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Identifying Vivitar rebranded manual focus lenses
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PostPosted: Mon Aug 06, 2012 1:35 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
So can anybody help a newbie out with the questions on the two lenses I posted earlier?

Sorry if this is the wrong thread, seemed to be most appropriate but looks to be more show & tell at this point than Q&A


PostPosted: Mon Aug 06, 2012 2:31 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
http://rick_oleson.tripod.com/index-99.html

N/F: Nikon F mount

Hard to tell anything from your second set of pix.The lens looks wide open.Try flicking the aperture lever on the mount as you adjust the aperture.Could be oil on the aperture blades....Or the spring is stretched,broken or not connected.

This thread is about identifying Vivitar lenses and how the lens is rated...hardly a show and tell.

You would have better luck if you made a thread specific topic about your questions.


PostPosted: Mon Aug 06, 2012 3:53 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
enigmaticz wrote:
So can anybody help a newbie out with the questions on the two lenses I posted earlier?

Sorry if this is the wrong thread, seemed to be most appropriate but looks to be more show & tell at this point than Q&A

As Boomer says.

I did own the 24mm and it may just have been my copy, but it was rubbish.


PostPosted: Mon Aug 06, 2012 4:07 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
Thanks for the pointers, I'll try to get some life out of them and come back with some contributions if possible. Hopefully there's something salvageable here


PostPosted: Mon Aug 06, 2012 4:24 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
Vivitars are notorious for copy variation, I had two copies of the 28 serial 2.8/28 and one was very good, the other was a total dog, one of the worst lenses I ever owned. I also had a 2.3/135 that was garbage, while others have had great copies of that lens.

I guess the only way is to try a copy out and see how it is.


PostPosted: Tue Aug 07, 2012 4:43 am    Post subject: Auto VMC 55mm f/1.4 Reply with quote
Nice list, thanks for compiling it. I've had this Auto VMC 55mm f/1.4 for a while, have found very little about it, and didn't see it on the list, so here it is:













PostPosted: Tue Jan 27, 2015 7:00 am    Post subject: An early Vivitar 21mm? Reply with quote
I have a Vivitar Auto 21mm 3.8 in T mount. Most of the sites that talk about Vivitar serial numbers say that the Tokina numbers have 9 digits. But mine has 7. It starts 37021 and then has two more digits. Is this still Tokina? Too early for the serial numbering system? It looks well used, but the glass is fine. I can upload a photograph of it if there is any interest from a historical perspective.


PostPosted: Tue Jan 27, 2015 12:52 pm    Post subject: Re: An early Vivitar 21mm? Reply with quote
asharpe wrote:
I have a Vivitar Auto 21mm 3.8 in T mount. Most of the sites that talk about Vivitar serial numbers say that the Tokina numbers have 9 digits. But mine has 7. It starts 37021 and then has two more digits. Is this still Tokina? Too early for the serial numbering system? It looks well used, but the glass is fine. I can upload a photograph of it if there is any interest from a historical perspective.


t-mount or T4/TX mount?? If the latter they're all tokina.


PostPosted: Wed Jan 28, 2015 4:29 am    Post subject: Re: An early Vivitar 21mm? Reply with quote
marcusBMG wrote:
asharpe wrote:
I have a Vivitar Auto 21mm 3.8 in T mount. Most of the sites that talk about Vivitar serial numbers say that the Tokina numbers have 9 digits. But mine has 7. It starts 37021 and then has two more digits. Is this still Tokina? Too early for the serial numbering system? It looks well used, but the glass is fine. I can upload a photograph of it if there is any interest from a historical perspective.


t-mount or T4/TX mount?? If the latter they're all tokina.

Looks like a T4 mount, based on http://rick_oleson.tripod.com/index-99.html The inside of the mount (and the adapter, for that matter), have PATS.PEND on them. The adapter goes to M42.


