.4. Blur would also balance out some of the sigma sharpness, this recent video of mine should be very useful: kzbin.info/www/bejne/nqGohml5l7d0nM0

[@antonzavarzin7208]

@@cleverghostchili Thanks for instant answer. Yeah i just finished that video and i tried this technique before with more or less good results. I just sold my fuji xt-3 and I'm in the process of switching to something more modern with better autofocus, since I often shoot in gawx style alone. 28-45mm f1.8 is not in my budget for now, but i'll defienetly will try it later. I also just bought Viltrox 23mm 1.4 for shallow DOP on APS-C so basically I'll use sigma for close ups and macro. But still Zeiss struck me with its clarity and softness at the same time. But as I understand it, most of the result here is experience and color grading. And fancy glass is just those extra 5% on top of it.

[@antonzavarzin7208]

@@cleverghostchili In general, I was very worried that the sharpness of modern glass such as sigma will be too noticeable. But as I understood with tuning with mid detail slider and others in Davinci I can get very close to Zeiss on Full frame.

[@cleverghostchili]

@@antonzavarzin7208 optics definitely make it easier to grade if the fidelity/clarity is strong. I would say glass largely determines the overall look where the camera determines the texture workflow and performance. I recommend investing more in glass than cameras as lenses last longer and cameras cycle regularly. Good glass is definitely worth it, it’s a difference you feel more than identify, the specific Zeiss 3d pop is not something you can achieve in post, everything else can

[@antonzavarzin7208]

@@cleverghostchili Hey again. So I ended up buying Fullframe LUMIX s5ii for the same price as a6700. Did you have any experience with vintage Carl zeiss distagon? Is it on the same tier as sigma or is it closer to zeiss otus

[@irfanomer5331]

This is lovely movie. I have Otus seven lenses and seven Milvus collected with hard efforts. Nikon z lenses do not match them except one 58mm f0.95.

[@cleverghostchili]

I like the rendering of nikkors, but expensive! Zeiss still king for me

[@kostiantynrudnichenko9186]

What do you say about Zeiss Touit lens for Fuji xh2 would you say it’s better then 33mm Fuji?

[@cleverghostchili]

I wouldn’t, but it has more character which is better for some

[@kostiantynrudnichenko9186]

Thank you!

[@garethwilliams976]

Not sure about this as there is a level of 'sameness' throughout with other attributes of this exceptional lens not covered. It does seem to fit in with your work really well but I think there may be other viable alternatives. Still, it will always be remembered as one of the great lenses but like elephants, I admire them but would not care to own one. Cost is of course a consideration and the heavy cost of this lens is not merely due to quality but to the development, tooling and production costs factored into the number likely to be sold - less bank for your buck optically. One would also need to factor in the likely value if you sell it on. At a percentage of the original price this might well be acceptable but in actual dollars prohibitive.

[@cleverghostchili]

Fair take, it took me a long time to stomach to courage to buy this, but i don’t plan on selling it as it’s my most impressive lens and one of the most used. If I use it for 10 years, this would only be 250$ a year, but i think it will last even longer than that

[@ludovicavice3496]

For the price you can go for Zeiss cp3 instead. They have more pop and excellent cine lens quality 😅 also could be found for 2-3k usd. There is a reason why otus are not popular in the cinema world as Zeiss have better alternatives at the same price range. Great review btw.

[@cleverghostchili]

Interesting, I personally preferred the pop from the Otus kzbin.info/www/bejne/bZu8aIarbNFmlc0si=iQLZfYflXpfDMT6v I will definitely agree that the Otus is a little disappointing for cinematography with the breathing, inconsistent builds and minimum focusing distance. Thanks for the share

[@WilfriedOuepohi-k7l]

CP3's cost £3500 per lens. I got my Otus 55mm and 28mm for £1200 each second hand. The CP3 have the advantage of being smaller for gimbal but they are not cheaper, at least where I live.

[@cleverghostchili]

i think the Otus are also faster at f1.4@@WilfriedOuepohi-k7l

[@DidierMOULINPhotography]

What a great way of reviewing a lens I subscribe for more ! It seems that the 55mm f/1.4 Otus is as good and dreamy as the Leica SL 50mm f/1.4 Summilux which has AF in addition. Am I wrong ?

