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Vivitar 70-150mm f3.8 vs 75-205mm f3.8 nikon 75-150
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PostPosted: Sat Apr 18, 2009 7:02 am    Post subject: Vivitar 70-150mm f3.8 vs 75-205mm f3.8 nikon 75-150 Reply with quote
Wich lens is better?I have a bargain so i can buy one of this lens. Is tamron adaptall 2 80-210 or Nikon 75-150 f3.5 better lens or similar performance?Or mayby takumar 135mm f-3,5?I`m looking for something 120-180 for Nikon. Please help:P


PostPosted: Sat Apr 18, 2009 12:17 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
Any idea wich lens should i choose?


PostPosted: Sat Apr 18, 2009 12:31 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
The Tamron Adaptall 2 80-210/3.8-4 103A is a fantastic lens! Make sure you get the 103A version though (doesn't have the built in hood) as it's a bit sharper.

Remember you will need a Nikon Adaptall mount though, if you take this route.


PostPosted: Sat Apr 18, 2009 2:56 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
Any other ideas?Is vivitar 70-150mm good lens?


PostPosted: Sat Apr 18, 2009 4:00 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
I have both versions of the Tamron 80-210, the Nikon 70-150 (E model) and the Vivitar 70-150. They are all fine lenses.

In the end I can't tell the difference between them on my DSLR.

The Tamron 103A is nicer to use than the others.

The Nikon has MUCH better resale value.

If you can get any of these for the same price, the Nikon will preserve your capital better, and is the better bargain.


PostPosted: Sun Apr 19, 2009 1:57 am    Post subject: Reply with quote
karabud wrote:
Any other ideas?Is vivitar 70-150mm good lens?


The 75-150 f3.5 E Nikon is the same optically and structurally as the Vivitar 70-159 f3.8 CF and the Kiron 75-150 f4. Luis' inability to tell the difference is not an accident. I have used and still own PK, OM and Ai mounts of the Vivitar. I do not have the Nikon any longer. The Vivitar is a two touch model in almost all cases. All agree that the push-pull Nikon zoom has terrible zoom creep and is much more expensive second hand. (I paid between $10 and $25 for each of my Vivitars. The same range of prices seems to be easily enough found on Ebay these days.)

To go back to the question that started this thread the Vivitar optically and structurally is the same as the Nikon. Both show the same "fault" - somewhat soft at 150 at infinity until f8 or f11. There are other OEM 75-150 zoom lenses that do a better job at 150 infinity and as good a job at other focal lengths at infinity. Two I have used for decades are Pentax M 75-150 f4 and the OM 75-150 f4. Both are relatively inexpensive since people seem uninterested in "only" 2x zooms. (While I am at it Pentax M 24-35 zoom is another overlooked solid performer.) Why do I have both the OEM and Vivitar versions? The Vivitar like the Nikon is better at somewhat close non-infinity distances and especially good at "close focus." The Vivitars were designed with 1.5 and 2x matched teleconverters - very hard to find. The 1.5 is especially good. What is even perhaps better and more available are either the Vivitar Series 1 or Nikon "close up lenses," usually in sets of three of different power that you attached to the filter ring of the lens. The Vivitars are equal in my experience to the Nikons. (Very hard to find but even better than those two sets are Konica close up sets. Been using them for decades in certain situations.) Of course none of these zooms with or without close up sets is a true flat field macro. But then there have been very few examples of that on this site as compared to 3D objects. (Yes the Vivitar and Nikon have good oof in my estimation but I really do not want to get into discussions of oof on this site.)

I hope this answers the original question.

I should perhaps make it clear that I rarely use or have used zooms. When I do I rarely go over a 2x range. They are sometimes handy to have around when going on certain sorts of shoots where 2 or 3 primes would probably not be used but the occasion may arise for some lens in a range of focal lengths.
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