[f/16] This lens is amazingly sharp throughout its f stop range. I test each new lens for its sweet spot for maximum resolution. This one is sweet throughout. Paired with a Nikon D800E, it gives even better results than the Makro-Planar 2/100 ZF.2. Recent application in dark recesses of a restored historical fort were very satisfying.

[f/1.4] This lense performs as advertised. It is very sharp wide open at 1.4 with just a few small hints of CAs... but beware that it is also very hard to see the focus point with the standard optical viewfinders found in today's SLRs such as the Nikon 800s or the Canon 5D3s. This is a must lens if you work mostly near F1.4 but not so if you shoot F5.6 to F16 as the difference between this stellar piece of glass and another less expensive but premium design will quickly vaporize. The lens is way too large to use with EVF cameras like the Sony A7R and for me it is not a lens that I would use to shoot street scenes. Perfect for the studio and tripod work!

[85mm] I own already Zeiss zf 25/2, 35/2 and 100/2 and they are my most used lenses on the Nikon 800. I was pleasantly surprised that the Otus 55/1.4 is in many respects even better than my other Zeiss lenses. Notably, the excellent sharpnes wide open over the entire FOV, the very smooth transition from in-focus to out-of-focus parts of the image, plus the beautiful color rendering. Manual Focus is quite easy due to the wide throw of the focus ring - I have clibrated the focus confirmation indicator, and I have no problems getting tack sharp picture when hand holding. I use this lens mainly for landscape, for architecture and for general photography. I believe the lens is best at medium and far distances. For close-ups and bokeh I prefer the zf 100/2.

[0.13x] Sold my Leica M9 and three Lux lenses due to low hit rate. When it was on though, Wow, hard to beat the Leica glass. So, decided to try the Zeiss 55. Got it used from B&H. Saved a few hundred and the lens was essentially brand new. Have to say, this lens and a D810 is the ultimate. Much easier to focus than the range finder and this lens does not take a back seat to Leica glass. Very pleased.

[f/1.4] Upon delivery, I did my usual lens protocol (just to be sure all was A-OK), and took the new Otus out to my backyard. It was a very dark, flat, overcast fall day. I took a variety of shots at varying distances. I ranged between using 1.4 and 8.0 apertures, never going more than 400 iso, and most often 100 iso. I shot both material objects and plant life, all handheld. Viewing these images later on my computer, caused me to to just shake my head in wonder. Every single one was crisp, artful, with beautifully rendered colors, and all had that Zeiss Otus magic. I cannot yet imagine what a tripod-mounted, good weather day will yield with this lens, but I'm pretty excited thinking about it. I deliberated a long time before making this special purchase. I'm so glad that it lived up to, and surpassed, my very high expectations. Fantastic!

[0.13x] This is my third Zeiss, second Otus, for my Nikon D810A. The 85/1.4 arrives tomorrow. I recently took this lens, the 28/1.4, the Milvus 15, and several Nikon and Sigma lenses, p.us an additional D810 body and tripods to the Maldives. Schlepping that much weight was not trivial, but easily worth it. I ended up using the 55 more than any of the other lenses. I had forgotten how challenging and liberating it is to see the world through a normal focal length. But other than that, there is nothing normal about this lens. As other reviewers have noted, the images OOTC look like they have already been processed. Color, clarity, and contrast produce a natural 3D effect. I have included two images I shot handheld of a small about -inch long crag next to a pool. Sun was overhead around midday, so light was flat and not flattering. My focus here is not very good, but it's good enough to illustrate the point. Zero processing other than the crop, and the JPEG quality compression. The crop is approximately 3:1, and the amount of detail is just amazing. And this is with significant image compression to get the pics small enough to upload here. Shot was 1/1250 at 4.5. In RAW, on a 4K iMac, these are something else. The cons about these lenses are well-known: size, weight, expense. Makes it a pretty easy decision for most. For me, although difficult to transport, I cannot imagine leaving any of these lenses home.

[f/1.4] So sharp, even when wide open, that it shows itself best on high megapixel bodies like the D800e or D810. Manual only operation makes it best suited to studio work.

[85mm] Amazing. will not find anything better

[4.87 lb] This lens is amazing. After shooting it for a week the photos from other pro Nikon lenses look simply not as great. The quality and details are stunning. Yes, it's big, it's heavy, it's manual and quite expensive, but the picture quality and look is worth this spend. Using it together with my d810 I'm very close to medium format.

[85mm] Despite seeing the great lab testing results and numerous stellar reviews on this lens, I still took a long time deciding to buy it..but I'm so glad I did. It arrived on a a flat, cloudy day, so it was a good situation for running it thru some tough photographic experiments in my yard. I focused on both natural and man-made objects, at varying distances, using 10 different apertures and a variety of ISO settings. When later viewing the images on my computer, I could only shake my head in wonder. What superb sharpness, color rendering and general image quality! I cannot wait to travel with the Otus 55mm and see what it can do under more ideal conditions. In short, it is easily the finest lens I have ever used, (including the Canon 300 2.8L and the Zeiss 100mm Makro).