28mm lens test: Vivitar vs. Vivitar vs. Vivitar, Chapter One

[Ivan Lee]

My Vivitar collection is growing, today I made a small test with my three 28mm Vivitars, a Kiron made f2.5, a Komine made f2.8 and a Tokina made f2.8

I also threw in there a Polar 28mm f2.8 and a Minolta 28mm f2

Sorry for not making a chart with the crops side by side (I don't have Photoshop here)

and sorry again for the boring image and the overexposed sky (I thought it was nice for testing for CA)

All photos taken in a tripod, with timer, in a Lumix G1, edited on Bibble 5

Links to full samples

Vivitar (Kiron) f/2.5 --> http://img138.imageshack.us/img138/5854/vivitarkiron28mmf25.jpg

Vivitar (Kiron) f/4 --> http://img28.imageshack.us/img28/2718/vivitarkiron28mmf4.jpg

Vivitar (Kiron) f/5.6 --> http://img338.imageshack.us/img338/3974/vivitarkiron28mmf56.jpg

Vivitar (Komine) f/2.8 --> http://img338.imageshack.us/img338/60/vivitarkomine28mmf28.jpg

Vivitar (Komine) f/4 --> http://img185.imageshack.us/img185/2522/vivitarkomine28mmf4.jpg

Vivitar (Komine) f/5.6 --> http://img185.imageshack.us/img185/2483/vivitarkomine28mmf56.jpg

Vivitar (Tokina) f/2.8 --> http://img340.imageshack.us/img340/1923/vivitartokina28mmf28.jpg

Vivitar (Tokina) f/4 --> http://img340.imageshack.us/img340/8328/vivitartokina28mmf4.jpg

Vivitar (Tokina) f/5.6 --> http://img684.imageshack.us/img684/4384/vivitartokina28mmf56.jpg

continue...

[Ivan Lee]

Polar f/2.8 --> http://img28.imageshack.us/img28/7942/polar28mmf28.jpg

Polar f/4 --> http://img28.imageshack.us/img28/2701/polar28mmf4.jpg

Polar f/5.6 --> http://img202.imageshack.us/img202/3423/polar28mmf56.jpg

Minolta f/2 --> http://img6.imageshack.us/img6/9844/minolta28mmf2.jpg

Minolta f/2.8 --> http://img6.imageshack.us/img6/1313/minolta28mmf28.jpg

Minolta f/4 --> http://img444.imageshack.us/img444/9756/minolta28mmf4.jpg

Minolta f/5.6 --> http://img444.imageshack.us/img444/9679/minolta28mmf56.jpg


My final impressions:

I'm not very impressed with the Vivitar Kiron, it's not super sharp, but at least the CA is low.
The Komine version is very sharp, but has lots of CA
The Tokina is very soft wide open but sharpens nicely stopped down.
The Polar is garbage, and the Minolta is the clear winner, very sharp at wider apertures, almost no CA and has the best color rendition

hope you liked

[no-X]

Thanks for the test!

It's quite strange, that my result with Komine and Kiron were exactly opposite Difference was smaller than on you samples, but Kiron was a bit less sharp and had a bit more CA.

So... my Kiron was lemon copy or your Komine is a lemon

Any other owner of Komine 28/2.8 + Kiron 28/2.5 who could make a comparision?

[woodrim]

Was the Komine by chance the Close Focus model?

[Scheimpflug]

[Screamin Scott]

Scheimpflug,

The Panagor was likely made by Kino (aka Kiron) unless it was a late model which could have been made by Tokina (Panagor was the marketing name for Kino in Europe)...After it's demise, Tokina marketed some lenses under the Panagor label. The Tamron was made by Tamron & the Soligor could have been made by Kino, tokina, Komine or others....Aphot of it may help determine it's lineage...

Ivan Lee,
Looking at the lenses listed, it's no suprise that the Minolta was the best....It cost the most when new as well (by a large margin at that)

[Scheimpflug]

[Scheimpflug]

Any thoughts?

Thanks.

[Screamin Scott]

Hard to say for certain...I'd venture to guess it was made for Soligor by Tokina...

