What's the best ~75-150mm zoom lens?

Lloydy · Expire: 2022-01-01

I'm very impressed with my Tamron 20AB. 70-150 / 3.5. It's a great lens when you want to grab one lens in a hurry and go. Like 1 small

stevemark · Joined: 29 Apr 2011 Posts: 3754 Location: Switzerland

PhantomLord · Joined: 08 Apr 2013 Posts: 476 Location: Szczecin, Poland

Hello Boris,

I had: Olympus Zuiko 75-150, Vivitar one touch (two copies) and two touch 70-150 and two Kirons 70-150.
What I have left is Kiron 70-150. I would keep both copies I had, but I needed some money and PK mount had to go. Kiron is the best of them all and I really mean the best, not just tad better.

Vivitar's 70-150 are made by Kiron and suppose to be the same as Kiron's own branded lens, but all three copies I had, all of them clean and in very good condition, were worst than Kiron.

I'm not saying it's the best lens from your list, simply because I didn't have opportunity to compare it to others. What I can say though is that it was easy match for my Vivitar Series 1 70-210/3.5 (ver I) lens and wide open Kiron was sharper. I don't have to mention that 70-210 is a lot bigger and heavier so I take Kiron very often when I want to travel light (like going to the mountains).

Word on Olympus Zuiko, as I'm big fan of their lenses and film cameras. It had absolutely fantastic feel to it. Focusing was buttery smooth, focal length change was buttery smooth, absolute pleasure to handle, but... it was worst than Kiron that I also had in OM mount, so it had to go.

I'm attaching link to two articles, 70-150 lens tests, maybe you find them useful. All credit goes to Kiron-Klub, as it wasn't me who scanned the articles.
https://drive.google.com/open?id=0BybaGg5d7daDLS1QM2hwZ3Y3TGc
https://drive.google.com/open?id=0BybaGg5d7daDcXJpcjY4Y3ZPbnc

480sparky · Joined: 16 Apr 2013 Posts: 355 Location: Iowa

I seriously doubt you'll find one, single 75-150 that can be crowned "THE best 75-150mm". More likely, you'll have to make some hard choices between a handful of them, based more on your personal style and needs. As always, it will be an exercise in compromise. And your choice will not necessarily be the same anyone else would make.

I really like my Kiron 75-150 though.

mastercello · Joined: 09 Oct 2015 Posts: 8 Location: Switzerland

I have two Vivitar's 70-150 f/3.8 - one with MD and one with OM mount...never really tried them until today.
I guess i will mount them to my A7 this summer to give them a go and do a little comparsion.

Also have a Olympus OM 65-200mm f/4 which i never tried - is it any good?

stevemark · Joined: 29 Apr 2011 Posts: 3754 Location: Switzerland

Yesterday i also checked the Konica Hexanon AR 4/70-150mm zoom. It is very small, and built with 15 lenses (!). Results on 24MP Full Frame are quite good indeed: At 70mm and 100mm resolution is nearly perfect, even wide open an in the corners. There are no visible CAs. At 150mm, though, there are some CAs - thus the lens is not as perfect as the (much larger) Canon new FD 4.5/75-150mm which has no CAs even at f=150mm.

Stephan

cooltouch · Joined: 15 Jan 2009 Posts: 9097 Location: Houston, Texas

This is a zoom range that I just don't use much since it is entirely contained within a 70-210 zoom's range. Yes, I know that a 70-150 should be more compact, but it isn't necessarily since there are some very compact 70-210s (or 80-200s) out there.

I've never owned one but I consistently hear about how good the Nikon Series E 75-150 is. So I'd pay attention to that one. I visited adaptall-2.com to have a look around and found the 20a, then read the review there on it. The review showed Modern Photography lens tests where this lens was pitted against the Tokina 75-150mm f/3.8. The Tamron's numbers were just so-so, but the Tokina's were quite good, so I'd put that one on the list of possibilities. Another lens that I've heard great things about, and which I owned a copy of only for very briefly back when I was a camera dealer, is the Canon FL 55-135mm f/3.5. It's a two-ring zoom and, typical of the FL lenses, it is built like a tank.

tromboads · Expire: 2015-10-01

I have used the Pentax M 75-150 previously.

I was comparing it to Super Taks I had at the time, 105mm F2.8, and the 135mm f3.5

Pentax M 75-150
https://drive.google.com/open?id=0B54h0BnJ-q35fmMzcUFIQUxYV01hSlJ0NzI4dkFoVk8wdmh3bkl3TG5oNFFBeEZDaGttQzA

Super Tak 105mm
https://drive.google.com/open?id=0B54h0BnJ-q35fjl1V01lNHVTbEFxQ0pNa0YzZmFiRXZZZy05SGRUeDROZFctZjdLMDhtRGM

Super Tak 135mm f3.5
https://drive.google.com/open?id=0B54h0BnJ-q35fkZkUWp2RThITXo4amlIWXgtM2VoSkFJOF92Wms0dzZKT3FzV256anA3cHc

I confess it was pretty good compared to those primes.

