Vivitar (komine) 35mm f2.8 - M42 mount

marcusBMG · Joined: 07 Dec 2012 Posts: 1318 Location: Conwy N Wales

There are quite a few references to the tokina made 35mm lenses, both TX and fixed mount, but hardly any to this lens so I was prompted to put in a bid to satisfy my curiosity.

Nice lens in good condition. And first impressions are favourable (pentax K5).

WNG555 · Joined: 18 Dec 2014 Posts: 784 Location: Arrid-Zone-A, USA

Very nice results. These Komine-made 35mm f/2.8 don't pop up often. When I was searching to buy a 35mm, it was mostly the Tokina version that was readily available (and as other brands). I ended up going that route, but was also curious how the Komine would stack up. The Tokina fixed M42 and T4 versions are excellent, and appear to be classic 7x7 formula lenses. This one is quite shorter, possibly a 5x5? The landscape is quite good. I wouldn't expect such if it's a 5x5.

Thanks for sharing!

papasito · Joined: 09 Jan 2015 Posts: 1662

There are some economical 35 mm lenses.

The soligor T4 (tokina?) made in vivitar brand too.

The konica is another good one.

How can compare you any or both lenses with yours.

Thanks.

WNG555 · Joined: 18 Dec 2014 Posts: 784 Location: Arrid-Zone-A, USA

marcusBMG · Joined: 07 Dec 2012 Posts: 1318 Location: Conwy N Wales

The 35mm lenses I can make some comparison with because I had them, are the Mir 1, an early preset t-mount vivitar 35mm f3.5, a soligor preset t-mount 35mm f2.8, and my DA 35mm f2.4. The t-mounts were quite decent stopped down but soft wide open. The Mir (= soviet flektogon), an early silver M39 one, required a lot of pp for dull contrast and overall I didn't think it was giving me anything particularly more than eg my adaptall 01A 35-80mm.
I will do some more considered comparison with my DA.

!Karen · Joined: 20 Jul 2013 Posts: 836 Location: Belgium Baby

I bought one of these today in sr mount. Looks very decent, nice photos!

marcusBMG · Joined: 07 Dec 2012 Posts: 1318 Location: Conwy N Wales

Well the sun came out and I had time to get some comparison pics with the DA35. These are from RAW, just same default settings (contrast 25, sharpness 25, 0 on everything else) for all the pics apart from slight exposure adjustments. I used AF with the DA.

Landscape f2.8; f4; f5.6; f8:

Crops

DA35 - f2.4

Resolution very similar IMO, both lenses a bit soft. Colours slightly brighter and more contrasty on the DA - no surprise with much more modern coatings. Some glow/halo around white reflective objects like the white boat with the vivitar. Water colour more natural with the DA.

DA35 - f8 edit as for the warmer colour i just checked back in LR and the WB temp was 6100 as opposed to 5500 with the viv, so that's the camera (mostly).

Glow/halos on viv mostly gone at f4, and both lenses nice and sharp from f5.6. However the DA is marginally but distinctly sharper, and previous observations re colours, contrast still pertain.

Castle, somewhat backlit.

Vivitar showed more, and more persistent, CA than the DA, in the form purplish seepage into the castle turrets (the most difficult CA to remove I think, I have usually had to resort to dropping the luminance and saturation for purple on the HSL sliders in LR3 to ameliorate this sort of CA - do you know different?). The DA exhibited a thin red fringe down the right sides of turrets.

DA35 f2.4

Resolution wise f2.8 vs f2.4 I thought the viv was actually a bit better on this shot, and also at f4.

DA35 f8

That purple seepage reduced steadily through f4, and was mostly gone by f5.6. Little to choose between the two lenses resolution wise at the middling f's.
I also took pics from the south side of the castle but when I examined them I noticed that the shutter speeds on the pics from the viv went 1/1250; 1/125; 1/160; 1/125! Something amiss there! Maybe I'll try again.
But in any case in most respects the viv keeps up well with the DA, which, although it's priced as a consumer prime, has a good rep for sharpness. I think this komine 35mm is a keeper.

marcusBMG · Joined: 07 Dec 2012 Posts: 1318 Location: Conwy N Wales

Just won a TX vivitar 35mm, interestingly and unusually an f2.5 (was I bidding against one of you guys??). So when that arrives I'll do some more pics with that and the komine on my 20MPx samsung.

