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VIVITAR 70-150mm F3.8 CLOSE FOCUS
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PostPosted: Wed Mar 18, 2015 12:27 am    Post subject: VIVITAR 70-150mm F3.8 CLOSE FOCUS Reply with quote
Just snagged one of these Tokina made for a tenner, is that a good deal?. I cant find a thing on this lens on the net but took a chance on it being okayish. Has anyone got one or used it? would be grateful for any opinions.

Steve.


PostPosted: Wed Mar 18, 2015 2:16 am    Post subject: Reply with quote
Don't know who made the Soligor 3.8/75-150 two touch I had but it was a very good lens, razor sharp at f8 and infinity. Not bad wide open, suirprisingly good for an old zoom.


PostPosted: Wed Mar 18, 2015 9:28 am    Post subject: Reply with quote
I have Vivitar 70-150 f/3.8 one touch but it's made by Kiron. It's great lens, sharp, contrasty and nice to use. I never heard about Tokina made Vivitar 70-150 f/3.8.


PostPosted: Wed Mar 18, 2015 11:37 am    Post subject: Reply with quote
Just picked up 2 of these with matched 2x adapters in OM mount, both 52mm filter thread, one 2 touch and the other one touch, both serial numbers 22*** both are in really nice condition but as they came included with other items I'll probably move them on, any idea on a fair forum price to ask


PostPosted: Wed Mar 18, 2015 11:51 am    Post subject: Reply with quote
They're very good lenses, however they're going pretty cheap usually.
2x matched converter is rubbish in terms of quality, at least my copy degraded sharpness and contrast a lot. I've tried it and sell it after few days as it was absolutely useless.

I still have:
- Kiron 70-150/4 one touch - bought it for ~ £5-7 (I don't recall exactly), P/K mount
- Vivitar 70-150/3.8 one touch - bought it for ~£10, OM mount
- Viviar 70-150/3.8 two touch - bought it for ~£8, OM mount

The above prices are some kind of bargains (at least Kiron was), but if your copy is in good condition and works well (should be seriously sharp at f/5.6-f/8 throughout the whole zoom range) then maybe about ~£15 is a fair price. A I said, you could ask more for them, but Vivitar versions are quite common and could be bought cheaply. Kiron version is rare and prices are from £5 to £30.

My two touch Vivitar version is very weak and I don't know if that's my copy or general problem so I'm trying to sell it as well, but for smaller price.
Kiron version is superb and one touch Vivitar version is very close to equal to Kiron one. Those are my favourite medium tele zooms - very good built quality, very good image quality, they're small and light so there's no cons about it apart maybe that they're a little soft wide open.

Cheers


PostPosted: Wed Mar 18, 2015 1:30 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
PhantomLord wrote:
They're very good lenses, however they're going pretty cheap usually.
2x matched converter is rubbish in terms of quality, at least my copy degraded sharpness and contrast a lot. I've tried it and sell it after few days as it was absolutely useless.

I still have:
- Kiron 70-150/4 one touch - bought it for ~ £5-7 (I don't recall exactly), P/K mount
- Vivitar 70-150/3.8 one touch - bought it for ~£10, OM mount
- Viviar 70-150/3.8 two touch - bought it for ~£8, OM mount

The above prices are some kind of bargains (at least Kiron was), but if your copy is in good condition and works well (should be seriously sharp at f/5.6-f/8 throughout the whole zoom range) then maybe about ~£15 is a fair price. A I said, you could ask more for them, but Vivitar versions are quite common and could be bought cheaply. Kiron version is rare and prices are from £5 to £30.

My two touch Vivitar version is very weak and I don't know if that's my copy or general problem so I'm trying to sell it as well, but for smaller price.
Kiron version is superb and one touch Vivitar version is very close to equal to Kiron one. Those are my favourite medium tele zooms - very good built quality, very good image quality, they're small and light so there's no cons about it apart maybe that they're a little soft wide open.

Cheers


Thanks, considering those prices I might as well get hold of an adapter to try them out, you never know one of them maybe a diamond lol, anyway they're pretty lenses very much unmarked so will look good in my display cabinet anyway
Cheers


PostPosted: Wed Mar 18, 2015 2:02 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
Thanks for the replies, the serial number starts 37 so I assumed a Tokina? I will stick up some pics of it when it turns up.


Steve.

EDIT
just realised its from the TX series.


PostPosted: Sun Mar 22, 2015 2:28 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
[quote=My two touch Vivitar version is very weak and I don't know if that's my copy or general problem so I'm trying to sell it as well, but for smaller price.
Kiron version is superb and one touch Vivitar version is very close to equal to Kiron one. Those are my favourite medium tele zooms - very good built quality, very good image quality, they're small and light so there's no cons about it apart maybe that they're a little soft wide open.Cheers[/quote]

the vivitar 70-150 f3.8 and the kiron 70-150 f4 are the same lens in fact popular photography magazine tested the kiron and it was in fact a F3.8
If your vivitar 2 touch is i bit weak it may be your copy as i tested the viv 2 touch against my kiron 1 touch and at 150mm F8 they was identical and very sharp
but wide open my 2 touch has a good lead over the 1 touch...bit of a delemer as i need to thin out my lenses a bit ...the 2 touch is the sharpest wide open but the 1 touch is a lot nicer to use and has its nice reversible original hood


PostPosted: Mon Mar 23, 2015 6:12 am    Post subject: Reply with quote
davev8app: As for that Viv 70-150/3.8 and Kiron 70-150/4 being the same lens optically - well I know that, but nonetheless the difference between those two copies could be seen. Probably just sample variation.
As for two-touch version of Viv, I as well think that my copy is somehow wrong because even at f/8 it's far behind one-touch versions. I wonder, however, why your two-touch is sharper wide open, from what I've seen on this forum as well as on others the one-touch version is in general sharper at every step. But I think you could have brilliant sample of two-touch and less good sample of one-touch Smile.


