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Vivitar Series 1 (Kiron) 70-210 f/3.5
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PostPosted: Tue Feb 05, 2008 11:47 pm    Post subject: Vivitar Series 1 (Kiron) 70-210 f/3.5 Reply with quote
Lens arrived today. I did some basic shots to make sure it worked. Yes, it works. So nice to have a zoom and focus ring that stays put instead of having to be gripped in place while you take the shot. Now onto the questions:

- I saw substantial flare at 210mm when anywhere near to the sun. OK at 70. There is no bayonet mount for a hood but I guess a screw-on hood could be used. the front element rotates so it needs to be a tubular/conical hood not a petal. Any suggestions for one that works well (ie gives the best flare resistance without vignetting)?

- The macro button is a bit complicated. It seems that you bring the lens to 210mm and minimum focus, then press in the white button and move the knobs round to the macro position. That takes away infinity focus - anyone know the minimum focus distances?

- there is a white line to see the distance, a red line and a yellow line. What are the latter two used for?

The infinity focus appears to be at infinity on casual inspection but I will need to wait for the moon to be visible, to be sure of this.

I will do a comparison with the Zoom-Nikkor 80-200 f/4.5 when I get both time and good light. Not this weekend though, I am travelling.


PostPosted: Tue Feb 05, 2008 11:55 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
Congrats! I hope it will better than Nikkor, but I don't think so..


PostPosted: Wed Feb 06, 2008 9:03 am    Post subject: Reply with quote
The only being able to use 'macro' at long focal lengths is common in zooms. I would guess the red line could be IR focus.


PostPosted: Wed Feb 06, 2008 8:14 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
A scan of the service manual is available online (huge PDF)


PostPosted: Sat Feb 23, 2008 11:53 am    Post subject: Couple of test shots @ 100% crop Reply with quote


ISO 200, f/8 1/800s. Macro mode, 1:2, 100% crop



Nikon D40, ISO 200, f/8 1/500s. 210mm

(Links are to the whole images from which these are crops). Still getting used to using this lens. It does seem very sensitive to flare. Getting exact focus is not so easy either. These two are handheld.


PostPosted: Sat Feb 23, 2008 11:56 am    Post subject: Reply with quote
No idea to solve your problem. I hope you will love your copy I didn't used much mine.


PostPosted: Sat Feb 23, 2008 12:30 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
Chris, here's a similar lens for sale with a hood. Looks like a rubber clamp-on type.
Click here to see on Ebay


PostPosted: Sat Feb 23, 2008 12:47 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
peterqd wrote:
Chris, here's a similar lens for sale with a hood. Looks like a rubber clamp-on type.
Click here to see on Ebay


Thanks, Peter. I found someone selling just the hood, too
Click here to see on Ebay


PostPosted: Sat Feb 23, 2008 2:52 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
Well done, nice price too. It didn't show up on my search!


PostPosted: Sat Feb 23, 2008 3:24 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote


Taken with CV40, close up lens, pop-up flash, difuser. ISO 200, f/2.5 1/60s. Dust removal in post.


PostPosted: Sat Feb 23, 2008 5:56 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
Nice looking lens!


PostPosted: Sat Feb 23, 2008 6:00 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
Chris, That is one of the "legends" - see the list on the following:
http://web.archive.org/web/20061118181648/medfmt.8k.com/third/cult.html

That particular zoom was made by at least three different manufacturers for Vivitar, including most notably Kiron and Komine. They are all supposed to be very good. Kiron also made their own version of this range which is also reputed to be very good.


patrickh


PostPosted: Wed Feb 27, 2008 1:13 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
You may not already know :
http://photo.net/bboard/q-and-a-fetch-msg?msg_id=00OJAJ


PostPosted: Wed Feb 27, 2008 2:15 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
Good quality from a zoom lens. My Soligor C/D 70-210 f:4.5 is not like this zoom Sad although the build quality is very good. May be because is a newer lens, made around the middle eighties and some manufacturers started to rely more on quantity than on quality (the later Cosina made Vivitar Series 1 is not so good like this older one - Kiron/Tokina made one).


PostPosted: Wed Feb 27, 2008 9:32 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
Nelson wrote:
You may not already know :
http://photo.net/bboard/q-and-a-fetch-msg?msg_id=00OJAJ


Thanks for the link!.

The test photos look good to me except for out of focus hilights wide open where the hex-shaped iris aperture is noticeable.

Last edited by ChrisLilley on Wed Feb 27, 2008 9:38 pm; edited 1 time in total


PostPosted: Wed Feb 27, 2008 9:33 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
I got a rubber 67mm screw-on lens hood for it, which may help with flare. It just arrived today.


PostPosted: Sun Mar 16, 2008 11:09 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
It doesn't really help; its not long enough. Today was a very sunny day and much of what I was shooting was towards the afternoon sun. This lens is particularly flare prone at 210mm, less so at 70.


PostPosted: Mon Apr 14, 2008 6:41 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
Excellent information in this thread!

I just received this lens today, with manual and the collapsible rubber lens hood (with box). This lens and a Soligor Zoom Macro 28-80mm came as a kit to a Nikon body that I bought. Both lenses are Nikon mount.

My question is, how do you determine which version of the lens you have? Is there a marking somewhere or is it based on Serial Number. Any help would be appreciated. Thanks.


PostPosted: Mon Apr 14, 2008 6:42 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
Its based on (the first two digits of) the serial number. There are other differences too, but that is the fastest way.


PostPosted: Mon Apr 14, 2008 6:44 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
Thanks!

Is it published what the digits are (for future reference), mine starts with 22.


PostPosted: Mon Apr 14, 2008 6:48 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
I made comparison shots of the moon with this lens and my 80-200 Nikkor. These seem to indicate an infinity focus or misalignment issue. Both shots taken at ISO 200, 1/400s f/11 with a Nikon D40.




Also some shots of much closer objects (target maybe 60 metres away). The filenames are nik or viv to indicate the lens, then the shutter speed, then the aperture:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/22232148@N07/sets/72157604198513846/


PostPosted: Mon Apr 14, 2008 6:52 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
Opps... found it! Embarassed

Helps to scroll through ALL the information!


PostPosted: Mon Apr 14, 2008 7:01 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
Nikon left, Vivitar right. (or Nikon first, then Vivitar, if you have a narrower window).

These are 100% crops from photos of this view:


1/640 f/5.6


1/320 f/8


1/160 f/11


Last edited by ChrisLilley on Mon Apr 14, 2008 10:09 pm; edited 1 time in total


PostPosted: Mon Apr 14, 2008 7:23 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
I have no clue about Nikkor price, this Vivitar a cheap lens with cheap quality even if better than average no name zooms. Your Nikkor a really fine lens to me.


PostPosted: Mon Apr 14, 2008 7:47 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
Really no comparison, which is what I expected.

The Vivitar looks useable from about f/8 down, but not even close to the quality of the Nikkor.

Perhaps when I get the time I will do a similar comparison between the Nikon Series E 70-210mm and the Vivitar.

Thanks for posting these.
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