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Vivitar 200mm 3.5
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PostPosted: Thu Apr 24, 2008 4:59 pm    Post subject: Vivitar 200mm 3.5 Reply with quote
Hey!

I can buy this lens with a Nikon mount for € 25,-. Is this a good price for this lens? Does it have any resale value?

Thanks!


PostPosted: Thu Apr 24, 2008 5:39 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
This is a very cheap lens, you can't really sell on much higher price.


PostPosted: Thu Apr 24, 2008 6:06 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
Hi Marry
Take a pass on this one. Watch for the Viv Series 1 200mm f3. A much stronger performer with a cult following.


PostPosted: Thu Apr 24, 2008 6:14 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
I would buy it for 25€.


PostPosted: Thu Apr 24, 2008 6:14 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
You probably won't make a profit on a purchase but if you want a nice 200mm the Ai'd NikkorQ's tend to sell for very little and it's an underated lens.


PostPosted: Thu Apr 24, 2008 8:36 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
Agree with Andy and Richard. There's also a great Jupiter-21.


patrickh


PostPosted: Fri Apr 25, 2008 3:55 am    Post subject: Reply with quote
Attila wrote:
This is a very cheap lens, you can't really sell on much higher price.


I don't know what you mean by cheap? If its that 25 euros is cheap, then you are spot on my friend. I bought a Komine made Vivitar 200mm f3.5 for less than this and what I got was the best 200mm I've used so far. Its quite sharp even wide open, better than a Cosina or Tamron AD2 both of which I've owned and tested. The build is anything but cheap and in reality oozes quality. The colour rendition and contrast is good and the bokeh from its 8 aperture blades is not too shabby neither.
The all metal body with its nice rubber grip and beautifully smooth focusing together with the felt-lined sliding sunhood just about puts the icing on this fine cake of a lens. Don't confuse this Vivitar with the cheap nasty offerings put out by that company after ownership changes in the 1980's.

The only cheap thing about this lens is the silly low prices they often fetch on eBay. This is a lens (assuming it works correctly) that you'll want to keep and not sell, after all 25 euros is not a great deal of money for a lens of this build. Please note the serial numbers must start with 28and not 37 as thats a Tokina and I can't vouch for those one's.

To underline my comments, I have rushed outside and taken a quick photo using this lens, the subject car is appx 40m away with aperture @ f5.6 straight off the card.



Last edited by Ironfan on Fri Apr 25, 2008 9:31 am; edited 3 times in total


PostPosted: Fri Apr 25, 2008 6:36 am    Post subject: Reply with quote
All above are so true what you wrote here , this is a nice lens, but not respected by people. I have also one copy and I believe I will not sell ever no reason to sell for 20-30 EUR.


PostPosted: Fri Apr 25, 2008 1:29 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
Also, the old Vivitar Series 1 AF lens (Komine & Cosina) is a very good performer.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/38463255@N00/2341432705/in/set-72157604141572154/

Kiron Kid


PostPosted: Fri Apr 25, 2008 1:33 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
Early AF perhaps made like MF lenses ... and provide same good quality..


PostPosted: Fri Apr 25, 2008 2:59 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
Attila wrote:
Early AF perhaps made like MF lenses ... and provide same good quality..


Attila

You are correct. That lens (did you see it?) is of early auto-focus technology. But optically, it ROCKS! In testing, it handily beat out the Nikon 180mm lens.

Kiron Kid


PostPosted: Fri Apr 25, 2008 3:42 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
This is really a surprise .. Nikkor 180mm f2.8 ED one of my favourite lens.


PostPosted: Fri Apr 25, 2008 5:16 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
Attila wrote:
This is really a surprise .. Nikkor 180mm f2.8 ED one of my favourite lens.



Yeah, amazing, isn't it. That Nikon 180, is no slouch.

Kiron Kid


PostPosted: Fri Apr 25, 2008 5:54 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
Yes, amazing!


PostPosted: Fri Apr 25, 2008 6:25 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
Russ wrote:
But optically, it ROCKS! In testing, it handily beat out the Nikon 180mm lens.


Pointer to that test?


PostPosted: Sat Apr 26, 2008 3:43 am    Post subject: Reply with quote
ChrisLilley wrote:
Russ wrote:
But optically, it ROCKS! In testing, it handily beat out the Nikon 180mm lens.


Pointer to that test?


I'm looking for the site. I printed out the test result numbers, just have to relocate the actual site. I was quite surprised myself. I've only used my Viv S-1 200, a couple of times, but the slides sure looked good.

