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Kiron 2.8/105 Macro
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PostPosted: Thu Apr 07, 2011 10:43 pm    Post subject: Kiron 2.8/105 Macro Reply with quote

On a Pentax K10D:


Kiron 105 Macro Closeup - IMGP4187 by indianadinos, on Flickr



Kiron 105 Macro Closeup - IMGP4174 by indianadinos, on Flickr


PostPosted: Sat May 26, 2012 6:05 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

WOW Dino, I didn't notice this post !

It seems to be a great macro lens. Smile


PostPosted: Sat May 26, 2012 6:14 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

It's not just great, it most be top 3 all time best. I so want it, unfortunately it seems to come only in "weird" mounts that won't suit Canon such as FD or MD mount.


PostPosted: Sat May 26, 2012 6:54 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

ChromaticAberration wrote:
It's not just great, it most be top 3 all time best. I so want it, unfortunately it seems to come only in "weird" mounts that won't suit Canon such as FD or MD mount.


Losing infinity on a macro lens seems a small inconvenience Wink


PostPosted: Sat May 26, 2012 8:40 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Well yeah, I see your point.
If I were to buy one It would definitively be my dedicated macro but I would still like to use some tubes probably, that means having to adapt the "weird" mount back to m42 to use with my tubes. Always a pain in the ass. But one day.. one day!


PostPosted: Sun May 27, 2012 8:04 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Want to add a shot to this gallery - straight from the camera no PP, MD -> MAF adapter that adds some mm of extension was used.


Spanish Marguerite by rlauge, on Flickr

This is the only macro lens I have owned so I have no comparison, but I am very impressed by it.


PostPosted: Mon Oct 22, 2012 9:48 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

ChromaticAberration wrote:
It's not just great, it most be top 3 all time best. I so want it, unfortunately it seems to come only in "weird" mounts that won't suit Canon such as FD or MD mount.

hehe, I got nikon version for about $240. Just a little bit stiff on the focusing ring though.


PostPosted: Mon Oct 22, 2012 7:16 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Olivier wrote:
WOW Dino, I didn't notice this post !

It seems to be a great macro lens. Smile


Thanks Olivier ... I too i didn't notice all these replies, actually, i'm spending most of my time with my new ... toys Wink ...


ChromaticAberration wrote:
It's not just great, it most be top 3 all time best. I so want it, unfortunately it seems to come only in "weird" mounts that won't suit Canon such as FD or MD mount.


AFAIK, it was available in M42 mount, too ... And, anyway, there are adapters from Pentax to EOS (although you have to do some reversible surgery on the lens) ...


fuzzywuzzy wrote:

Losing infinity on a macro lens seems a small inconvenience Wink


+1 ...


From time to time there is one available from local sellers here, usually in P/K-A or Canon FD mount ... If someone is interested, i can keep an eye on it ...


PostPosted: Tue Oct 23, 2012 10:12 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Im getting this lens in pentax k mount, very pleased to see some previous experiences with the lens.
thanks, regards,

Margriet


PostPosted: Thu May 23, 2013 10:32 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

I have been using this lens now for some time and I love it! After cleaning some inside dust and haze it quickly became my favorite macrolens, I think it even might be better than my panagor 90mm...

With use of extension ring (pentax helicoid)


Evarcha falcata - bonte springspin - 06 uitsnede by margreetz, on Flickr

Just the Kiron:


Anthocharis cardamines - oranjetipje by margreetz, on Flickr


PostPosted: Thu May 23, 2013 5:30 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Again : WOW ! Shocked

This lens really shines... especially in the hands of very good photographers, like here. Smile


Last edited by Olivier on Fri May 24, 2013 9:59 am; edited 2 times in total


PostPosted: Thu May 23, 2013 6:56 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Reflections in spider eyes - just WOW!


PostPosted: Thu May 23, 2013 8:08 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

pavko wrote:
Reflections in spider eyes - just WOW!

+1


PostPosted: Wed May 29, 2013 3:37 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Olivier wrote:
Again : WOW ! Shocked

This lens really shines... especially in the hands of very good photographers, like here. Smile


pavko wrote:
Reflections in spider eyes - just WOW!


Attila wrote:
pavko wrote:
Reflections in spider eyes - just WOW!

+1


I'm sorry not to answer more quickly; Thanks to all so much for the nice compliments! This lens is one of the better macro lenses I have used. Maybe the 50mm takumar preset is equal in clarity and sharpness, but f4 and 50mm ... 100mm gets more use with the bugs!

