Vivitar Series 1 in comparison

Boomer Depp · Expire: 2011-12-04

The Kiron goes 1:1 by itself....and love my Micro Nikkors,too....but I've yet to find a macro I didn't like....

martinsmith99 · Expire: 2013-11-18

I keep looking for good Series 1 lenses, but they still go for quite a bit here.

I do have the 35-85 F2.8 vario focal which is very good. Sharp at F4 on, but has really odd bokeh at the wide end.

woodrim · Joined: 14 Jan 2010 Posts: 4060 Location: Charleston

I have tracked certain of the Series one lenses and have seen big differences in pricing, much due to mount type. The 90mm f/2.5 can be had for $100-150 in most mounts but M42 which goes for considerably more. On this past weekend an ebay sale in Germany ended at $299 for this lens in M42, a bit high even for an M42. ebay auction number 290396585052. I paid about $100 for mine a couple of months ago in Minolta mount. What people might not realize is that this particular lens is very easy to convert to other mounts. I will be documenting my conversion.

I was very fortunate to have just acquired the 200mm f/3 M42 this past week at the same price, but this lens will also go higher, especially in M42. The last two of this lens sold on ebay were $112 for a Minolta mount and $165 for a M42.

The 135mm seems to go quite high as well, as does the 19mm. The zooms can be had for cheap.

woodrim · Joined: 14 Jan 2010 Posts: 4060 Location: Charleston

Earlier in this thread cooltouch suggested a comparison of the 90mm lens to the Tamron version. I am interested in doing some comparisons as well and will attempt to coordinate that exercise once I get my 200mm and complete the conversion of my 90mm. I think it would be fun to gather multiple samples from several different competing lenses and do a blind comparison.

cooltouch · Joined: 15 Jan 2009 Posts: 9096 Location: Houston, Texas

JerryMK · Joined: 16 Apr 2009 Posts: 98

Russ · Joined: 26 Feb 2007 Posts: 432

woodrim · Joined: 14 Jan 2010 Posts: 4060 Location: Charleston

It appears not.

Russ · Joined: 26 Feb 2007 Posts: 432

woodrim · Joined: 14 Jan 2010 Posts: 4060 Location: Charleston

I have a lead on a Vivitar close focus 135mm; what's a fair price?

Russ · Joined: 26 Feb 2007 Posts: 432

cooltouch · Joined: 15 Jan 2009 Posts: 9096 Location: Houston, Texas

Today I was browsing through the used lenses in a local camera shop and came across a Vivitar S1 105mm f/2.5 macro -- the one made by Kiron. This one has the ring flash and module, and the labels pasted on the barrel for dental applications. Nikon mount. Looks like it's never been used. They're asking $189US for it, which I'm thinking is a pretty fair price, especially it being in Nikon mount. I'm thinking very seriously about getting it. Maybe tomorrow . . .

Boomer Depp · Expire: 2011-12-04

Nikon mount with a ring flash for $189....that's a deal!

woodrim · Joined: 14 Jan 2010 Posts: 4060 Location: Charleston

You could probably get one on ebay for $150ish, but you wouldn't see it first and it wouldn't come with a ring flash, so that price is pretty fair for such a highly regarded lens. Maybe you can negotiate it even lower. If it helps to know, a Series 1 90mm just sold Saturday out of Germany for about $300 plus shipping. It was M42 mount, which elevated its value. Nikon is a good mount to get regardless of your camera type because it's an easy mount conversion candidate. Additionally, I've found the Minolta mount 90mm to be an easy conversion because of the especially think mounting ring. The ebay sale is number 290396585052

woodrim · Joined: 14 Jan 2010 Posts: 4060 Location: Charleston

By the way, Boomer, I've found that my standard issue Vivitar 135mm is quite good within its focusing range prior to infinity. My shots at infinity are not anything special. The pictures I've taken at shorter distance have been very good. This is a 100% crop of a picture taken within that range...

Russ · Joined: 26 Feb 2007 Posts: 432

Boomer Depp · Expire: 2011-12-04

I like using macros for more then just macro work,too,Woodrim.I really have a fondness for close focus and macro lenses,especially for my flower and fauna photography.

I didn't tag all my infinity pics with the lens,now I'll have take the 135 out and shoot some medium and long distance shots just to see how my copy does at that range.

When I use the 135 it's deployed usually for closeups,rather then macro work of flowers....the pic of the dogs last year,was probably a bit over 20' or more,while the dogs were watching my backside I did some wildflower photography(sadly Murphy the Blue Heeler in front in the pic just passed on a few days again,she will be sadly missed for she had a strong heart,a quick wit,unwavering loyalty and bad to the bone).