Kiron Kid


PostPosted: Wed May 19, 2010 10:04 am    Post subject: Reply with quote
Bump for this.
Someone is selling this lens on a Finnish camera forum for 100€.
A bit overpriced perhaps?
Don't know who manufactured it though.


PostPosted: Wed May 19, 2010 2:27 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
Pricing is dependent on type of mount. I don't suppose the AF version would command as much as a MF version. I have seen the MF version; the Series 1 f/3, go for well over $200 in M42 mount. Other mounts are usually considerably less money.

I too would like to see the aforementioned test results. I have the f/3 lens and love it; it's one of my three favorite manual lenses. On my camera it has considerable purple fringing which I think is a sensor/camera specific thing. Boomer has used this lens on his Canon with much less issue. Nevertheless, I've found the fringing very easy to correct in post processing. Other than that, focusing can be difficult and needs to be precise. I had trouble with it initially, but have gotten quite good, so it must have been something that I just needed to get accustomed to through practice. The lens is very sharp and the bokeh excellent.

If interested, I have a gallery of sample pictures here:
http://www.pbase.com/mdlempert/vivitar200mms1



PostPosted: Wed May 19, 2010 4:17 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
Thanks for your input and info.

Forgot to mention it's a Nikon MF mount. So maybe that's the reason.
The seller says it's a Viv 200/3.5.
Here's a pic from the seller:


PostPosted: Wed May 19, 2010 4:52 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
Okay, I've gone back and looked and see now how the subject has gone astray. You did ask initially about the standard f3.5 lens, but then someone introduced the Series 1 AF as an option. I added onto that discussion. The lens you are asking about is the very common 200mm f/3.5 of which most were made by Komine. I'm not so sure the price is anything special. Check on ebay - there are usually many listed, and even better yet, check completed listings for any Nikon mounts that have sold. When i was looking, I saw them in Minolta mount for $10-$20. An M42 will go somewhat higher.

As for the quality of the lens, many people speak well of it. I have two; one in Minolta mount that I've had since the 70s, and one in M42 purchased more recently. Since I have the Series 1 lens, I don't use the M42 version anymore as it didn't strike me as anything outstanding, but was certainly a good lens. However, I do use the Minolta mount one on occasion for close up photography. I have found that when used with a macro converter it performs quite well. I should also mention that the macro converter I use is actually the match mated one sold with the Series 1 90mm. It just works well with other lenses.
The gallery I have with close up picture from the f3.5 lens can be seen here: http://www.pbase.com/mdlempert/vivitar200mm



PostPosted: Thu May 20, 2010 6:00 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
The Komine built Vivitar 200mm f3.5 gives pretty good results with a pleasing saturation....but I really don't see it it being anywhere in the league of the Nikkor 180mm f2.8 ED AIS or the suburb Nikkor 180mm f2.8 ED-IF AF or the ED-IF D...

Nikkor 180mm f2.8 ED AI-S 100% crop & shot through the glass of a window


Vivitar 200mm f3.5


The Vivitar Series 1 200mm f3 however has a particular uniqueness and a pleasing bokeh wide open...and close focuses to 1.2 meters


Stopping down sharpens at the next stop and continues to get sharper til f11 100% crop & shot through the glass of a window.


PostPosted: Thu May 20, 2010 6:17 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
Boomer: Good to see you here again. Are you still having good experience regarding the blue/purple fringing?


PostPosted: Thu May 20, 2010 6:52 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
Spring is here...so been busy here and up at Marrowstone....and the weather has also been good for some excellent spring sailing....actually as mild as our winter was,the sailing has been great since last spring.

I usually try to avoid a bright harsh background...but sometimes no matter how careful, I do get some aberrations.





PostPosted: Thu May 20, 2010 7:39 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
I'm not trying to bash, but to my eye the in-focus area of the vivitar looks sharper than nikon's.


PostPosted: Thu May 20, 2010 8:30 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
Probably had more time to nail the focus,but could have done better if I had more time to really nail the focus or used a flash....hummingbirds don't sit still to often and it presented itself well for the DOF in the shot...Smile and depending on the time of day and the amount of harsh lighting nearer mid-day as well as keeping an angle closer to 45 degrees shooting through a window all come into play...and the 180 was probably wide open,while the 200 was stopped down a stop or so...

Both lenses have there weaknesses...the ED AI-S has just a hint of CA as you stop down shooting digitally,and is susceptible to flare and ghosts on film and digitally....neither lens likes a bright contrasty background,but the Nikkor handles it better wide open then the Vivitar.
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