[@cleverghostchili]

Welcome, the Otus doesn’t have AF but a very responsive manual focus ring. The focus throw is a hair long for a full focus rack, maybe requiring two rotations by hand but is generally manageable. I’d also say Leica has a similar 3d pop, though not as much contrast as the zeiss. The Leica is a more vintage, I can’t put my finger on it maybe it’s the color reproduction or softness, but has comparable painterly impressionistic qualities at 1.4. The bokeh is also more dramatic on the zeiss, which is a much bigger lens

[@DidierMOULINPhotography]

@@cleverghostchili thank you. I’m talking about the SL version of the Leica which is very big also. 82mm filter thread. But the more I read about the Otus, the more I’m eager to get one for rent maybe to have a try and compare with the Leica.

[@anirudhtd7193]

Hi I know you are a Fuji user , I am trying to buy a new system and it has come down to Lumix s5iix and Fuji xh2s and I am having a hard time choosing between the two. Do you think it's possible to replicate the Fuji greens perfectly on the V log? Which would you choose?(It's okey to say Fuji)

[@cleverghostchili]

For video s5iix is a bit more substantial, the ibis and other video support is invaluable, i also think the sensor is a bit more organic and you will find textures and roll off to feel better. However, the color from the xh2s is really incredible, 14bit flog2, essentially the same as Arri logC gets you incredible colors. More subjectively i think photos look better on the fujifilm, but thats partly because i use a speedbooster. I don't know anything about your needs, but i would say if you care more about video i would go with lumix more for photography then fujifilm. However if you like the film look, i think fujifilm emulates it better.

[@anirudhtd7193]

@@cleverghostchiliOof thank you so much for the reply , yes I looking towards video and the features of lumix is irresistible. I wish it could also emulate the film look as much as fuji though. Danggggg

[@cleverghostchili]

@anirudhtd7193 I mean you can definitely still get the film look with Lumix. At the end of the day it’s more important to choose the camera that inspires you and makes you want to shoot. Spend wisely!

[@anirudhtd7193]

@@cleverghostchili Thank you so much man for being so generous man. Wish you all the very best

[@AndrewDaddy]

Have you gotten a chance to test the Leica Apo summicron SL 28 or 50 against your Otus's for video work? I know they are newish and very expensive, but I cannot understand why there is next to ZERO film making content being showcased on these lenses. Common size and filter thread, and with 21,28,35,50,75,90 available, I would think they would catch hold as an AF alternative to the cinema summicrons. I used to have the Otus 100, loved it, and now have the APO 50 SL cron. Both for photography, but now I want to focus more on film making. Not sure if I want to invest in more SL apo lenses, or sell what I have and grab an otus 28, and 55 (Ironically quite a bit less $$ secondhand).

[@cleverghostchili]

I've always felt that Leica lenses excel for photography or Red cameras for filmmaking. Something about the rendering complements the high resolution and grungier look on Red. I haven't tried it in hand but I would say the Leica are also pretty close with its own 3d pop. but the bokeh is quite different from the zeiss, which has more dramatic focus fall off

[@Hector_Malot]

Leica is better, micro contrasts are better.

[@cleverghostchili]

Leica the only other lens I’d consider aside from zeiss

[@_o__o_]

nah..not really

[@cleverghostchili]

Lighting and camera may not be up to par... kzbin.info/www/bejne/aoukYn2jgNGeZ5o&ab_channel=Cinematographersoncinematography

[@curtisc8386]

Super high quality video, but sounds like someone's trying to justify spending over 4k Dollars on a photography lens lol. Good stuff though

[@cleverghostchili]

haha there's probably more truth to that than id care to admit, though i actually managed to find it around $2.5k from the HongKong market. Retail is typically $4k new but i've seen some used copies for $2k. However, I still think this lens has a unique render and is comparable to the $10k Zeiss supremes

[@WilfriedOuepohi-k7l]

@@cleverghostchili I got my Otus (28mm and 5mm) for £1200 each. Quite cheap, I'd say considering.

[@cleverghostchili]

What a steal! @@WilfriedOuepohi-k7l

[@j.k5654]

Why do people always feel the need to point out how expensive someone else’s lens is? Don’t they think or know that you have it for a reason or that you compared MANY OTHER lenses before buying this one???

[@bijosn]

My dream lens

[@cleverghostchili]

An expensive dream, but should last a lifetime