PostPosted: Mon Mar 23, 2015 6:28 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
PhantomLord wrote:
davev8app: As for that Viv 70-150/3.8 and Kiron 70-150/4 being the same lens optically - well I know that, but nonetheless the difference between those two copies could be seen. Probably just sample variation.
As for two-touch version of Viv, I as well think that my copy is somehow wrong because even at f/8 it's far behind one-touch versions. I wonder, however, why your two-touch is sharper wide open, from what I've seen on this forum as well as on others the one-touch version is in general sharper at every step. But I think you could have brilliant sample of two-touch and less good sample of one-touch Smile.


I have some test photos..i set up some test objects about 180 yards away..car number plate and a bunch of smaller printed signs etc so i can have semi repeatable test of different lenses on different days and compare..but have misplaced the file on my PC...read forgot what i named it ..will post when i find..... but may find some photos from the one touch will look now
the 1st one looking at the EXIF and DOF and as it was 400ISO and 100th of a sec the lens will have been wide open are almost wide open as i tend to open the lens up befor i bump iso a dont know the FL..Photo is of my son he see me with the NEX and went in to my workshop where the old sony was lying about...it is the wrong wey round...maybe a macro selfy

this is a crop


PostPosted: Fri Mar 27, 2015 6:43 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
Lens eventually turned up after a moan to the seller and it has a knackered TX mount ! Rolling Eyes

Sending it back for refund. Bloody nuisance!

Steve.


PostPosted: Sat Mar 28, 2015 5:24 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
Seller has refunded me and told me not to bother sending it back, which I thought was pretty decent of him. It looks as if it is only the tx to OM adapter that is knackered so in fact the lens could be okay. The trouble is i cant find an adapter for less that about 25 quid, which for a ten quid lens seems a bit silly.
Are there any other options with this lens other than a TX adapter?? I have read that soligor used the same system at some point. Would this be a cheaper workable option?

Steve


PostPosted: Sat Mar 28, 2015 5:35 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
bychance wrote:
Seller has refunded me and told me not to bother sending it back, which I thought was pretty decent of him. It looks as if it is only the tx to OM adapter that is knackered so in fact the lens could be okay. The trouble is i cant find an adapter for less that about 25 quid, which for a ten quid lens seems a bit silly.
Are there any other options with this lens other than a TX adapter?? I have read that soligor used the same system at some point. Would this be a cheaper workable option?

Steve


Soligor only sold T4 lenses, the predecessors of the TX line. TX was Vivitar only. Some of the T4 and TX lenses were the same, but the TX line had additional mounts - Konica AR for example. IMO the cheapest way to get your adapter is to look for TX lenses with the correct one. Many people sell these lenses not knowing what a T4/TX adapter is. Some of them you can get for the same amount you gave for the lens you already have. On auctions, look for Vivitar lenses with a two-directional aperture scale.


PostPosted: Sat Mar 28, 2015 5:44 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
Cheers for that answer, thats exactly what i will do.

Thank you

Steve.


PostPosted: Sat Mar 28, 2015 5:59 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
bychance wrote:
Cheers for that answer, thats exactly what i will do.

Thank you

Steve.


I'm not sure if you're after the Olympus TX mount, or that 70-150 zoom in OM-mount. If the latter, there's one on auction no. 271820071563


PostPosted: Sat Nov 07, 2020 9:37 am    Post subject: Reply with quote
Hi. I didnt want to create new post, but I bought Vivitar serial number starts 22 I think and its a 70-150mm. On the lens it says macro focusing zoom.
On the side of the lens where is distance, there is a MC and I assume this is for macro, close up? Anyway when I put the lens on 3 and then on MC nothing changes so is that not ok?


PostPosted: Sat Nov 07, 2020 10:41 am    Post subject: Reply with quote
It's this one. MC stands for Multi-Coated. There is no dedicated Macro setting but it focusses to beyond 0.9m where it is marked M R. Probably Macro Range.
Vivitar 70-150mm 1:3.8 Macro Focusing Zoom by The lens profile, on Flickr

Vivitar 70-150mm 1:3.8 Macro Focusing Zoom by The lens profile, on Flickr


PostPosted: Sat Nov 07, 2020 7:52 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
D1N0 wrote:
It's this one. MC stands for Multi-Coated. There is no dedicated Macro setting but it focusses to beyond 0.9m where it is marked M R. Probably Macro Range.
Vivitar 70-150mm 1:3.8 Macro Focusing Zoom by The lens profile, on Flickr

Vivitar 70-150mm 1:3.8 Macro Focusing Zoom by The lens profile, on Flickr


Oh yes it is Macro Range, but I thought it will reduce the length or something but nothing changes. Thank you Smile
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