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Vivitar 55mm f/1.4 VMC on Nikon D700
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PostPosted: Mon Sep 05, 2022 4:04 am    Post subject: Vivitar 55mm f/1.4 VMC on Nikon D700 Reply with quote

Today I took my Vivitar 55m f/1.4 for a ride on a nice Chevrolet Impala. I couldn't find much information on this lens online so I thought I'd share some images here, maybe someone knows something.

All images shot wide open.

1.


1b. 100% crop of the image above


2.


2b. 100% crop of the image above


3.


3b. 100% crop of the image above


I'm shooting with a Nikon D700 and this lens has an M42 mount. Because of the flange distance of the Nikon mount, I can only shoot subjects within a couple of feet. Despite this limitation, this lens is a lot of fun to play with.


PostPosted: Mon Sep 05, 2022 8:05 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Amazing; if it's the Cosina made one, is one of my favorite ever! Slightly dreaming wide open, ultra sharp stopped down 1 or 2 stops


PostPosted: Mon Sep 05, 2022 8:08 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

It is a Cosina made version of the well known Tomioka design.


PostPosted: Mon Sep 05, 2022 2:54 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Ultrapix wrote:
Amazing; if it's the Cosina made one, is one of my favorite ever! Slightly dreaming wide open, ultra sharp stopped down 1 or 2 stops

Serial number starts with 9 so I assume it's Cosina-made. I've only shot it wide open so far, I guess that's why I got one of these Very Happy

D1N0 wrote:
It is a Cosina made version of the well known Tomioka design.

The rear element is flat, so that makes sense.


PostPosted: Mon Sep 05, 2022 3:57 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Beautiful results!


PostPosted: Mon Sep 05, 2022 9:25 pm    Post subject: Chrome! Reply with quote

Great shots, invisible.

Like 1


D1N0 wrote:
It is a Cosina made version of the well known Tomioka design.

Did Tomioka have different designs for 55mm f/1.4 lenses?

When I searched, I found lens-db.com says the Tomioka Chinon 55 f/1.4 is 7 elements in 6 groups.
https://lens-db.com/tomioka-auto-chinon-55mm-f14/

And a Vivitar brochure I have says their 55mm f/1.4 is 7/5:

#1


PostPosted: Mon Sep 05, 2022 10:48 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

There is a lot of false info out there. allphotolenses Shows a 7/6 design for the Porst 55/1.4. I have that one, not opened it up but the diagram on allphotolenses shows a curved rear element. Mine is definitely flat. The Tomioka design is a 7/5 design. Sources that say otherwise are wrong. They started copying false info somewhere.

Porst diagram according to allphotolenses:


Super-Takumar 50/1.4 (7 element) according to Pentaxforums



Identical. The Takumar Diagram was used for the Porst. Those lenses are definitely not identical.


PostPosted: Tue Sep 06, 2022 1:12 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Exclamation The caption on the Porst diagram is "6/6"?! Is that more evidence the wrong diagram was used?


PostPosted: Tue Sep 06, 2022 5:51 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

D1N0 wrote:
There is a lot of false info out there.
. . .


Thanks for the explanation. Like 1 small


PostPosted: Tue Sep 06, 2022 9:19 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

visualopsins wrote:
Exclamation The caption on the Porst diagram is "6/6"?! Is that more evidence the wrong diagram was used?


No that's image 6 of 6 Wink


PostPosted: Tue Sep 06, 2022 9:41 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

invisible wrote:
Ultrapix wrote:
Amazing; if it's the Cosina made one, is one of my favorite ever! Slightly dreaming wide open, ultra sharp stopped down 1 or 2 stops

Serial number starts with 9 so I assume it's Cosina-made. I've only shot it wide open so far, I guess that's why I got one of these Very Happy



Of course, and usually I would agree at 100 %, but with this lens the stopped down rendering is something to taste Wink


PostPosted: Tue Sep 06, 2022 4:41 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Ultrapix wrote:
invisible wrote:
Ultrapix wrote:
Amazing; if it's the Cosina made one, is one of my favorite ever! Slightly dreaming wide open, ultra sharp stopped down 1 or 2 stops

Serial number starts with 9 so I assume it's Cosina-made. I've only shot it wide open so far, I guess that's why I got one of these Very Happy



Of course, and usually I would agree at 100 %, but with this lens the stopped down rendering is something to taste Wink

Just like the Zeiss 55/1.4. Wink


PostPosted: Tue Sep 06, 2022 10:48 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

I like the bokeh.


PostPosted: Wed Sep 07, 2022 9:11 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

caspert79 wrote:
Beautiful results!

55 wrote:
Great shots, invisible.

Thank you, I'm really happy with the results too.

Ultrapix wrote:
Of course, and usually I would agree at 100 %, but with this lens the stopped down rendering is something to taste Wink

Ah, great to know! I'll try other apertures hopefully this weekend.

blotafton wrote:
I like the bokeh.

I like its character, though I expected it to be smoother, not sure why.

Does anybody know if this lens exists in mounts other than M42? I'd love to get my mitts on a Nikon mount one day.


