DxOMark has tested new Zeiss Milvus 1.4/85 ZF.2 Lens for Nikon F mount. This is a new manual focus lens from Zeiss. Tested on Nikon D810 full frame DSLR camera, this lens performances very well, see the DxOMart result below:
Zeiss Milvus 1.4/85 ZF.2 Nikon vs. Zeiss Planar T 85mm f/1.4 ZF2 Nikon:
Zeiss Milvus 1.4/85 ZF.2 Nikon vs. Zeiss Distagon T* Otus 1.4/55 ZF.2 Nikon vs. Nikon AF-S Nikkor 85mm f/1.4G:
Conclusion:
Possessing a certain character wide-open but with rather low sharpness, the predecessor to this new lens was beginning to look a little dated, so it is perhaps unsurprising to see a completely redesigned model. What is surprising, however, is just how well the Milvus 1.4/85 performs. At around half the price of the Otus, the optical performance of the new model isn’t far behind. Indeed, at most apertures, the new lens is slightly sharper and even has slightly lower levels of lateral chromatic aberration (though bear in mind that we don’t test for other types of fringing). Wide-open, the Otus is a better performer: it is sharper and it has lower vignetting, but unless that’s crucial, the new Milvus 85mm f1.4 is likely the better choice — especially for portraits, where photographers value control of sharpness in a lens rather than outright acuity.