She awaits in the background here while I put the boat to bed after a day on the water.

woodrim · Joined: 14 Jan 2010 Posts: 4060 Location: Charleston

Okay, how is $100 for a Vivitar close focus 135mm? Fair? Good? Great? Too much? Assume good condition.

Russ · Joined: 26 Feb 2007 Posts: 432

Boomer Depp · Expire: 2011-12-04

I picked up another Vivitar 135mm Close Focus for my daughter just before Christmas for $56 on ebay....usually I was seeing prices around $80 +/- with prices up to $139 for a mint copy.

The weather is strange this year in the Northwest,plants are doing there thing to early.

A series of some quick & hasty pics this afternoon with different lenses.

Taken under the edge of a canopy of trees with some openings for the sun...and with the sun bright between the fast moving clouds made for some twicky shooting.

These are hand held & usually I do most of my flower shooting bracketed on a tripod...so none of these pictures mean jack for comparison,if I would have stopped the Kiron 105 down or a bit faster shutter speed or mounted on a tripod and was more deliberate with any of these lens,the results would be entirely different.

Vivitar Close focus 135/2.8 @ f4

Vivitar Close Focus 135 @ f2.8 and should of been stopped down and on a tripod.

Kiron 105/2.8 Macro @ 2.8 which was to wide open or should have increased shutter speed so the color wouldn't be blown out.

Vivitar RL Edition 28/2.8 CLose Focus @ f2.8

Nikkor 28/2.8 AI-S @ 2.8

Vivitar Series 1 24-48mm wide open,stopping down or increasing the shutter speed would have resulted in more contrast and saturation.

Russ · Joined: 26 Feb 2007 Posts: 432

Boomer

Where in the Northwest are you?

Kiron 28-105 on Superia 800 film.

Nikon 28-105AF on Kodak 400UC film.

Russ

Boomer Depp · Expire: 2011-12-04

Russ I live above Appletree Cove in Kingston,WA across the Puget Sound from North Seattle....Long ago I lived just outside of Portland in Hillsboro & a memory I'll never forget,the 1962 Columbus Day Storm....my dad still lives down there just outside of Portland in Troutdale.

Low Tide at Appletree Cove

woodrim · Joined: 14 Jan 2010 Posts: 4060 Location: Charleston

Beautiful country out there, Boomer. I've only been there once though. In the summer of '99, after my son graduated from high school and before he went off to college, we flew out to Seattle from New Jersey for our "Big Adventure". I bought a 1956 Austin Healey out of Alaska and had it shipped to Tacoma, where my son and I picked it up. After a day visit in the Seattle, we started our drive south to San Diego - using the coastal highway as much as possible. We drove through lumber country in Washington, which was beautiful, and then down the coast of Oregon. Southern Oregon was my favorite. Unfortunately, for lack of space, I only had my wifes point and shoot film camera with me.

Russ · Joined: 26 Feb 2007 Posts: 432

Boomer

I'm in Vancouver, WA.

A few of my Vivitar Series 1 and Kiron's

Russ

Boomer Depp · Expire: 2011-12-04

Woodrim,that Austin Healey was well cared for in Alaska.I spent almost four years up there in the military in the early 70's and the roads take their toll on cars.It is a rare antique care that comes out of Alaska looking that good.Is that a military sticker on the windshield,did you buy the car from career officer?What a find!Sounds like quite the grand trip and an adventure with your son,and probably a lot of pictures and good memories.

My last year in Alaska,back in '75 I had 60 days leave on the books and flew to the lower 48 and then back east on MAC flights to pick up a Toyota Land Cruiser Wagon.We then drove across the states and back up to Alaska and sold it in Anchorage for a $1000 more then I paid for it.I then found a rare '63 Falcon Sprint in Alaska and drove it down to Seattle which I stored in my wife's folks barn in Kitsap County.I then got out of the service and bought a '70 Toyota Land Cruiser (FJ40) and drove from Seattle to the Panama Canal on a three month trip taking our time and seeing the sights.Back in those days I shot exclusively Kodachrome and have about 4000 slides from our trips.I've been thinking about getting a decent Epson or Coolscan for scanning those old slides.

A few pics from back in the day...please excuse the poor scans from our HP scanner.

Russ,I have relations all over down there on either side of the river.My 104 year old grandmother,an aunt,uncle and cousins live in Vancouver as well as more aunts,uncles and cousins in the greater Portland area.