In my previous post I looked at using 50mm legacy lenses. If you didn't read that have a look at Legacy Lenses: The 50mm prime lens. This time I'll be trying out a 28mm prime lens. The Vivitar 28mm f2.0 Close Focus.
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| Box fresh Vivitar |
I was quite excited when I acquired this lens because I picked it up brand new and boxed so the optics was spotless. It was made in the 1980s for use on Pentax KA mount auto exposure cameras introduced in 1983.
About Vivitar
In the 1970s to 1990s Vivitar was a very popular third party camera lens manufacturer that produced a vast range of lenses and accessories for all the popular camera brands. Throughout this period they produced some great lenses that have become cult classics among the photographic community. The Vivitar brand still exists today but are no longer a leading manufacturer of third party lenses. They do however produce a lot of photo accessories for sale to the American market.
Vivitar would out-source manufacturing to elected companies to produce lenses under the Vivitar brand name. Two well-known Japanese lens manufacturers at the time were Kiron and Komine (ko-min-e) who produced lenses for Vivitar. Both Kiron and Komine produced the 28mm F2.0 lens for Vivitar but the one I’m putting through it’s paces is made by Komine, recognised by the serial number beginning with 28xxxxxx. The reason I’m mentioning this is because the Komine made 28mm f2.0 is considered the best version of this lens and has indeed gained cult status.
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| Vivitar 28m f2.0 - Pentax PK/A fit |
Pentax PK/A lens mount
This lens is a Pentax PK/A lens mount fitting, which is highly sought after because not only will it fit directly onto a Pentax digital SLR without the need for an adapter, but also the ‘A’ setting on the lens will give Pentax users the option to use auto exposure settings and have the selected aperture recorded in the photo's Exif information. No other camera brand has this functionality with old manual focus lenses.
This lens is a Pentax PK/A lens mount fitting, which is highly sought after because not only will it fit directly onto a Pentax digital SLR without the need for an adapter, but also the ‘A’ setting on the lens will give Pentax users the option to use auto exposure settings and have the selected aperture recorded in the photo's Exif information. No other camera brand has this functionality with old manual focus lenses.
Performance & specifications
Focal Length: 28mm
Aperture Range: f2.0 - f16 (in half stop increments)
Aperture Blades: 6
Optical Construction: Unknown
Weight: 285g
This is not intended to be a technical review but just an opinion from a user perspective.
The lens barrel is made from metal and the focusing ring has nice torque with silky smooth operation. That said, I do find that the inner lens barrel does wobble slightly but it doesn't seem to have any impact on the usability. The aperture ring also turns freely with positive click stops
Having a fast aperture of f2.0 and close focusing ability, I was interested to see the kind of bokeh (blur) this lens could produce. Bearing in mind that this is a 28mm wide angle lens I expect some degree of linear distortion especially when close to the subject.
To see how it performs on a micro 4/3rds camera I’ve mounted it onto my Olympus E-P3 using my adapter.
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| Olympus E-P3 - Vivitar 28mm F2 and adapter |
All pictures were converted from Raw using Adobe Photoshop Elements 11 with Adobe Camera Raw sharpening set to default (equivalent no additional sharpening).
If this is the first time you’re viewing this blog and are not familiar with compact system cameras then check my post What is a compact system camera?
Here's some photos taken with the Vivitar lens.
Click on image for larger view:
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| 28mm@ f2.8 - Earrings |
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| 28mm @ f2.8 - Cup Cake Earring |
I must say, the close focus bokeh produced by this lens is great.
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| 28mm @ f2.8 |
Out of focus circular highlights take on the hexagonal shape of the aperture blades as you can see in the photo of the coffee cup.
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| 28mm @ f2.8 - Rock chick |
I took some portraits and was surprised that I could get some decent separation from the background, which is usually not easy given that this is a wide angle lens.
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| 28mm @ f2.8 - Cool young lady |
Did I mention that this lens is very sharp? The centre of the frame exhibits excellent sharpness at f2.8. Below is a 100% crop from the above image.