[Scheimpflug]

Thanks. So what I actually have then is:
* Soligor 28/2.8, probably made by Tokina
* Tamron 28/2.8, made by Tamron.
* Panagor 28/2.5, made by Kino/Kiron
?

Also, if you had to take a guess at a rank from best to worst, how would you rank them? I would love to do a full comparison like Ivan Lee, but at the moment the Soligor is the only one with a stable mount on it. The Panagor in particular would take some permanent modification, possibly some machining to get a Nikon mount on it for me to test it. If it was a better lens, it might be worth it....

Thanks

[woodrim]

I would like to see the Vivitar Close Focus in Ivan's test.

[Ivan Lee]

[Excalibur]

***Komine 2.8/28 is average lens. very high CA at wide open and average sharpness.***

Huh! "only average", you're hard to please......I would say it's "very good".

[no-X]

Is Komine 28/2.8 and Komine Close-Focus 28/2.8 different lens? I thought the change of name was just a marketing decision and not an optical change... but these results could signify different optical design.

According to my experience Komine 28/2.8 was better than S-M-C Takumar 28/3.5, Vivitar/Kiron 28/2.5 and Focal 28/2.8.

Vivitar/Tokina Series 1 28/1.9 was sharper, but with more CA. I'll make some comparision to S-M-C Pentax 28/2.0 (Hollywood) in future.

[woodrim]

I have collected a few Close Focus versions. I couldn't find an M42 version, so I kept buying others in search of a good candidate for mount conversion. I have a Minolta mount which is no good for a conversion; a Fujica X which is a good candidate; and an OM which looks to be a better candidate. However, I have yet to complete a conversion (soon). I have been able to try out the Minolta version by use of a mount converted with element. I wasn't expecting much because of the element. but it surprised me by being better than expected. I can only believe the direct mount will be better yet. And yes, the Close Focus is a different lens.

[no-X]

Interesting, thanks...

That would mean: Komine 28/2.8 < Kiron 28/2.5 < Komine Close-Focus 28/2.8

[aleksanderpolo]

How to tell whether it is close focus or regular Komine? Any pics?

[woodrim]

It says "Close Focus" along with everything else on the front.

[Screamin Scott]

I have been trying to get one of the "Close Focus" versions on eBay for awhile in Nikon mount...They mostly show up as BIN @ overinflated prices...I've got a few other Komine made close focusing lenses (135mm F2.8 & 90mm F2.8 macro) but would like to get a copy of this one...The shots I have seen taken with it are intriguing..

[Boomer Depp]

I find the lens intriguing as well Scott,and like the saturation better then the Nikon 28mm f2.8 AI-S.....it's sharpness is also better then expected....

Woodrim is correct,the Close Focus version is different optically then the other Vivitar versions of the 28mm f2.8 lens.The Komine Close Focus 28mm f2.8 and the Komine RL Edition Close Focus are identical optically,the RL Edition had an extended six year warranty as a marketing ploy.

[Boomer Depp]

BTW...for those who haven't seen "The Great Vivitar 28mm Bestiary"

The list of Vivitar 28mm lenses so far...
http://photografica.robinparmar.com/vivitar.html

...and for those who have a little extra time ....

The thread that started the Bestiary...
http://www.pentaxforums.com/forums/pentax-slr-lens-discussion/34654-vivitar-28mm-fa31mm-replacement.html

[aniramca]

Scheimpflug

You Panagor lens looks exactly like my Vivitar 28mm f/2.5 The writing, the shape of the barrel and the tip looks exactly the same. And this Vivitar 28mm F/2.5 of mine is very sharp. It is sharper than another Vivitar that I have 28mm with F/2.8 (which for some reason, I believe that it is a Komine lens). The F/2.8 lens is made of plastic, small and light. The 28mm f/2.5 is heavy and metal mount.

[Scheimpflug]

That's interesting, aniramca. What mount is your lens? My Panagor is a Canon FD mount, which doesn't show up in the Vivitar list in the page that Boomer Depp linked to a few posts up...

[no-X]

Some time ago I posted this comparision

left-upper edge (sharpness):




right-down egde (CA):



the Komine Vivitar is close-focus MC model

[aniramca]

Scheimpflug

Mine is a Nikon mount. Here are photos of the lens and samples