Zeiss Milvus 85mm f/1.4 review: Image quality
I thought the resolution of the Milvus 50mm was exceptional, but in some ways this 85mm goes a step further. Corner resolution wide open is nothing short of amazing, which is fabulous as it is the weak point of most lenses of this type. In fact, corner resolution wide open is better in this lens than some lenses manage in the centre of their circle, even with the aperture closed 2 stops. Indeed, the corners read just as sharp as the centre in our software-driven lab tests at f/1.4. Stop down to f/2 and the centre sharpens up further, with an impressively high reading that indicates excellent fine-detail gathering.
Closed down a couple of stops, the 85mm combines bitingly sharp detail with attractive background blur
The ability to collect information increases as the aperture is closed to f/4 where it stabilises while the corners close the very small gap between them by f/5.6. Resolution decreases slightly to f/11, and a bit more by f/16. Portraits shot at f/4 and f/5.6 will be brimming with crisp detail – so much, in fact, that some delicate sitters might be glad of a soft-focus filter.
The clarity, contrast and sharpness of the lens have maintained clear separation between the fine tonal shifts – even in the darker midtones
A common issue with longer lenses with wide apertures is the chromatic fringing that has the power to influence the apparent colour of finely detailed areas, as well as slightly reduce contrast and resolution. I can’t tell you that chromatic fringing is completely absent in images from this lens, but I can say they are extremely moderate and only occur in pictures taken with the widest apertures and in out-of-focus areas. By f/3.5, all signs of it are gone.
Well-corrected chromatic aberrations allow light background edges to retain their natural colours
It is at f/2.8-f/5.6 that we can best study the effects of the aperture on the way out-of-focus highlights are rendered by this lens. Where a light bulb is caught in a background at f/3.5, it can be rendered as a distinct nonagon, but where the highlight is less obvious, such as in reflections and bright objects in the distance, the rendering feels more rounded and natural.
At f/2.5 the wonderfully smooth background allows these aberration-free statues to stand out nicely
The discs of out-of-focus highlights remain mostly circular right to the edges of the frame, which is quite an achievement. Backgrounds are very smooth and not distracting, even at f/5.6 where the shape of the nine-bladed aperture plays a greater part in directing the light as it passes through the lens.
In all, this lens produces images of exceptional quality, although it takes some skill to get the most out of it.
Zeiss Milvus 85mm f/1.4 review: Resolution, shading and curvilinear distortion
Resolution
Corner definition is never very far behind that of the centre of the imaging circle, even at the widest apertures, which is a sure sign of a quality lens. That the resolution readings are so high only makes this more incredible. The best resolution comes at f/4, while frame uniformity is better at f/5.6 and onwards. Even fully closed, resolution is very high.
Shading
Vignetting is dramatic when the lens is at its widest settings, with the corners very noticeably darkened by about 1.6 stops at f/1.4. Close down to f/2 and the light fall-off practically halves, to around 0.9 stops. Some shading still exists at f/2.8, but is effectively gone at f/4. For portraiture the vignetting can be used creatively, although realistically work will start at f/3.5-f/4, otherwise not enough of the face will be in focus.
f/1.4
Curvilinear distortion
The degree of distortion present in images from this lens isn’t worth writing about. Even technical operators will be happy, but I suspect most users will be shooting natural subjects in which distortion is rarely obvious anyway.
SMIA TV = -1%
Zeiss Milvus 85mm f/1.4 review: Verdict
Size really does matter when it comes to optics for full-frame cameras, and while carrying a big and heavy lens around is not always an attractive proposition, the quality that this particular big, heavy lens produces makes the inconvenience more than worthwhile. It outperforms other 85mm fast aperture lenses on every count – it looks fantastic, it feels fantastic and its images are filled with sharp detail and well-corrected aberrations.
The weight of those 11 large elements is directly related to the level of correction that is applied, and the lengthening of the optical path that creates the extensive barrel proportions is what helps to make corners almost as sharp as the centre and which banishes chromatic fringing. This really is a costly piece of equipment, but if you want the best you will appreciate what this lens offers. Once used, others diminish by comparison. It is the finest 85mm around.