I have now noticed that Kino (kiron) also made a viv 35mm (22xxxx serial)

casualcollector · Posted: Sun Jul 05, 2015 4:15 pm Post subject:

2.5/35 is the first generation TX. 2.8/35 is the later, compact version and may be less common.

marcusBMG · Joined: 07 Dec 2012 Posts: 1318 Location: Conwy N Wales

marcusBMG · Joined: 07 Dec 2012 Posts: 1318 Location: Conwy N Wales

I took the viv 35mm and the samsung NX20 on an afternoon stroll around Deganwy Castle (site of). Very impressed with the resolution of the results at f5.6 - f11.

crop.

WNG555 · Joined: 18 Dec 2014 Posts: 784 Location: Arrid-Zone-A, USA

Not aware of or familiar with the f/2.5 version. Only the f/2.8. Can you post a few pics of the lens?

It looks like another winner. I love the results from my f/2.8 T4 version.

casualcollector · Posted: Mon Jul 06, 2015 4:58 am Post subject:

marcusBMG · Joined: 07 Dec 2012 Posts: 1318 Location: Conwy N Wales

Well the tokina made TX mount vivtar 35mm f2.5 arrived, here it is with a matching M42 mount side by side with the komine. The TX is also a really nice vivitar, lovely smooth focus, and it focusses to 27cm as opposed to 40cm on the komine. I did have a bit of bother removing the minolta tx mount.

I took some comparison pics with the Pentax K5 on the south side of the castle. From RAW, minor exposure adjust otherwise default lightroom settings only. TX 35mm crops first.

At f2.5 vs f2.8 the komine was comfortably sharper, and it was noticeable how the TX was softer at the edges - even on apsc. However the TX was much better re fringing/CA.

At f4 the komine ws still sharper.

At f8 IQ had converged but I would still tend to favour the komine.

Komine all the way .. but now I'll have to do some close focus pics.

marcusBMG · Joined: 07 Dec 2012 Posts: 1318 Location: Conwy N Wales

Some close focus results. Centre crops, wide open and f5.6, samsung NX20, Vivitar TX top, komine below.

marcusBMG · Joined: 07 Dec 2012 Posts: 1318 Location: Conwy N Wales

I decided to get a check on the castle comparison with my NX20. Results proved to be consistent.

Crops f2.8/2.5; f4; f5.6; f8; f11. Komine 35mm top.

I find the performance of the TX 35mm disappointing off centre, centre crops were close in quality f5.6 up (though for me looking at the full sized images side by side the komine still edges it). Is your TX 35mm better than this?

WNG555 · Joined: 18 Dec 2014 Posts: 784 Location: Arrid-Zone-A, USA

The Komine's results are better than the TX. The sharpness is significant!

I just found what I suspect is a Komine version on evilBay this weekend. The seller's photos weren't good and there is a CPL obscuring the front of the lens. But it looks physically like yours, but for a Canon FD mount. A 'Buy it Now' with a price I couldn't risk hesitating on. Should arrive tomorrow afternoon.

And will do a similar comparison to my T4 and M42 Tokina/Vivitars.

Addendum:
The Vivitar lens arrived late yesterday and I was fortunately correct, it's a Komine!
Albeit with decades of dust on it. But it cleaned up nicely and the elements are clean and clear.
Initial test shots indicate it's a nice sharp copy like yours! Relieved and thrilled.

marcusBMG · Joined: 07 Dec 2012 Posts: 1318 Location: Conwy N Wales

I picked up another example of the komine Vivitar 35mm 2.8, this time in PK mount for convenient use on my K5. Cost a bit more than the first one - some numpty had written a review on Pentax Forums giving it 9/10, noted I suspect by multifarious ebay scavengers...
Same performance though: soft at f2.8, good from f5.6. I was on Benarth Hill taking some test pics of the castle with some adaptalls and other lenses so fired off a sequence with it. This is at f8, exported from LR3.6 - quasi panoramic crop, just relatively minor contrast/clarity boost, slight exposure and WB (lens is a tad "cool") adjust, sharpen +50.
The bridges to the R of the castle are well known as the "test cases" for the much bigger versions of, respectively, the Telford box construction railway bridge (burnt down 1970, bridge rebuilt with arches and road deck), the Stevenson suspension bridge over the Menai Straits.
Worth a look full sized.