Since I posted these pictures my pentax K5 body has broken Crying or Very sad luckily still in warranty period but now I'll have to do with an older pentax body I own, the K10d ... I purchased some new reverse mounting ring to stack a lens on the Kiron and go for the smaller insects with external flash so I won't need the high iso performance so much (which is the reason I got the K5).

kind regards,

Margriet


PostPosted: Sat Jun 29, 2013 12:57 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

This is an awesome lens indeed.

One of my older shots:


- Tom


PostPosted: Sat Jun 29, 2013 3:39 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

ChromaticAberration wrote:
It's not just great, it most be top 3 all time best. I so want it, unfortunately it seems to come only in "weird" mounts that won't suit Canon such as FD or MD mount.


I have this same lens, but labeled as a Vivitar Series 1. I found mine in Nikon mount. Look for it also under the label "Lester Dine." I dunno, maybe Nikon-mount Kirons are more rare? Chances are more likely that people who own them don't sell them.

There's one on eBay right now with a BIN of $240. Not a bad price for that lens. There is some sort of strange contraption mounted to the front of it, but I'm sure that can be threaded off.

Click here to see on Ebay

As for it being one of the top 3, I dunno about that. Some time back, I did a test of three macro lenses and one zoom: the Vivitar 105/2.5, the Tamron SP 90/2.5, Micro-Nikkor 55/3.5, and a Tamron SP 60-300mm f/3.8-5.4. I included the zoom because it gets down to 1:1.55 in macro mode. You can read my results here at my blog:

http://michaelmcbroom.com/blogistan/?p=56

(you have to click twice on each image to view it full size)

My conclusion regarding the Vivitar/Kiron was that, while it is an excellent lens, and has value because it goes all the way down to 1:1, it was not the sharpest of the bunch. In fact, in a couple of the examples, the Tamron 60-300 zoom was sharper. It also exhibited more chromatic aberrations than the Tamron 90 or the Micro Nikkor 55.


PostPosted: Mon Sep 19, 2016 12:29 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

On Canon 50D.
For me these is very good lens. Of course it could do better, but I'm posting them as an example of what the lens can do in a beginner's hand.

#1


#2


Last edited by lucca1x on Tue Sep 20, 2016 7:32 am; edited 1 time in total


PostPosted: Mon Sep 19, 2016 3:17 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Like 1 Like 1 Like 1


PostPosted: Mon Sep 19, 2016 4:35 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Like 1 Like 1 Like 1

Can still be found as "Lester Dine" 105mm for little... (was an adaption for medical doctors)


PostPosted: Tue Sep 20, 2016 4:59 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

You're doing very well for a "beginner," lucca. Keep 'em coming.

kds315* wrote:


Can still be found as "Lester Dine" 105mm for little... (was an adaption for medical doctors)


To be precise, Lester Dine made (and still makes, I believe) a complete kit for dentists. It consisted of a camera, the Kiron macro, and a ring flash, usually a Yuso brand flash. The cameras were usually amateur-oriented Nikons. I've seen Dine kits with the N60 and N80. Interesting choice of cameras, considering the Kiron is manual focus. The lens usually had printed information on the barrel to assist the dentist in optimum focus and magnification for specific areas of the mouth. My Kiron-made Vivitar S1 105mm f/2.5 has this information printed on paper, which was glued to the barrel. I'm not certain, but I believe the Lester Dine labeled lenses had this information etched into the barrel. Perhaps someone here who has a Dine-labeled lens can clarify this.

Here are a few more. Shot with my old 10.1mp Canon XS (1000D) DSLR at ISO 100:















PostPosted: Tue Sep 20, 2016 8:23 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Beside Kiron, Lester Dine and Vivitar I think it was available under the Soligor, Rikenon and Rolleinar brands. I also read somewhere that Vivitar had a 100mm 2.8 and a 105mm f2.5( wonder why f2.5?). Kiron branded lens must have had more than one version; I'm saying this because I've tried to swap the front element from my PK mount Kiron - which has a minor scratch - with the one from another Kiron in Nikon mount - with destroyed rear element, and found that the sizes of the two front elements where different, so no swap ...

I found a few more taken with 50D:

#1


#2


#3


#4


PostPosted: Tue Sep 20, 2016 12:19 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Very good macro shots !