Jim T. writes:
<< GENERALLY speaking, if you stay with any of the older vintage Vivitar
stuff (all metal) you're safe, >>
Vivitar is/was a marketing company, not a lens manufacturer! They didn't
make their own lenses. Kino Precision (Kiron) and Tokina are two
companies which did make lenses for Vivitar.
It amazes me what eBay buyers are willing to pay for a plain Jane
"Vivitar" lens. I remember the old Modern and Popular Photography tests:
it just isn't justified on either optical quality or build quality. In
particular, the diaphragm mechanisms of Vivitar branded lenses are their
Achilles Heel and their breakdown typically renders the lens beyond
economic repair.
I've focused on SQF testing Vivitar Series 1 rather than just "Vivitar."
Folks can come up with their own conclusions, but those lenses are
becoming rather long in the tooth by today's standards and versus
premium glass from Tamron and Olympus. Strong vignetting at wide angle
settings on zooms, poor full aperture performance and an image color
that is cool are some characteristics that make them inferior to many
Zuikos. They also didn't get it when it came to weight reduction or
bulk, since many Series 1 lenses look and feel like ill matches on an OM
body.
Gary Reese
Las Vegas, NV
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