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Explore the world of vintage lenses through repair notes, real test shots, and detailed archive threads packed with images.

Explore the world of vintage lenses through repair notes, real test shots, and detailed archive threads packed with images.
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Vivitar S1 f2.3/135mm m42
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Posted: Fri Apr 29, 2011 3:03 pm
Post subject: Vivitar S1 f2.3/135mm m42
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Posted: Fri Apr 29, 2011 3:03 pm
Post subject: Vivitar S1 f2.3/135mm m42
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I just found this lens last night at a BIN price of $150. In excellent (described as mint) condition, original caps, case, and manual. Non-VMC version. Not the bargain of the century but for the screw mount version, I think it's a good price and will certainly fetch more in a straight-out auction should I decide to sell it.

Searching around this forum and others it seems like a fantastic lens but it suffers from considerable CA. One person from another forum claimed to have both the VMC and Non-VMC versions at one point and said the Non-VMC was actually better in terms of CA. I hope that is the case. I doubt many other people could support the person's claim.

So I just wanted to see if there were any other opinions floating around. I will update with pictures as soon as I get it, hopefully some with Anastasia. Have a great day mflensers!

~Marc


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Posted: Fri Apr 29, 2011 3:28 pm
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Posted: Fri Apr 29, 2011 3:28 pm
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Great lens indeed!

For me one of the best indoor tele lenses. I prefer to use it indoors not only because it is pretty fast for a 135mm, but also because it suffers from back-light (at least my copy does). So try to avoid that.

Otherwise very usable wide open!


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Posted: Sat Apr 30, 2011 1:52 am
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Posted: Sat Apr 30, 2011 1:52 am
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I too have a very early lens. Very sharp; great bokeh; short MFD; takes practice focusing; and yes, CA, but easy to correct in post processing. If I had to get down to just one 135mm, this would be the one I kept.





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Posted: Mon May 02, 2011 12:57 pm
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Posted: Mon May 02, 2011 12:57 pm
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Quote:
If I had to get down to just one 135mm, this would be the one I kept.


Wow that is quite the endorsement. Now I can't wait to get it. Thanks!


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Posted: Tue May 03, 2011 3:53 pm
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Posted: Tue May 03, 2011 3:53 pm
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A very good lens. For me right up there with the Takumars and the CZ's.


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Posted: Tue May 03, 2011 3:55 pm
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Posted: Tue May 03, 2011 3:55 pm
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Big Dawg wrote:
A very good lens. For me right up there with the Takumars and the CZ's.


Nice to see you are fine Big Dawg! Hopefully your household didn't get much damages.

Still on my wish list Laughing


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Posted: Sat May 14, 2011 7:21 pm
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Posted: Sat May 14, 2011 7:21 pm
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First photo with the Vivitar. CA is intense but it is, as others have pointed out, very very sharp.



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Posted: Sat May 14, 2011 7:40 pm
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Posted: Sat May 14, 2011 7:40 pm
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Wow, lots of blue fringing on her hair.


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Posted: Sat May 14, 2011 7:56 pm
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Posted: Sat May 14, 2011 7:56 pm
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Quote:
Wow, lots of blue fringing on her hair.


Laughing


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Posted: Sat May 14, 2011 8:09 pm
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Posted: Sat May 14, 2011 8:09 pm
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themoleman342 wrote:
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Wow, lots of blue fringing on her hair.


Laughing


Ya I saw that too.
Nothing a little Photoshop couldn't fix.


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Posted: Sat May 14, 2011 11:05 pm
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Posted: Sat May 14, 2011 11:05 pm
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Nice! Reminds me of Super Takumar 2.5/135mm.


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Posted: Sun May 15, 2011 12:07 am
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Posted: Sun May 15, 2011 12:07 am
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Pancolart wrote:
Nice! Reminds me of Super Takumar 2.5/135mm.

The Viv is actually a lot sharper wide open than the Super Tak. I had both at the same time to compare. The 2nd version of S-M-C Takumar 135/2.5 is allegedly sharper still, but I haven't tried one myself so can't comment on that.

What is interesting about the Vivitar are two things. First, the character of the lens changes a lot when stopped down (it renders background in a rather nervous way wide open, yet becomes a lot smoother stopped down just one stop). Second, it can focus way closer than other 135mm lenses without losing sharpness thanks to the "floating" (or, rather, fixed) rear element.


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Posted: Sun May 15, 2011 5:00 am
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Posted: Sun May 15, 2011 5:00 am
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Attila wrote:
Big Dawg wrote:
A very good lens. For me right up there with the Takumars and the CZ's.


Nice to see you are fine Big Dawg! Hopefully your household didn't get much damages.

Still on my wish list Laughing


We made it through fine Attila. Thank you for asking.


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Posted: Sun May 15, 2011 7:04 am
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Posted: Sun May 15, 2011 7:04 am
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hye..im newbie..hope all of u can share your experience.. Confused

i hav Vivitar 135mm f2.5..but i hav a question here.
i just cant understand Vivitar S1 f2.3/135mm m42...
S1 is stand for what?


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Posted: Sun May 15, 2011 7:07 am
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Posted: Sun May 15, 2011 7:07 am
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chemmy wrote:
hye..im newbie..hope all of u can share your experience.. Confused

i hav Vivitar 135mm f2.5..but i hav a question here.
i just cant understand Vivitar S1 f2.3/135mm m42...
S1 is stand for what?


Hi. Welcome. I read this as S1 = "Series 1".


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Posted: Sun May 15, 2011 7:09 am
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Posted: Sun May 15, 2011 7:09 am
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chemmy wrote:
hye..im newbie..hope all of u can share your experience.. Confused

i hav Vivitar 135mm f2.5..but i hav a question here.
i just cant understand Vivitar S1 f2.3/135mm m42...
S1 is stand for what?


Welcome!

"S1" means "Series 1" - a special pro-series by Vivitar, comparable to the "SP" by Tamron or the "AT-X" by Tokina.


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Posted: Sun May 15, 2011 7:10 am
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Posted: Sun May 15, 2011 7:10 am
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thanks..mine was f2.5.. is it S2?


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Posted: Sun May 15, 2011 10:17 am
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Posted: Sun May 15, 2011 10:17 am
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martyn_bannister wrote:
chemmy wrote:
hye..im newbie..hope all of u can share your experience.. Confused

i hav Vivitar 135mm f2.5..but i hav a question here.
i just cant understand Vivitar S1 f2.3/135mm m42...
S1 is stand for what?


Hi. Welcome. I read this as S1 = "Series 1".

Correct - We often abreviate Series 1 to S1.

Series 1 used to be Vivitar's range of better lenses. Unfortunately the later S1s were not as good.


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Posted: Sun May 15, 2011 3:04 pm
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Posted: Sun May 15, 2011 3:04 pm
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chemmy wrote:
thanks..mine was f2.5.. is it S2?

No, just regular Vivitar made by ...?


martinsmith99 wrote:
Series 1 used to be Vivitar's range of better lenses. Unfortunately the later S1s were not as good.


But to be perfectly clear, later Series 1 means later designs, not later within the early Series 1 lens production, i.e. early vs. late serial number.


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Posted: Mon May 16, 2011 2:55 pm
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Posted: Mon May 16, 2011 2:55 pm
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Since I use a Sony camera, I participate in the Dyxum forums where they run a fun photo challenge where primes are used according to a day count. Yesterday was day 135, so I chose my Series 1 135mm and took another walk about downtown Charleston. It's a pretty strong lens for the close quarters of downtown, but I made the best of it. Here's one where I think I got some 3-D effect. Do you folks agree?

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