Reader Question: Which Lenses and Camera for Aging Eyes?

2021-04-26 • SEND FEEDBACK |
Related: focusing, reader comment

Kurt L writes:

I am looking for a new full frame camera I worked through all your reports/tests of lenses for Mirrorless Cameras. The best lenses are lenses in former design like Zeiss Loxia or Voitglander lenses.

I’m an elderly weak-sighted man, ** years old. How could I focus with these lenses? Can Focus Peaking help? Can Zooming the View help when using a Sony Camera?
Almost 35 years of my life I worked with lenses without autofocus…

Could  Sony-Cameras with Zeiss-Batis autofocus-lenses be a solution for me??

Would you answer to my two questions, please?

Sony FE 50mm f/1.2 GM

DIGLLOYD: while there are standout manual-focus lens designs now, such as some of the Voigtlander APO lenses, Sony has delivered some truly outstanding lenses in the past few years offering state-of-the-art performance; most of them being GM lenses but a few being “G” lenses (e.g. Sony FE 20mm f/1.8 G).

Zeiss Batis lenses are good, but they are no longer necessarily my first choice, and the new focusing motors in the newest Sony GM lenses are incredible in addition to outtanding optics. There aren’t many reasons to stray away from Sony lenses at this point, excepty of course... price.

When eyesight is an issue, go with autofocus, particularly if people or pets or wildlife are a consideration, for Eye AF. Or just for the convenience and quickness. You will take more and better pictures faster and more accurately under any situation where there is a time factor. And you will miss shots with manual focus—fine for landscapes and static subjects, but good at missing the moment at other times.

As to manual focusing, focus peaking is a bit tricky to get focus just right for a high-res sensor. Much better is to zoom to 100% magnified Live View, configuring the camera to make this fast and easy, for example programming Custom Button 1 (C1) to Focus magnifier and C2 to AF/MF toggle:

Button Customization for Sony A7R II and Siblings
Autofocus Configuration for Sony A7R II and Siblings: Buttons and Eye AF

As to the camera, the Sony A1 is the pre-eminent camera on the market today. If you can afford it that’s awesome, because nothing else can beat it.

Sony Mirrorless with Outstanding Lenses

Sony Mirrorless wish list • Deals on Sony

$6448 Sony a1 Mirrorless Camera OUT OF STOCK in Cameras: Mirrorless	$2948 Sony 12-24mm f/2.8 FE GM IN STOCK in Lenses: Mirrorless	$1548 Sony 14mm f/1.8 FE GM IN STOCK in Lenses: Mirrorless	$898 Sony 20mm f/1.8 FE G IN STOCK in Lenses: Mirrorless	$1348 Sony 24mm f/1.4 FE GM IN STOCK in Lenses: Mirrorless	$1348 Sony 35mm f/1.4 FE GM IN STOCK in Lenses: Mirrorless	$949 SAVE $200 = 17.0% Voigtlander 35mm f/2 APO-LANTHAR Aspherical IN STOCK in Lenses: Mirrorless	$1948 Sony 50mm f/1.2 FE GM Lens (Sony E) IN STOCK in Lenses: Mirrorless
$849 SAVE $200 = 19.0% Voigtlander 50mm f/2 APO-LANTHAR Aspherical IN STOCK in Lenses: Mirrorless	$849 SAVE $150 = 15.0% Voigtlander 65mm f/2 MACRO APO-LANTHAR Aspherical IN STOCK in Lenses: Mirrorless	$1748 Sony 85mm f/1.4 FE GM IN STOCK in Lenses: Mirrorless	$1048 Sony 90mm f/2.8 FE Macro G OSS IN STOCK in Lenses: Mirrorless	$1448 Sony 100mm f/2.8 FE STF GM OSS IN STOCK in Lenses: Mirrorless	$1599 Sigma 105mm f/1.4 DG HSM Art IN STOCK in Lenses: Mirrorless	$2048 Sony 135mm f/1.8 FE GM IN STOCK in Lenses: Mirrorless