Vivitar Series 1 confusion on the 28-105

[bgprest]

I recently picked up an inexpensive, but in pristine condition, Vivitar Series 1 manual focus 28-105 f2.8-3.8 macro zoom lens.

I'd always heard about the Vivitar Series 1 line actually being pretty good so I thought I'd take the opportunity to try out an example. Plus this is a pretty bright lens compared to equivalent zooms in other brands.

My confusion is that I'm hearing that there were several versions of this Vivitar lens all with the same identical zoom focal length. There were evidently two with a 67mm filter size and one with a 72mm filter size. I've further heard that one of the 67mm ones is by far the best and the other two are just fair.

I know that Vivitar is mainly just a marketing company that spec'd lenses but didn't manufacture them for themselves. Kiron appears to have made many of the Vivitar lenses.

Anyway, I ended up with the 72mm filter size version. Can anyone shed some light on this issue? Did Vivitar really make three versions of the same lens and if so what order did they make them in and how do they compare? Were all three made for them by Kiron? Bottom line, is the lens I bought a real find or just a mediocre off-brand lens?

Certainly I will try it out and see for myself what kind of results I get but I still would appreciate any and all insight you may have to offer.

Thanks,

Brian

[venchka]

GOOGLE found this:

Review 4 of 8

Price Paid: $117.00 from ebay

Summary:
I think a disservice is done here to the folks who do not know that this lens was available in at least 3 variants. The GOOD one has the shiny black finish with rubber grip with Series 1 embossed on it and a 67mm filter size. It is, in my experience, as good or better than anything Canon made in the same time frame. The lens I have was made by Cosina, and their quality was either on or off. By that I mean that they produced both good and not-so-good lenses, and their quality would wander about even within the same model. SO, I happen to have a good one. Your mileage may vary.

Strengths:
Sharp, contrasty optics. Solid construction.

Weaknesses:
A hot environment (car parked in the sun) can ruin it.

Similar Products Used:
Vivitar Series 1 28-105, Canon 35-105

And a photo of the good one

[bgprest]

Thanks for the response. I found that same thing when I googled it. That's the basis for my questions. I wanted to see if anybody else can confirm this and hopefully add to it.

Thanks for posting it so every one can see that as well.

Anybody else have experience and/or knowledge of this issue?

Brian

[ElanR]

Brian,

I own several of the Vivitar Series 1 lenses. The ones made by Kiron are usually excellent, but they're not the only good ones in the series, there are some others. Some of the Komine lenses I have, for example, are outstanding. And I'm sure many more of the brands are.

Vivitar never actually made any of these lenses, they just branded them. In an age where information flowed much more slowly than today, a small Japanese company like Kino Precision (maker of Kiron) would not have the name recognition to sell lenses in the U.S., hence the need for the well-known Vivitar brand. In their prime, some of the Vivitar lenses sold for more than the equivalent Nikon or Canon lenses. That's how strong the Vivitar name was at that time.

Finding out who actually made the lens is the easy part. Just match the first two digits of the serial number to this list.

06 – Olympus
09 – Cosina
13 – Schneider Optik
22 – Kino (aka Kiron)
25 – Ozone Optical
28 – Komine
32 – Makinon
33 – Asanuma
37 – Tokina
42 – Bauer
44 – Perkin Elmer (US)
47 – Chinon
51 – Tokyo Trading
56 – Kyoe Schoji
75 – Hoya Optical
81 – Polar

I'm not sure about your 28-105mm, but for Vivitar to have several different lenses in the same focal range over time was very common. Here, for example, is some info about their five different models of the Series 1 70-210mm zooms:

http://www.robertstech.com/vivitar.htm

Btw, I'm pretty sure your lens is varifocal. Takes a little getting used to.

[bgprest]

Thanks for the fantastic information!

My lens' serial number starts with "09" so I guess it was made by Cosina. So what does that tell you (or anybody)? Did Cosina produce some of the better lenses for Vivitar?

I wonder if contacting Vivitar itself would be helpful. Perhaps they would retain decent records.

Anybody else have insights?

Thanks again,

Brian

[ElanR]

Cosina is not near the top, I'm sorry to say. At this point you have the lens, might as well use it and see how you like it. I'm about to receive a Series 1 35-105/3.5 (Tokina made). I'll try to post my impression of it if there's interest here. Might end up a dud, but I only have $30 invested, so I'll take the chance.

[ElanR]

Brian, have you tested the lens yet? I'm hoping it turns out to be a little gem after all.

My 35-105/3.5 showed up today and it is stellar! Sharp, and has a macro setting I didn't expect. On the flip side, my recently acquired Kiron 70-210/3.5 -- a beautifully built lens -- turned out to be an unexpected disappointment, that in spite all the great reviews I've read about it. It is sharp, but the DOF is so limited, even at f/8-11, that it's difficult to get much in focus. I'm keeping it as my 2lb hunk of a portrait lens.

Just so you realize how valued and revered some of these lenses still are today, look at this Kiron 105/2.5 macro selling on ebay today. 19 bids and a $255 price with 20 minutes to go, and it has a clouded rear element to boot. It's one of several cult-classic MF lenses that always bring in high dollars.

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll...m=300117585083

[ElanR]

One more follow-up -- a sample of the Vivitar 35-105/3.5. This was shot at 85mm, 1/250th, f/5.6. Flash was used:


'Macro' mode. It's really just a close-focus setting.



100% crop:



200% crop:



How many AF lenses can match this level of resolution.... for $30?

[ALesmes]

so, from all I've read and researched the version 1 made in 1977 by Kino Precision, being a 67mm, 70-210mm 1:35 is a good one? I inherited one from my Dad and am trying to decide to keep it or sell it. I also inherited a Nikkor 105mm 1:25, Nikkor 50mm 1:1.8, Nikkor 24mm 1:28, Nikkor - Q.C Auto 1:3.5 f=135, Kiron MC72x Teleconverter and a Soligor Auto tele converter 2x to fit Nikon. Unforturnately my Mom lost the camera body so I am trying to decide what to sell to have enough money to buy a camera body. Any suggestions on what I should sell and what I absolutely should keep?

[venchka]

TPF member and Vivitar Sage wclavey will be along shortly. Wes will render all things Vivitar Series 1 clear as mud.

Keep all of the lenses. Buy a nice FM2something to go with the lenses. Or an F3.

Absoulutely keep the Nikkors.

[zachary]

Originally Posted by venchka

TPF member and Vivitar Sage wclavey will be along shortly. Wes will render all things Vivitar Series 1 clear as mud.

Keep all of the lenses. Buy a nice FM2something to go with the lenses. Or an F3.

Absoulutely keep the Nikkors.

Good advice. Keep every nikkor you own. I used to own a Nikkor-Q 35mm 2.8 and I really regret giving that up.

And +1 on the FM2. Stay away from the FM10.

[Kiron Kid]

Vivitar, never made or marketed a Series 1, 35-105 lens. The NON Series 1 28-105 was made by Kobori. The Series 1 versions were made by Cosina. The Kiron 28-105 and Vivitar Series 1, 28-90, are every bit as good performers.


Vivitar (Kobori model) 28-105


Kiron 28-105