PostPosted: Wed Feb 07, 2018 9:56 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
7 digit serial numbers is common on T4/TX

Last edited by wildlight images on Fri Feb 09, 2018 3:01 pm; edited 1 time in total


PostPosted: Thu Feb 08, 2018 12:55 am    Post subject: Reply with quote
wildlight images wrote:
7 digit serial numbers is common on T4/TX, and authenicated as Tokina since they invented these ic mounts


I have two Vivitar TX mount lenses, that I've attributed to Tokina because of the 37****** serial numbers, and the knowledge of people here on the forum. But they both have eight digit numbers. Question
Vivitar 200 / 3.5 and Vivitar 90-230 / 4.5 zoom.


PostPosted: Thu Feb 08, 2018 4:27 am    Post subject: Reply with quote
Lloydy wrote:

I have two Vivitar TX mount lenses, that I've attributed to Tokina because of the 37****** serial numbers, and the knowledge of people here on the forum. But they both have eight digit numbers. Question
Vivitar 200 / 3.5 and Vivitar 90-230 / 4.5 zoom.


I was not questioning anything at all, I was just commenting 7 digits is common on Vivitar T4/TX.

I have a Vivitar 35-70mm 3.5-4.5 with a 55mm filter and the lens does not show up up on any Vivitar list I can find, it is not a "28" Komine (about 3 versions), it is in the original box and coordinates with the 82-84 Vivitar era packaging scheme..... it has no special ending serial number "000" or "0003", is built like a Swiss watch (better than any 35-70 Viv I have seen, Tokina, or Cosina and even Yashica) and a very nice looking design well done, closer to leica/german styling than Japanese ...cosmetic appearance speaking, a more straighter cylindrical look ....then you read the code .."94"xxxxx, and you scratch your head and ask yourself "huh, Cosina?"


PostPosted: Tue Aug 28, 2018 10:52 am    Post subject: Vivitar 75-200mm 1:4.5 MC 42030179 ø55 (Bauer) Nikon AI Reply with quote
#1


#2


#3


PostPosted: Tue Aug 28, 2018 5:44 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
Don't know if it's of any interest to this thread, but I just received a Samyang 800mm f/8 mirror in T2 mount, which apparently was also re-badged as a Vivitar, and with it came a T2 mount 2x teleconverter which is badged "Vivitar Series 1" ... weird thing, never seen a T2 teleconverter before!


PostPosted: Mon Jun 10, 2019 3:21 am    Post subject: Reply with quote
Any thoughts about panagor PMC 80-200 4.5 macro 55mm filter serial number starting 81...? I found it should be Polar maker ,but no other info at all -


PostPosted: Mon Jun 10, 2019 5:17 am    Post subject: Reply with quote
kypfer wrote:
Don't know if it's of any interest to this thread, but I just received a Samyang 800mm f/8 mirror in T2 mount, which apparently was also re-badged as a Vivitar, and with it came a T2 mount 2x teleconverter which is badged "Vivitar Series 1" ... weird thing, never seen a T2 teleconverter before!


These days, "Vivitar" is just a name used for marketing purposes. Whatever the entity is that has the rights to the name in no way bears any resemblance to the Vivitar of the 60s through the 90s, where they actually designed many, if not most, of their optics. Nowadays, anything that sez "Vivitar" is just a rebadge of something else, most often Samyang.

I agree, I've never seen a T-mount teleconverter either. An easy way to make the TC a universal fit.


PostPosted: Mon Jun 10, 2019 4:12 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
cooltouch wrote:
kypfer wrote:
Don't know if it's of any interest to this thread, but I just received a Samyang 800mm f/8 mirror in T2 mount, which apparently was also re-badged as a Vivitar, and with it came a T2 mount 2x teleconverter which is badged "Vivitar Series 1" ... weird thing, never seen a T2 teleconverter before!


These days, "Vivitar" is just a name used for marketing purposes. Whatever the entity is that has the rights to the name in no way bears any resemblance to the Vivitar of the 60s through the 90s, where they actually designed many, if not most, of their optics. Nowadays, anything that sez "Vivitar" is just a rebadge of something else, most often Samyang.