PostPosted: Thu Sep 08, 2022 4:21 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

invisible wrote:
. . .
Does anybody know if this lens exists in mounts other than M42? I'd love to get my mitts on a Nikon mount one day.


Unlikely as a Vivitar, I think. As far as I know, the 55mm f/1.4 was made as a match for Vivitar's early M42 mount SLR cameras - around 1974...

And when Vivitar's SLRs switched to Pentax K mount a few years later, I believe the 55mm f/1.4 became a 50mm f/1.4.


PostPosted: Fri Sep 09, 2022 12:58 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

55 wrote:
invisible wrote:
. . .
Does anybody know if this lens exists in mounts other than M42? I'd love to get my mitts on a Nikon mount one day.


Unlikely as a Vivitar, I think. As far as I know, the 55mm f/1.4 was made as a match for Vivitar's early M42 mount SLR cameras - around 1974...

And when Vivitar's SLRs switched to Pentax K mount a few years later, I believe the 55mm f/1.4 became a 50mm f/1.4.

Many thanks for this, even if you're the bearer of the bad news Wink


PostPosted: Fri Sep 09, 2022 6:43 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

In certain lenses, by making full use of the focus adjustment possibilities, infinity can be achieved even on thick cameras


PostPosted: Fri Sep 09, 2022 7:34 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

I'm trying to sort out all the names thrown around in this thread Razz

So lenses of this design are 7 elements in 5 groups with a flat outer surface on the rear element, and can be labeled as Vivitar, Chinon, and Porst, and perhaps Tomioka and Cosina? Is the Super Reflecta also of this design?

Thank you!


PostPosted: Sun Sep 25, 2022 10:15 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Ultrapix wrote:
Amazing; if it's the Cosina made one, is one of my favorite ever! Slightly dreaming wide open, ultra sharp stopped down 1 or 2 stops

I visited yet another vintage car show this weekend. Here's a photo with the aperture stopped down 1-2 stops (I don't remember the exact f/stop). The image has pre-sharpening but no final sharpening.



...and the 100% crop, with distorted self portrait:


This thing is pretty sharp and in my opinion the rendering is beautiful.

Ultrapix wrote:
In certain lenses, by making full use of the focus adjustment possibilities, infinity can be achieved even on thick cameras

Not sure what exactly was meant by this, please clarify. I'd be a very happy camper if I could achieve infitity with this lens on a Nikon DSLR.


PostPosted: Mon Sep 26, 2022 8:00 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

invisible wrote:


Ultrapix wrote:
In certain lenses, by making full use of the focus adjustment possibilities, infinity can be achieved even on thick cameras

Not sure what exactly was meant by this, please clarify. I'd be a very happy camper if I could achieve infitity with this lens on a Nikon DSLR.


Any lens has an infinity adjustment system. Often these are three screws that hold the focus ring in place, or they are sometimes hidden below the front ring that bears the inscriptions; in our case it is the former hypothesis. By loosening the three small screws, one can slide the focusing ring so that its travel "pushes" deeper into the optical assembly, as one would do with a lens that does not reach infinity. Now you have to do some testing to see:

1: how much travel the internal mechanics allows to gain
2: That the last lens does not go to interfere with the mirror (this is not the case)

Sometimes this excursion is sufficient, sometimes not, but in any case it extends the focusing range.


PostPosted: Tue Sep 27, 2022 2:39 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Ultrapix wrote:
invisible wrote:


Ultrapix wrote:
In certain lenses, by making full use of the focus adjustment possibilities, infinity can be achieved even on thick cameras

Not sure what exactly was meant by this, please clarify. I'd be a very happy camper if I could achieve infitity with this lens on a Nikon DSLR.


Any lens has an infinity adjustment system. Often these are three screws that hold the focus ring in place, or they are sometimes hidden below the front ring that bears the inscriptions; in our case it is the former hypothesis. By loosening the three small screws, one can slide the focusing ring so that its travel "pushes" deeper into the optical assembly, as one would do with a lens that does not reach infinity. Now you have to do some testing to see:

1: how much travel the internal mechanics allows to gain
2: That the last lens does not go to interfere with the mirror (this is not the case)

Sometimes this excursion is sufficient, sometimes not, but in any case it extends the focusing range.


Nice photos. Good know to the trick. My copy is supposed to on its way. It is a Cosina made lens. Will compare with my other 55mm/1.4 (also Cosina made).


PostPosted: Wed Sep 28, 2022 2:08 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Ultrapix wrote:
Any lens has an infinity adjustment system. Often these are three screws that hold the focus ring in place, or they are sometimes hidden below the front ring that bears the inscriptions; in our case it is the former hypothesis. By loosening the three small screws, one can slide the focusing ring so that its travel "pushes" deeper into the optical assembly, as one would do with a lens that does not reach infinity. Now you have to do some testing to see:

1: how much travel the internal mechanics allows to gain
2: That the last lens does not go to interfere with the mirror (this is not the case)

Sometimes this excursion is sufficient, sometimes not, but in any case it extends the focusing range.

Many thanks. I'm not the DIY type so I don't fell comfortable tinkering with the lens, but I'll keep these notes in mind.