The GetDPI Photography Forum

Great to see you here. Join our insightful photographic forum today and start tapping into a huge wealth of photographic knowledge. Completing our simple registration process will allow you to gain access to exclusive content, add your own topics and posts, share your work and connect with other members through your own private inbox! And don’t forget to say hi!

Thoughts about manual focusing

ErikKaffehr

Well-known member
Hi,

Once something like an Alpha 7rII arrives I would jump on the FE-mount train. But I have some consideration and one of them is that I like manual focusing (using magnified live view). I have nothing against AF, just that I want to be able to focus manually, too.

The lens I would be most interested in is a short large aperture lens with excellent correction. Yes, the Otus 85/1.4 would fill the bill, but I don't appreciate the size of neither the lens nor the bill. The longer Zeiss 135/2 Apo-Sonnar would also fill the bill, but it is a bit to long for my perceived needs.

The new Batis 85/1.8 is very interesting and so is the 90 mm macro, which seems to be quite excellent. But, these later lenses are focused by wire. How workable is that?

I don't need very large aperture, but I want a lens that is fully useful fully open, without magenta/green fringing in out of focus areas.

Best regards
Erik
 
V

Vivek

Guest
Several manual focus lenses work quite well for me- a custom mounted Yashinon 40/1.7, Olympus pen f 60/1.5, Apo Summicron 75/2, Nikkor P.C. 10.5cm f/2.5 and the like. They all pretty much have similar diameter and focus throw (barring the 10.5cm lens). It is user specific and you have to find your own. Perhaps the Loxii may fit the bill for you.
 

tn1krr

New member
Hi,

Once something like an Alpha 7rII arrives I would jump on the FE-mount train. But I have some consideration and one of them is that I like manual focusing (using magnified live view). I have nothing against AF, just that I want to be able to focus manually, too.

The lens I would be most interested in is a short large aperture lens with excellent correction. Yes, the Otus 85/1.4 would fill the bill, but I don't appreciate the size of neither the lens nor the bill. The longer Zeiss 135/2 Apo-Sonnar would also fill the bill, but it is a bit to long for my perceived needs.

The new Batis 85/1.8 is very interesting and so is the 90 mm macro, which seems to be quite excellent. But, these later lenses are focused by wire. How workable is that?
The 90/2.8 Macro is not focus by wire only. As you can see in the pics it has distance scale on the lens barrell and when you switch to MF using "pull" switch on the lens barrell you have linear MF with the distance scale functional, not focus by wire. When you keep the switch in the lens in AF position but switch the camera to the MF mode you'll be doing focus by wire.

I asked specially this from Mark Galer (he is in very good terms with Sony Australia and gets to test practically everything from Sony quite early) in facebook when he was testing the the FE 90/2.8 and what is said above is what he told. Kinda makes sense perfect since the focus scale on the lens barell would make zero sense if the lens was focus by wire.
 

iiiNelson

Well-known member
Focus by wire isn't naturally intuitive but it helps that a zoom scale pops up in the viewfinder to let you know where you are in the zoom range. You get used to it over time. Between the 85 and the 90 it's your call but I think either would make you happy. As for adapting lenses that's your call. Most SLR lenses work fine. My 90 Summicron is great as well.
 

ErikKaffehr

Well-known member
Hi,

Thanks for good info!

Best regards
Erik

The 90/2.8 Macro is not focus by wire only. As you can see in the pics it has distance scale on the lens barrell and when you switch to MF using "pull" switch on the lens barrell you have linear MF with the distance scale functional, not focus by wire. When you keep the switch in the lens in AF position but switch the camera to the MF mode you'll be doing focus by wire.

I asked specially this from Mark Galer (he is in very good terms with Sony Australia and gets to test practically everything from Sony quite early) in facebook when he was testing the the FE 90/2.8 and what is said above is what he told. Kinda makes sense perfect since the focus scale on the lens barell would make zero sense if the lens was focus by wire.
 

Eoin

Member
IMO, in the 85-135 range you are considering, there is the superb Contax C/Y mount 100mm f/2. Well worth considering. If budget was tight, I would look at the old inexpensive EBC X Fujinon 100 f/2.5 or 135 f/3.5.
 

Stefan Steib

Active member
Erik two hints
either the old Canon FD 2,0/100mm - Budget
or the Zeiss ZF Macro 2,0/100mm - Universal -one of the best lenses around.
Both lack AF, but who needs that on the Sony ?

