testing my lenses - part 56 - Vivitar 70-300mm/4.2-5.8

WolverineX

samples with Olympus E-520

WolverineX · Posted: Tue Nov 20, 2012 10:42 pm Post subject:

new samples with Olympus E-M5

Minolfan · Joined: 30 Dec 2008 Posts: 3437 Location: Netherlands

I didn't know about this lens. Your results are surprisingly good!

WolverineX · Posted: Tue Nov 20, 2012 11:33 pm Post subject:

Lloydy · Expire: 2022-01-01

That's another lens on my 'wanted' list ! Laughing

Those are very impressive results. Who said zooms are bad ?

WolverineX · Posted: Wed Nov 21, 2012 12:01 am Post subject:

and you can get this one real cheap. right now there are several auctions on ebay for this lens (couple of them from UK) with prices from 12 to 20$

hifisapi · Joined: 25 Sep 2012 Posts: 941 Location: USA

Ive never heard of this lens, but the results are self evident. Excellent that is....

Nikonshooter · Posted: Wed Nov 21, 2012 7:35 am Post subject:

Wow this lens is really nice. I didn't really think that it would be that good. How you think it compares to the Vivitar 70-210 3.5?
With results like that no wonder it's a Series 1 lens. I really wish Vivitar would go back to making great lens like this. I really love some of them.

WolverineX · Posted: Wed Nov 21, 2012 8:21 am Post subject:

Nikonshooter · Posted: Wed Nov 21, 2012 8:41 am Post subject:

Olivier · Expire: 2015-08-06

Yes. It seems to be a very good lens.

jrsilva · Joined: 06 Dec 2012 Posts: 117 Location: Portugal

Hello.

Really impressive photos.
I've purchased one of these Vivitar 70-300 zoom about 2 weeks ago and made only a few test shots with my Panasonic G1, but I didn't get any good results as you did.
I can't get pictures to stay properly in focus and sharpen.
Maybe I need to put the camera on a tripod.
Do you have taken these pictures hand held or using a tripod?
Also, the picture of the bird on the tree was taken only with the Vivitar 70-300 or using a teleconverter?
How bad or good are the results when using a 2x teleconverter with this zoom?

Thank you

WolverineX · Posted: Sat Dec 08, 2012 11:06 am Post subject:

jrsilva · Joined: 06 Dec 2012 Posts: 117 Location: Portugal

Thank's for your reply.
I wanted to say 70-300mm. It was a mistake.
I really can't get those results with my Panasonic G1 and I'm disappointed. Maybe because it does not have IS on the body.
I got better results with my Panasonic G Vario 45-200mm f/4-5.6 and the focal distance is not that different.
But looks like that Vivitar does a good job on Olympus cameras.

WolverineX · Posted: Sat Dec 08, 2012 1:24 pm Post subject:

well, this lens is surprise to me, i got it as a part of huge lot of lenses and cameras and when i tried it i was pleasant surprise. i especially like close focus ability , at 300mm you can focus as close as 1,5 meter which is for 300mm very close, usually it's around 4 meters.

keep practising and you'll be able to focus more precisely and get better results

jrsilva · Joined: 06 Dec 2012 Posts: 117 Location: Portugal

Thank's for sharing your experience.
I will keep taking more shots with mine Vivitar 70-300 and see what I got

FotoPete · Joined: 20 Nov 2012 Posts: 126

Great shots, seems like the lens can definitely hold its own! Kudos on the MF on an E520, its hard enough to focus with crop bodies manually as it is!

gLOW-x · Joined: 21 Jan 2016 Posts: 39

Thanks for all your tests, again !

Looking at those examples, i bought one.
I'm curious Wink

Mine don't deliver like that (EM10) : PF all over the place (more at 300mm), even at f8.
Focused to infinity (on tripod, focus on digital zoom, 2s timer...), when i get from 200mm to 300mm, i gain nothing resolution wise.
I can upscale the same scene at 200mm to 300mm equivalent FOV and get the same resolution than real 300mm.
A kind of "bad TC" effect Very Happy

Even funnier : i can take my old 200mm 3.5 Tamron Adaptall 1, upscale it to 300mm and get better results than my copy at 300mm (no PF, better sharpness).

I wonder if it is related to infinity focus, compared to your shots at medium distance, did you reducer focal length to 200-250...or i just got a lemon lens ?

Any advice is welcome Wink

PS : For now, i will use my old Tamron. Very impressed by this old lady (CT-200). Especially no CA/PF.

WolverineX · Posted: Tue Mar 01, 2016 2:31 pm Post subject:

gLOW-x · Joined: 21 Jan 2016 Posts: 39

I have another possible explanation. There are (at least) two versions.

Mine is this one :

#1

And there is this one :

#2

There seems to be more than "grip" difference, even if specs and front text is the same Wink

WolverineX · Posted: Thu Mar 10, 2016 8:25 am Post subject:

gLOW-x · Joined: 21 Jan 2016 Posts: 39

Thanks for your help !

Craig · Joined: 10 Mar 2016 Posts: 4 Location: Ohio, USA

Along these lines, just need to keep in mind that Vivitar not only often had more than model of a particular lens but they often had different manufacturs. For example, the Series 1 70-210 had 4 different models manufactured by 4 different companies and each model was slightly different. As good as this lens was, some models were better than others.

jbalfour · Joined: 19 Mar 2015 Posts: 12 Location: Mebane, NC, USA

spakkker · Joined: 19 Jul 2014 Posts: 20 Location: East Yorks. UK

Thank you for all these tests.
My friend's e-m10 gives noticably better results than my e-pm2 gives with the same lens !! Same sensor both cameras.
The picture sets you update taken by e-m5 also seem to have noticeably better image quality always.
I don't use my old 1st gen m4/3 bodies any more.
Photographer can make some difference's also - look what Luisallegria does with cheapo lenses.
Regards to all