Reader Comment: Aging Eyes and Autofocus
Related: Dr S, focusing, golden age of photography, reader comment, Sony, Sony A1, Sony mirrorless
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Dr S writes:
I empathize directly with your reader who is having age-related vision issues but wants the best quality lenses...... but hesitates because they are mostly manual focus.
That's a quandary I had many years ago and decided to settle on a compromise. I decided to use only the best quality "auto-focus" lenses on my camera and if the images are only 90 to 95% as "good" as a manual focus lens, then so be it.
In my case I settled for the Sony "A" series cams beginning with the Sony A7r2 because of its size and focus accuracy both static and for moving objects. Furthermore, because of reading your articles, there was less shutter-shock. Its eye-auto focus was more than adequate for people and on subsequent upgrades of "A" cams, has served me well.
If your reader has an unlimited amount of $$$ the A1 and GM lenses you suggested are right on..... a beautiful blend of resolution and usability. However, other Sony cams may be possible. I still use my A9 in many situations at my office or out and about. I understand A1's are not readily available. Therefore an earlier "A" version may not be a bad idea along with some of the newer GM lenses.
With 2 growing cataracts and extreme myopia over the years, picture taking has been difficult at best....with the relatively precise focus capability of the Sony cams being a godsend.
DIGLLOYD: the best performing lenses are no longer manual focus. Zeiss has quit offering new Zeiss Loxia and Zeiss Batis lenses, Voigtlander lenses are excellent but not necessarily better overall, and the Voigtlander FE 35mm f/2 APO-Lanthar has been a serious disappointment because of its central rearward focus shift (a very impractical drawback for peak sharpness!).
Sony GM lenses rule the roost now, as a rule. Ditto for Canon RF “L” lenses. The changeover from the DSLR (dead and almost buried) is over, and the promise of mirrorless has been realized in spades.
