Vivitar Series 1 28mm f1.9 M42

[Attila]

Just arrived today I am curious really how perform vs my previous 28mm lenses. This lens has floating elements

Previous ones:

Nikkor 28mm f2.8 AIS
Nikkor 28mm AI f3.5
Yashica ML 28mm f2.8
Carl Zeiss Jena II (Made by Japanese)
Pentacon 29mm
Some Meyer around this focal length
SMC Takumar 28mm f3.5
Olympus OM 28mm f2.8
Some other Vivitar

Till this time best ones was Nikkor 28mm f2.8 AIS+Olympus OM 28mm f2.8+Yashica 28mm ML f2.8+ Carl Zeiss Jena II

Basically I haven't seen significant differences.

I expect this Vivitar not reach above lenses quality. What you think ?

[Orio]

the floating element should insure better closeup performance. What is the minimum focusing distance?

[Attila]

0,3 m my Nikkor 28mm f2.8 AIS has 0,2 m.

[Orio]

0,3 is close enough to make good closeups, it will be interesting to see how well the floating element will improve closeup photos.

[Attila]

Let we see hopefully tomorrow we will have good weather and I able to go zoo. Japanese garden is a perfect place to test color rendering.

[F16SUNSHINE]

Congrats Attila. It is a Tokina built model. I'm very curious about your findings.

[Orio]

[patrickh]

This is reputed to be one of the "legends". Russ would know.



patrickh

[montecarlo]

http://photo.net/bboard/q-and-a-fetch-msg?msg_id=000WZ0

and there was a 35mm f:1.9 Vivitar too :

http://www.flickr.com/photos/bcostin/475124045/sizes/l/

[ChrisLilley]

1.9 max aparture means it could be sharper at 2.8 than the 2.8 max aperture ones.

Interested to see samples.

[LucisPictor]

It is fast! That is one big advantage, if the wide open setting is usable.
I have got a Porst 1.8/35 which is my fastest 35mm lens, but I hardly use it because my Nikkor and my Leica are much better (although they are "only" f2 anf f2.8 lenses). In film the Porst is great, you don't really see that it is not as sharp as the others and on film each stop you get is priceless.

I also have a Tokina made Vivitar, the 3.5/17, and I really like this lens!
Thus I would expect quite a lot from your new little gem.

[Attila]

I see only benefits from fast aperture at focusing I not expect sharp wide open captures.

[Attila]

I had a chance to use today, very handy, focusing a joy with fast lens. I thought this is a superb lens before I saw images. After all I am not sure, I will publish them soon.

http://forum.mflenses.com/vivitar-series-1-1-9-28mm-t8570.html

A bit soft at wide open this is not disturb me at available light at all. When stopped down to f5.6 it has nice sharpness. It has nice color rendering in my opinion. I think this lens is a very good one even if not reach best Nikkor lenses quality.

[Screamin Scott]

Attila,
The Vivitar 24 F2 & 28 F2 also have the "floating" elements for improved close focuing

[F16SUNSHINE]

Scott,
I have a Kiron made Viv 2/24. Is this the floating element model? I had a Komine made 2/24 also but recently sold it.

[Screamin Scott]

As far as I know, all of the F2 24 & 28mm varieties had the "floating" elements...This is a copy of the 3rd party lens megasite & they mention it here as well.....Scroll down to the 24mm F2 in the Vivitar section & you will see where it is mentioned

http://bbs.dartmouth.edu/~fangq/blog/index.cgi?note/photo/3PartyLens

[Attila]

I opened this lens it has floating element that for sure.

[no-X]

Mine arrived today



good:

• very sharp
  
• very fast
  
• almost no glows
  
• close-focusing (less than 30 cm)
  
• very pleasant focusing
  
• solid construction, exact infinity
  
• good sharpness wide-opened, only lower contrast
  
• very sharp (one more time )
  

not good:

• CA, sometimes low, sometimes very significant
  
• disturbing OOF lights (wide-opened), disctracts bokeh
  
• front part of the lens turns over when focusing (not good for PL filters)
  

other: specific (maybe lower) contrast - a bit similar to Helios 44-2. It's extremely difficult to overexposure, so you can take very overexposed images and capture very high dynamic range, which could be utilized during RAW conversion (even for single-shot HDR image).


all close-up shots are taken at f/1.9, anything else at f/5.6 - f/8


close-up:




other:




semi-HDR image from 1 shot (overexposure + specific RAW conversion)




mild back-light:




hard back-light:




flares:




other:




full resolution (without sharpening)

[Attila]

So many beautiful samples, I especially like where is sky dominated.

[poilu]

congrats no-X!
wow! arrived today and already so many nice shots!

[A G Photography]

[no-X]

Thanks. But I'm just a constant beginner. The main factor is my Foveon-based SD14, good lens a hand-made RAW conversion. Maybe it was todays very specific weather. I live in central Europe, but thanks to some interesting meteorologic effects (which I don't understand) a mass of very clear oceanic air got here and created very nice sky

[Attila]

In which country ? Please show it in your profile!

[no-X]

Done

[Attila]

Cool! Thanks! I don't know we have any other members from your country or you are alone. I would like to see more. I would like to see sometimes your beautiful capital city Prague.