Home

Please support mflenses.com if you need any graphic related work order it from us, click on above banner to order!

SearchSearch MemberlistMemberlist RegisterRegister ProfileProfile Log in to check your private messagesLog in to check your private messages Log inLog in

18 bladed Tele Vivitar 200mm f/3.5 Tokyo Koki
View previous topic :: View next topic  


PostPosted: Fri Nov 26, 2021 11:39 am    Post subject: 18 bladed Tele Vivitar 200mm f/3.5 Tokyo Koki Reply with quote

Found this lens last week, and took it far a little walk to check it out. Camera used: Sony A7RII.

What does it look like:
lens by devoscasper, on Flickr

It looks pretty cool. Mine is almost in mint condition. Obviously, the build quality is very good; all metal and glass. Everything moves smoothly, not yet on Takumar level, but close.
In the following images, the only post processing I did is levels adjustment. The original images are slightly low contrast, what can be expected from this very old lens. Click a few times if you want full resolution.

This one is at f/5.6:
televivitarDSC08329 by devoscasper, on Flickr
I thought it handled CA's remarkably well in this image, especially considering the age of the lens.

Around f/5.6:
televivitarDSC08318 by devoscasper, on Flickr
Resolution is very good actually!

At f/8:
televivitarDSC08322 by devoscasper, on Flickr
Again, the resolution is quite yummy. Bokeh too, thanks to the almost perfect round 18 bladed aperture.

At f/4:
televivitarDSC08317 by devoscasper, on Flickr

At f/4:
televivitarDSC08315 by devoscasper, on Flickr

At f/4:
televivitarDSC08313 by devoscasper, on Flickr

Conclusions:

Pro's:
- Beautiful bokeh at all apertures
- Build quality is really good
- Very good sharpness from about f/5.6 and smaller
- Good CA control for old lens
- Fairly compact for its speed

Cons:
- Quite rare
- Front heavy
- Images are fairly low contrast straight out of the camera
- Needs stopping down for great sharpness (but remains great bokeh).


PostPosted: Fri Nov 26, 2021 12:42 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Good samples. Low contrast can be dealt with. I think My Tokina Tele-auto probably has the same lens design but 8 blade aperture. It is still kind of round in a buzz saw way at F5.6


PostPosted: Fri Nov 26, 2021 1:24 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

@ D1N0: Yes, that could very well be.

Does anybody know how the Takumar 200/3.5 performs? Is it sharp wide open?


PostPosted: Fri Nov 26, 2021 2:35 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

The Takumar is excellent and sharp wide open.


PostPosted: Fri Nov 26, 2021 5:08 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

D1N0 wrote:
The Takumar is excellent and sharp wide open.


One to put on my list Smile


PostPosted: Fri Nov 26, 2021 7:19 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

caspert79 wrote:
Does anybody know how the Takumar 200/3.5 performs? Is it sharp wide open?


Yes. I have a Takumar 200 3.5 and also the same Tokina-made Tele Vivitar 200 3.5 with the 18-blade slotted aperture.

Some time ago I compared them, and IIRC I preferred the Takumar, but it was very close.


PostPosted: Fri Nov 26, 2021 7:50 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

KEO wrote:
caspert79 wrote:
Does anybody know how the Takumar 200/3.5 performs? Is it sharp wide open?


Yes. I have a Takumar 200 3.5 and also the same Tokina-made Tele Vivitar 200 3.5 with the 18-blade slotted aperture.

Some time ago I compared them, and IIRC I preferred the Takumar, but it was very close.


Thanks, interesting!


PostPosted: Fri Nov 26, 2021 8:03 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Same as my Dollonds -S lens, which I adore. I have about eight M42 200's at the moment and it's the only 3.5 - I have sold all the others. Is it as good as the Takumar f4 ? I don't know, but the Dollonds is my most used 200.

I have always thought this was a Tokina, I've seen pictures of it as a Vivitar, Aicoset - P, and I think Tokina , and it has similarities to other Tokina's of the period, but I could be wrong. It's been suggested that Kino / Kiron might be the maker? Whoever did make it did a great job, it's a wonderful lens.



[/img]

It is a heavy old thing, but I found an old, unbranded tripod mount that fits nicely on the 65mm x 7mm flat just behind the aperture ring. The mount is 18mm wide but it clamps onto the 7mm wide part of the lens perfectly, it's really tight. It makes the lens a lot easier to use. The tripod ring clamps down to 64mm and opens to 66mm.



Last edited by Lloydy on Fri Nov 26, 2021 8:19 pm; edited 1 time in total


PostPosted: Fri Nov 26, 2021 8:04 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

KEO wrote:
caspert79 wrote:
Does anybody know how the Takumar 200/3.5 performs? Is it sharp wide open?


Yes. I have a Takumar 200 3.5 and also the same Tokina-made Tele Vivitar 200 3.5 with the 18-blade slotted aperture.

Some time ago I compared them, and IIRC I preferred the Takumar, but it was very close.


Thanks, interesting!


PostPosted: Fri Nov 26, 2021 8:29 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Lloydy wrote:
Same as my Dollonds -S lens, which I adore. I have about eight M42 200's at the moment and it's the only 3.5 - I have sold all the others. Is it as good as the Takumar f4 ? I don't know, but the Dollonds is my most used 200.

I have always thought this was a Tokina, I've seen pictures of it as a Vivitar, Aicoset - P, and I think Tokina , and it has similarities to other Tokina's of the period, but I could be wrong. It's been suggested that Kino / Kiron might be the maker? Whoever did make it did a great job, it's a wonderful lens.



[/img]

It is a heavy old thing, but I found an old, unbranded tripod mount that fits nicely on the 65mm x 7mm flat just behind the aperture ring. The mount is 18mm wide but it clamps onto the 7mm wide part of the lens perfectly, it's really tight. It makes the lens a lot easier to use. The tripod ring clamps down to 64mm and opens to 66mm.



I'm pretty sure it’s produced by Tokina, or rather Tokyo Koki as it was named before. It looks as lot like other lenses they made in those times. I don’t think Kiron made 35mm camera lenses yet, but I could be wrong.


PostPosted: Sat Nov 27, 2021 7:53 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

caspert79 wrote:
I'm pretty sure it’s produced by Tokina, or rather Tokyo Koki as it was named before. It looks as lot like other lenses they made in those times.


Definitely Tokina. You can occasionally find them branded Tele-Tokina. I did a fair amount of research because I also have the matching Tele-Vivitar 135 3.5, which is a fun little lens in its own right. It was one of my first (and few) highly-successful repair jobs.

The slotted aperture was a Tokina thing. I don't know why they gave up on it, actually...seems to work really well.


PostPosted: Sun Nov 28, 2021 1:02 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

My Vivitar 200/3.5 is made by Tokina (37xxxx), has eight blades. Probably there are some variations.


PostPosted: Sun Nov 28, 2021 9:45 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

There were at least three different versions made by Tokina of the Vivitar 200mm 1:3.5 and also a version made by Komine (most common) and one made by Kino (you don't see that one very often).