Vivitar Series 1 2.3 135mm

themoleman342 · Expire: 2013-01-24

The way I see it none of the lenses you've mentioned focus as close, would perform as well close-up, or are as fast.

Sharpness, color rendition, bokeh are all very dependent on copy variance and your setup but truly I'm with woodrim on this one, it'll likely beat out many of the ones you're holding on to in those areas...

themoleman342 · Expire: 2013-01-24

Maybe this won't impress you but well, it's an example of potential sharpness and the problematic CA. I posted this in the topic I mentioned before:

And a crop of her bracelet:

Remember this is taken wide-open! It only gets better. The CA is evident but I didn't try to correct for it at all.

woodrim · Joined: 14 Jan 2010 Posts: 4060 Location: Charleston

Ranking my 135mm lenses based on ratings of sharpness, bokeh, speed, and overall experience, I put them in the following order.

Vivitar Series 1 135mm f/2.3 Score: 1,1,1,2
Tair-11 133mm f/2.8 Score: 2,1,2,1
Komura 135mm f/3.5 Score: 2,1,3,2
Jupiter-11 135mm f/4 Score: 2,2,3,2

I also have others that I do not use much or at all. I know only through reputation that the Zeiss is a great lens, but I'd have to see from my own eyes before considering it as sharp. Even if it is, it is slower. Since owning the Tair I have been picking it up when before I had always chosen my Vivitar; I attribute this to the overall experience, but cannot really explain it. Although it isn't as sharp, there is something about the image quality that I love, which I include in "overall experience". Themoleman is correct about a close focus ability, but what he didn't mention is the Vivitar's patented insect-freeze feature that allows the capture of bees in flight.