Vivitar Series 1 70-210/3.5 (ver.1 - Kiron)

PhantomLord · Joined: 08 Apr 2013 Posts: 472 Location: Szczecin, Poland

Hi,

I would like to share a few photos taken with this fabulous lens. It's big, but not that heavy and both focusing and zooming works great. The only one I'm missing is continuous macro focusing, but probably I'm too much used to Tamron's.
The lens is really, really sharp with great contrast. There is a small loss in sharpness at 210mm, but up to ~180 it's absolutely great.

Canon 600d + Lightroom PP

1# 200mm at f/5.6-6.3

2# ~100mm at f/5.6-6.3

3# ~180mm at f/5.6-6.3

#4 macro mode set at ~100mm at f/3.5

#5 macro mode set at ~70mm at f/5.6

#6 macro mode set at ~100mm at f/5.6 or f/8

#7 macro mode set at 70mm at f/5.6

#8 macro mode set at 70mm at f/5.6

guardian · Joined: 18 Mar 2009 Posts: 1746

Oldhand · Posted: Sat May 10, 2014 9:26 pm Post subject:

Yes, this is a marvellous lens and your images are excellent.
I have a copy and like it very much.
During a week away recently with other photographer friends, I was given the chance to try out a Nikkor ED 80-200 f2.8.
This lens has a great reputation and I was expecting big things.
I could not get it to outperform the Vivitar under any circumstances of my regular shooting over three days, and I was happy to give it back.
Don't get me wrong - it is a great lens - but it does say something about the Vivitar as far as I am concerned.
Thanks for sharing these.
OH

blotafton · Joined: 08 Aug 2013 Posts: 1572 Location: Sweden

Oldhand · Posted: Sun May 11, 2014 3:16 am Post subject:

kenetik · Joined: 02 Mar 2014 Posts: 521

Beautiful shots guys. I have 2 copies of this lens and agree there is something very special about it. I recently picked up versions 2, the Tokina, and it's pretty uninspiring. I thought I was getting a copy of the 3rd version, the prized Komine, but ended up with the Cosina. It's got the same thread size as the 3rd version. Honestly, I like it better than the Tokina.

Again, excellent shots.

jbrooksII · Joined: 31 Jan 2014 Posts: 33 Location: Philippines

Beautiful photos.. !
I have the Tokina version and I love it...

1.

2.

PhantomLord · Joined: 08 Apr 2013 Posts: 472 Location: Szczecin, Poland

Thank you guys for good words and your photos are great as well, such vivid colours.

guardian: Actually my lens has a few spots of fungus inside. Some time ago I almost succeed in cleaning this lens (another copy which had a lot of fungus almost on all elements) except the fungus on the inside of the rear element which was utterly painful to get into. Rest of the lens was a little problematic to disassemble, mostly in my opinion by soft screws which are easy to destroy even with proper screwdriver.

I'll going to clean my copy at some point, but I know I need several hours of free time and peace at home to do so Wink

.

Cheers
Mateusz

sceptic · Joined: 01 Jun 2013 Posts: 255

I have the Komine and the Kiron version, and prefer the Komine mainly for its size. It balances better on my X-E1 than the Kiron version. As far as servicing/maintaining the Kiron, I can recommend the service manual found halfway down the page at http://allphotolenses.com/lenses/item/c_507.html

The thread locker/glue is used liberally (on the name ring, for instance) and is apparently dissolved/softened with acetone (according to the manual). I used naphta which also worked well.

As far as image quality goes, I have no complaints (Komine):

Bike outing by scepticswe, on Flickr

Gardener · Joined: 22 Sep 2013 Posts: 950 Location: USA

kenetik · Joined: 02 Mar 2014 Posts: 521

kenetik · Joined: 02 Mar 2014 Posts: 521

The first copy I bought of version 1 looked like it was used in a war. It's got scratches on the body, some fungus and debris inside and I guess the grip was coming off because the owner wrapped electrical tape around it. I bought a nicer version I use, but after comparing new/unblemished to the war torn first copy still has really good IQ, warts and all. All I can say using this design on a modern camera is Ellis Betensky was a genius.

The two vivtar articles with interviews put together by Steevithak on camera-wiki are fascinating. Especially the part where Ellis Betensky presented version 1 to Vivitar/Ponder and Best along with a bill for a million dollars in computer time (6 million in current dollars)! Then lawsuits were filed by Betensky's employer in CT claiming they actually owned the lens design. What a history.

http://blog.camera-wiki.org/2012/03/13/vivitar-historical-research-part-1/

tromboads · Expire: 2015-10-01

Whilst we have the Series 1's up here floating around.

You Auzzies might be interested;

http://www.gumtree.com.au/s-ad/randwick/non-digital-cameras/camera-pentax-mz-50/1044720318

I can't tell if that's a series 4 or 5 from here.

I'm honestly after a M42 series 1/2 But $50 seems like a cheap way to get one.

You folk with the later ones, worth the punt?

kenetik · Joined: 02 Mar 2014 Posts: 521

Is that the later Sigma AF version? The only one of the first 5 series ones MFs that topped out at 1:4 macro was the second one, the Tokina, and that doesn't look like the one I have.

Oldhand · Posted: Mon May 12, 2014 1:27 am Post subject:

tromboads · Expire: 2015-10-01

oh wait. maybe the clues lie in the camera its attached too.

That Pentax Mz50 had a crippled K-mount. That lens would have to have automatic aperture (A) setting for it to be of any use of that camera.

Either way it's probably a Cosina?

Oldhand · Posted: Mon May 12, 2014 1:33 am Post subject:

tromboads · Expire: 2015-10-01

Cheers OH

Oldhand · Posted: Mon May 12, 2014 1:38 am Post subject:

The Kiron version also comes in a PK mount if that helps.
OH

kenetik · Joined: 02 Mar 2014 Posts: 521

It doesn't look like any of the first 5 MF models, I have the Cosina too. It looks like an AF 70-210. Vivitar hung onto the Series 1 thing for marketing (still do, they have a not so good 85mm they are selling now as series 1, since they stopped rebadging the Samyang). I read there are later AF versions made by Sigma and perhaps others. I think this is one of them. As mentioned, the macro in your photo ad goes to 1:4, the cosinas went to 1:2.5 and the Kiron was 1:2.

Oldhand · Posted: Tue Jun 03, 2014 8:56 am Post subject:

Was walking out the back to hang out washing this morning and there was a brief window of sunlight on the cottoneaster.
Dropped the washing and picked up the K-10D which had the Vivitar attached.
Shot wide open.
Here ya go.
OH

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

Beautiful light on the leaves

Nikonshooter · Posted: Wed Jun 04, 2014 7:53 am Post subject:

Still my favorite manual zoom lens. It's not easy getting flying airplanes in focus however.

mfkita · Joined: 29 Jul 2007 Posts: 222

I like the Kiron version too...takes excellent pix...

kenetik · Joined: 02 Mar 2014 Posts: 521