Performance
As you would expect, the performance is beyond reproach. There was no chromatic aberration visible. There was a very slight trace of barrel distortion which was easily corrected automatically in Lightroom once the lens profile was activated. This and the fast aperture make the lens the ideal choice for critical architectural and interior work. The contrast was excellent across the frame and the colours were punchy straight out of the camera. The most important aspect was that the lens was absolutely amazing when used fully open. It was sharp even at f/1.4 with only very slight degradation in the corners. Corner sharpness improves from one stop down and overall sharpness is maintained till about f/5.6. Vignetting was minimal and was gone by closing aperture just one
stop.
As with its siblings, the lens can be used fully open with absolutely top grade results. Remember that using focus confirmation is just not accurate enough! Live view with magnification must be used when focussing. A solid tripod is a must to get the best of this lens. The bokeh was buttery smooth, guaranteed to smother even the most cluttered background to cream.
Value for Money
This lens is priced at a whopping Rs. 329,950/- (MRP). Yes, you have read the number right! That is an astonishingly high figure for any 28mm D-SLR lens. But Otus lenses are not simply ‘any’ D-SLR lenses! If it is any consolation, the other two Otus lenses are roughly in the same ballpark.
So, is it worth it? If you are planning to use it casually as an ordinary wide-angle lens then this is just not worth the money (plus of course the weight and size). However, if you are a very contemplative photographer or a critical architectural / landscape artist (or someone else who just wants the highest quality money can buy) then, along with a high pixel count D-SLR like the Nikon D810 or Canon 5Ds, this may even be considered as an ‘economical’ alternative to a medium format system. In any case, remember that a lot of care (especially in focussing) is needed to extract the best out of the Otus. Plus you need to put up with the size and weight. |SP
FINAL SCORE 81%
Design and Build Quality 20/20
Key Features 16/20
Ergonomics 16/20
Performance
Autofocus 0/5
Sharpness 5/5
Distortion control 5/5
Aberrations 5/5
Darkening of corners 5/5
Extra features 3/5
Sub-Total 23/30
Value for Money 6/10
PLUS
• The best wide-angle lens for D-SLRs
• Finest optical quality you can get
• Minimal (almost negligible) aberrations or distortions.
• Super sharp even wide open
• Outstanding build quality
• Just the right damping when focussing
• Aperture ring click stops very positive
MINUS
• Extremely large and heavy
• No AF or image stabilization
• Hyper expensive
VERDICT
This is a not a humble run of the mill wide-angle lens. It will not appeal to the techies who want the latest technologies like AF and image stabilization. Also, it is perhaps simply beyond many due to its price. However, this is the best lens of its class. No questions. The super-high price is reflected in its exemplary performance. For those who want the “best in the world” wide-angle lens, look no further
Ashok Kandimalla