I sold it on in effort to cue LBA. Razz

Didn't exactly work, but did help a little.

The lens was really not much taller then the Super Tak 135mm either if I remember correctly. Handy thing really.

Boris_Akunin · Joined: 22 Aug 2013 Posts: 393 Location: Bremen, Germany

I just unpacked a near-mint Minolta MD75-150/4.

I'm used to Minolta's small but heavy primes so the MD75-150 feels weirdly light for it's size... I rather like it.

I quickly slapped it onto my A7 and went through my usual test pattern to see how it performs (f/4-11 at 75, 85, 100, 120 & 150mm).
I can only concur with stevemark, this thing is very impressive!

The 100% crops are below, if you really want them you can download the full test shots over here (password:"rokkor")

At 75mm:

f/4

f/5.6

f/6.7

f/8

f/9.5

f/11

At 85mm:

f/4

f/5.6

f/6.7

f/8

f/9.5

f/11

At 100mm:

f/4

f/5.6

f/6.7

f/8

f/9.5

f/11

At 120mm:

f/4

f/5.6

f/6.7

f/8

f/9.5

f/11

At 150mm:

f/4

f/5.6

f/6.7

f/8

f/9.5

f/11

Boris_Akunin · Joined: 22 Aug 2013 Posts: 393 Location: Bremen, Germany

I built myself a little test scene to compare the Minolta 75-150/4 (and a MD50-135/3.5) to my primes at constant magnification:

The results are over here.

D1N0 · Joined: 07 Aug 2012 Posts: 2494

has anyone got any info on the Panagor 75-150mm F4? It doesn't look like it was made by Kino.

source: http://allphotolenses.com/lenses/item/c_3812.html

Also, is there a know 70/75-150mm lens made by Komine? Can't find a Vivitar version.[/img]

Oldhand · Posted: Sun May 26, 2019 11:38 pm Post subject:

DigiChromeEd · Joined: 29 Dec 2009 Posts: 3462 Location: Northern Ireland

Oldhand · Posted: Mon May 27, 2019 9:10 am Post subject:

kymarto · Posted: Mon May 27, 2019 9:29 am Post subject:

I have the Tamron 51a, which I like a lot. It is pretty sharp, but I use it in various stages of soft focus for the bokeh.

D1N0 · Joined: 07 Aug 2012 Posts: 2494

Back to the Panagor 75-150mm. It has a different design aperture lever than I have seen before. Maybe this could lead to the manufacturer. (K-mount)

Image from ebay. See how the entire ring runs on ball bearings

stevemark · Joined: 29 Apr 2011 Posts: 3754 Location: Switzerland

kymarto · Posted: Mon May 27, 2019 1:02 pm Post subject:

I don't consider smooth bokeh desirable. Plenty of modern zooms superior in every way optcally if that's what floats your boat.

D1N0 · Joined: 07 Aug 2012 Posts: 2494

I've seen some nice samples of that Tamron online. I think the problem may be people are using the soft focus feature to the extreme. The samples above look like somebody has been pushing the clarity slide all the way to the right. Meanwhile I have ordered the mysterious Panagor from eBay. Another lens that is very nice not entirely in this focal range (but that just makes it more useful) is the S-M-C Takumar/SMC Pentax 45-125mm 1:4. It is an excellent lens that will beat a lot of Modern day zooms: Album: https://www.flickr.com/photos/randomdump/albums/72157707427370294

DigiChromeEd · Joined: 29 Dec 2009 Posts: 3462 Location: Northern Ireland

Focusthrow · Joined: 12 Sep 2017 Posts: 209

I can't say which one is the "Best"--I love every one I ever shot with, but do like my Nikon, E-Series 75-150mm, f/3.5: many of these are Wide open. jt

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D1N0 · Joined: 07 Aug 2012 Posts: 2494

I received the Panagor 75-150 F4 today and it certainly is nowhere near the best in this range. As big as a 70-210 and as sharp as a milk bottle. Why it even has a close up mode with that kind of mediocre sharpness is beyond me. It must have been a cheap offering that was sold on specs and not on any real quality and not worthy of the mostly very decent Panagor lenses. Can't bring myself to show some samples yet :p If I ever post some, they will appear here: https://www.flickr.com/photos/randomdump/albums/72157708905538088

btw the Nikon E looks very nice.

KEO · Joined: 27 Sep 2018 Posts: 761 Location: USA

james · Expire: 2011-12-28

I’d beg to differ on the Nikon E 75-150, make by Kiron for Nikon. Colour saturation and contrast are lower (both adjustable on digital PP) but resolution is quite good, especially f/5.6 and smaller.

Better on film, but especially B&W.

kiddo · Joined: 29 Jun 2018 Posts: 1121

I'm about to get a 70-150 or 70-210 ,if they are about the same size and quality. The MD 70-150 version I don't see it at all, Canon 70-150 it's about 20 euros , what should I get? Better stick to my 135 and 200 primes? Many times they are limiting taking some shots (I know I can always crop .... but that's not the same)