Vivitar S1 105 2.5 Nikon mount

F16SUNSHINE · Expire: 2011-11-18

Is this really Kiron made? Looks like new Cosina model.

Click here to see on Ebay

hiep · Joined: 16 Dec 2007 Posts: 80 Location: Tustin, California

As long as the serial is 22XXXXX, then it's from Kiron. I would say it's the same one as the Lester Dine. But Cosina, i'm not aware of any new 105mm macro. By the way, this one is a tad faster than the kiron one (2.5 vs. 2. Cool

. Personally i like the feel of this one better than the Kiron although the focus ring might be more stiff at time.

Attila · Expire: 2021-11-18

Looks like Kiron , shape and serial both are says. VMC started with 28xxx (Tokina)

patrickh · Expire: 2011-11-18

I have one and it is a great lens - one of my favourite macros.

patrickh

Screamin Scott · Posted: Fri Jan 11, 2008 6:39 pm Post subject:

I'm late getting in on this but as mentioned above, all Kiron made Vivitars start with 22 in the serial #'s....I have the Lester A Dine version & use it with both film & digital cameras..Just love that lens!!!...I also have a small collection of Kiron , Vivitar & Vivitar Series One lenses including several of the "cult classics"...Among the best 3rd party glass in their day, many held their own against OEM offerings in the same focal range..Many of the insect & flower macro on my Flickr account are with Kino lenses

patrickh · Expire: 2011-11-18

Scott - we would love to see a list of your gear in your signature

Shocked

patrickh

Screamin Scott · Posted: Sat Jan 12, 2008 4:16 am Post subject:

It's getting late tonight & I'm getting up early tommorrow to take some shots of an old courthouse & I got to get my bag ready. I'll try to update it tomorrow sometime...I won't be able to list everything though as I have 12 MF Nikkors, 8AF Nikkors, 26 3rd party MF lenses , 11 3rd party AF lenses, 7 MF Hexanon & 3rd party Konica lenses. Then I have 1 Konica body, 4 MF Nikon bodies, 2AF Nikon bodies, 1 Nikon DSLR, 1 Nikon Prosumer Nikon P & S digital, 3 Nikon Speedlights, 4 3rd party flashguns.....& don't get me started with accessories, my RF , TLR or Folder cameras...I'll post what I use most to keep it brief....I have amassed quite a collection over the years & my wife says I don't need anything else, but I do though...I have not bought too much over the last 10 years as I have had 2 sons in College (one has graduated & is now an Attorney-the other is in his junior year) that have managed to keep me broke & unable to afford the new expensive goodies...That's one of the reasons why I still use my MF glass!

F16SUNSHINE · Expire: 2011-11-18

I also have the Viv series one 105 2.8 in C/Y mount that goes 1:1. Is there any difference with the Lester Dine version? If yes can someone explain?

Thanks
Andy

hiep · Joined: 16 Dec 2007 Posts: 80 Location: Tustin, California

Lester Dine is designed for dentistry purpose. The magnification chart is oriented toward dentistry work.

Like this:
http://i142.photobucket.com/albums/r101/ric0suave/20071105_0005.jpg

This is not my photo, just from a fellow at the pentaxforum.

Other than that, their body is essentially the same as the kiron. Optically, they're identical. I am not aware of any coating variation.

F16SUNSHINE · Expire: 2011-11-18

Cool. So the name is what makes the price different. This is a concept that is easy to understand. Especially with camera gear Wink

Screamin Scott · Posted: Sat Jan 12, 2008 1:56 pm Post subject:

Just a heads up, not all Dine lenses have the magnification info imprinted as shown on the above sample. There are variations, however the optical formula is the same...I will post a snap of mine later...

patrickh · Expire: 2011-11-18

The two macros that seem to command substantial premiums based on the name recognition are the Tokina 90/2.5 (and I haven't seen one of those in a long time) and the Lester Dines. The Tok is desired for its OOF rendition and the Dine for its flat field sharpness. I would love the opportunity to compare both against the Vivs made by Kiron and Komine to see if there is a real difference.

patrickh

hiep · Joined: 16 Dec 2007 Posts: 80 Location: Tustin, California

I guess i'm lucky to recently acquire my Tokina 90/2.5 and the TC at $168 off ebay. This lens does show up once a while. Some sellers and buyers might not even aware of its cult status. Viva S1 90, however, is more well-known. As for the 105 variant, the Kiron one showed up on eBay the most. Dine is scarer and often ended with quite high price. However, for the feel, I like the Viva 105 the best. I briefly tried the Kiron and Dine; they felt much more like the Tokina one, less substantial (in a way) compared to the Viva. As for optical performance, I still don't have the time to do comparison. But from all the sample shots i've seen, Tokina does have beautiful, creamy bokeh.

The most interesting comparison would be against the Voigtlander 125. This lens would definitely beat the others at distance shot; however, for close up, it might be more subtle.