I agree, I've never seen a T-mount teleconverter either. An easy way to make the TC a universal fit.


I've got a T2 teleconverter, IIRC when I brought it, it was described as M42, but perhaps I confusing it with many of the other T2 bits that have be mis-named. I'm not sure why I wanted it in either case, my M42 & T2 lenses are generally not sharp enough to work well with a TC.


PostPosted: Tue Jul 16, 2019 7:57 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
Looking through some of the odd lenses I've picked up in "box of old camera stuff" deals, I found this one, the Tele Vivitar 135 3.5:



It's got some interesting features - preset aperture, obviously, some sort of T-mount adapter to M42, a 46mm filter thread, and 15 aperture blades...



It's pretty good...decently sharp with nice "cotton candy" bokeh. The only 135 I've seen that's smaller is the Voigtlander Super-Dynarex, but that one doesn't have it's own aperture mechanism. This Vivitar is a bit on the heavy side though. Looks like 4-elements, and I think the second one is quite a hefty piece of glass.


PostPosted: Tue Jul 16, 2019 10:22 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
Reminds me of Komura in its appearance.
Glad you like it
Tom


PostPosted: Wed Jul 17, 2019 4:38 am    Post subject: Reply with quote
KEO wrote:
Looking through some of the odd lenses I've picked up in "box of old camera stuff" deals, I found this one, the Tele Vivitar 135 3.5:



It's got some interesting features - preset aperture, obviously, some sort of T-mount adapter to M42, a 46mm filter thread, and 15 aperture blades...



It's pretty good...decently sharp with nice "cotton candy" bokeh. The only 135 I've seen that's smaller is the Voigtlander Super-Dynarex, but that one doesn't have it's own aperture mechanism. This Vivitar is a bit on the heavy side though. Looks like 4-elements, and I think the second one is quite a hefty piece of glass.


I have a Vivitar 85mm f/1.8 looking like this one, with Tele Vivitar engraved in lens front and with serial number similar to your 135mm f/3.5.


PostPosted: Fri Jul 19, 2019 6:53 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
Oldhand wrote:
Reminds me of Komura in its appearance.
Glad you like it
Tom


Thanks, I'll research Komura a bit.

The build quality is quite good. It's a very solid lens - even the anodized metal feels high quality.

It's certainly seen some rough treatment though. Luckily the dings on the rim of the filter thread are not enough to negatively affect lens hoods or filters.

The worst thing is that the elements have - or had, in most cases - some sort of grimy film on them. I suspect a previous owner may have been a heavy smoker or something. The grime reminds me of the greasy film that coats the inside of windshields on cars that have been out in the sun a lot. That stuff comes from vapors that rise from plastic dashboards when they heat up. It's invisible most of the time, but in direct light it becomes visible as a bright white milkiness, and it takes a lot of hard scrubbing to get it off. It smears instead of washing away.

It took me about 45 minutes to clear the tiny rear element, and even then I didn't quite get all of it, though I will with subsequent cleanings.

EDIT: Yes, it looks a lot like the Komura. I wonder whether it's the same lens, since this Vivitar version sells for peanuts on ebay.


vivaldibow wrote:
I have a Vivitar 85mm f/1.8 looking like this one, with Tele Vivitar engraved in lens front and with serial number similar to your 135mm f/3.5.


Do you like it? I'd be willing to give something like that a try if I found one.


PostPosted: Sun Jul 21, 2019 5:09 am    Post subject: Reply with quote
KEO wrote:


vivaldibow wrote:
I have a Vivitar 85mm f/1.8 looking like this one, with Tele Vivitar engraved in lens front and with serial number similar to your 135mm f/3.5.


Do you like it? I'd be willing to give something like that a try if I found one.


I like it. If you search it, I have a thread here showing some of the sample photos.
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