Greetings from Germany
Stefan
 
V

Vivek

Guest
Both lack AF, but who needs that on the Sony ?
Leica M fanatics who up until recently very very vocal about the OVF and RF. Now, they are bit less vocal since the new Ms also allow the use of an EVF , albeit very crippled compared to a Sony EVF. :D
 

Stefan Steib

Active member
I have not yet tried the Sony 6000, but as long as I can do focusing with EVF as fast or even faster manually than the built in AF, I do not want AF lenses. I started doing photography without it and I simply am used to it, composing my sharpness where I want it, not where a computer "thinks" it should be.
 

slickster

Member
I have not yet tried the Sony 6000, but as long as I can do focusing with EVF as fast or even faster manually than the built in AF, I do not want AF lenses. I started doing photography without it and I simply am used to it, composing my sharpness where I want it, not where a computer "thinks" it should be.
My dad told me once that he really liked the horse & buggy, he could fall asleep and the horse would know the way home after the dance. He never-the-less ended up preferring the automobile. Cars are faster too. Like the AF on the 6k.

Cheers, Monty:facesmack::dh2:
 

iiiNelson

Well-known member
Leica M fanatics who up until recently very very vocal about the OVF and RF. Now, they are bit less vocal since the new Ms also allow the use of an EVF , albeit very crippled compared to a Sony EVF. :D
Yeah I just sort of took note and moved along. It's much easier to attack Sony for going against the established grain than admit maybe the E/FE bodies are a great testbed for new technologies and we all benefit if any of it works well. Besides of course the Leica implementation is better because it's made in Germany and highlighted it on their YouTube channel.
 

Stefan Steib

Active member
My dad told me once that he really liked the horse & buggy, he could fall asleep and the horse would know the way home after the dance. He never-the-less ended up preferring the automobile. Cars are faster too. Like the AF on the 6k.

Cheers, Monty:facesmack::dh2:
I am sure the 6000 focuses faster than I do - but my A7R doesn´t.
Reading helps.

Regards
Stefan
 
V

Vivek

Guest
Besides of course the Leica implementation is better because it's made in Germany and highlighted it on their YouTube channel.
Zeiss also do that highlighting (made in Germany, Oberkochen) of their top tier cine lenses. Sony should highlight the fact that they make theirs in Thailand to even the filed. ;)
 

ErikKaffehr

Well-known member
Thanks Stefan,

The Zeiss ZF Macro 2.0/100 mm is known to have a lot of axial chroma (magenta/green) out of focus fringing, and this doesn't play well with my intended usage. Other that that I would own it now.

But, thanks for the suggestion anyway!


Regarding focusing, I prefer to focus using magnified LV for accurate focus but I don't mind AF in general.

Best regards
Erik

Erik two hints
either the old Canon FD 2,0/100mm - Budget
or the Zeiss ZF Macro 2,0/100mm - Universal -one of the best lenses around.
Both lack AF, but who needs that on the Sony ?

Greetings from Germany
Stefan
 
V

Vivek

Guest
There is a rumor that Zeiss forced Cosina to axe their 125 Macro APO Lanthar (devoid of the CA issues that plagues the 100 Makro Planar) to sell their own stuff. That could be worth the consideration although the Cosina lenses are a bit pricey.
 

ErikKaffehr

Well-known member
Hi,

That lens is on my list!

That list is something like this:

Zeiss Batis 1.8/85 (awaiting tests and concerned about MF)
Zeiss 2.0/135 APO (a bit to long for my tests)
Zeiss Otus 1.4/85 (a bit to large and to expensive)
Sony 2.8/90 Macro (awaiting tests, but LensRentals were quite impressed)

The APO Lanthar is half on that list. I am not in a great hurry as I don't feel the Sony A-series "is there" yet.

Best regards
Erik


There is a rumor that Zeiss forced Cosina to axe their 125 Macro APO Lanthar (devoid of the CA issues that plagues the 100 Makro Planar) to sell their own stuff. That could be worth the consideration although the Cosina lenses are a bit pricey.
 

uhoh7

New member
Erik, it seems like you just want a good, fast 85ish lens for the A7, and prefer to MF.

Why even consider a native lens in that case? The A7 series likes lots of 85s, so many 85/2 lenses would work fine.

Nikon has a nice small 85/2 AIS, OM even smaller. You can go M but will need a CF adapter, and more money.
 
Top