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| Not sharpened - looks good to me! |
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| 28mm @ f5.6 - The King |
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| That's sharp! |
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| 28mm @ f2.8 - Double Five Dm's |
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| 28mm @ f2.8 - Old school phone |
Wide angle lenses cause straight lines to converge as they diminish into the background as can be seen in the telephone shot. Converging lines can be used for dramatic effect.
I managed to get some foreground and background blur in the photo of the classic toy trucks.
Things to know when buying manual focus lenses
1. Old manual focus lenses are not designed for digital capture so they won't all render good image quality. They're usually hazy and soft when used at fully open aperture but used one or two stops down they can give great results. The reason for their appeal is that they represent very good value for money. For example, a close modern equivalent to the Vivitar lens is the Voigtlander 28mm f2 Ultron. The Voigtlander is a modern manual focus lens but will set you back £498 and doesn't have the same close focus ability.
2. Buy prime lenses. A prime lens is one that doesn't zoom so has a fixed focal length e.g. 28mm. The optical quality will usually be better. Avoid manual focus zoom lenses unless you're familiar with what you're buying.
3. Look for fast aperture lenses i.e. f1.2, f1.4, f1.8, f2 and f2.8 or faster for telephoto lenses. The maximum aperture will usually be marked around the front of the lens. These lenses let through more light so can be used when light levels are low and usually have superior optics.
4. Lens coatings are designed to reduce reflections and haze as well as to increase contrast, so look for lenses that are marked multi-coated or SMC (Super Multi Coated) as Pentax describes it. Older lens coatings are often not as good as modern coatings so when shooting in strong light I'd advise placing yourself away from the direct light source and consider using a lens hood.
5. Check that the aperture is not stuck. Turn the aperture ring and watch the aperture diaphragm open and close.
6. Fungus and dust between the glass elements of old lenses is common. Avoid lenses with a lot of fungus and dust inside although a small amount generally won't affect your photograph. Hold the lens up to the light with the aperture open so you can check it.
7. If you're starting out in photography a manual focus lens is a good way to teach yourself focusing techniques and will help you to learn about aperture settings.
Conclusion
Love it! I think close focusing is where this lens excels especially when used with a micro 4/3rds camera owing to the narrower angle of view. It's very sharp for general purpose use and creates very pleasing bokeh when focused close. Considering how old this lens is I think it's a great performer and is a pleasure to use.
I really like manual focus lenses. The tactile impression I get from this lens makes me feel good. The quality it communicates is something that I just don't get from a plastic lens. When you like your equipment you'll reach for it every time you leave home and the best camera is the one you take with you everywhere.
Well, I hope that gave you an insight into using old legacy lenses and how they can be a great affordable alternative.
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| 28mm @ f2.8 |
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| I wish all taxi drivers looked like this! |
Things to know when buying manual focus lenses
1. Old manual focus lenses are not designed for digital capture so they won't all render good image quality. They're usually hazy and soft when used at fully open aperture but used one or two stops down they can give great results. The reason for their appeal is that they represent very good value for money. For example, a close modern equivalent to the Vivitar lens is the Voigtlander 28mm f2 Ultron. The Voigtlander is a modern manual focus lens but will set you back £498 and doesn't have the same close focus ability.
2. Buy prime lenses. A prime lens is one that doesn't zoom so has a fixed focal length e.g. 28mm. The optical quality will usually be better. Avoid manual focus zoom lenses unless you're familiar with what you're buying.
3. Look for fast aperture lenses i.e. f1.2, f1.4, f1.8, f2 and f2.8 or faster for telephoto lenses. The maximum aperture will usually be marked around the front of the lens. These lenses let through more light so can be used when light levels are low and usually have superior optics.
4. Lens coatings are designed to reduce reflections and haze as well as to increase contrast, so look for lenses that are marked multi-coated or SMC (Super Multi Coated) as Pentax describes it. Older lens coatings are often not as good as modern coatings so when shooting in strong light I'd advise placing yourself away from the direct light source and consider using a lens hood.
5. Check that the aperture is not stuck. Turn the aperture ring and watch the aperture diaphragm open and close.
6. Fungus and dust between the glass elements of old lenses is common. Avoid lenses with a lot of fungus and dust inside although a small amount generally won't affect your photograph. Hold the lens up to the light with the aperture open so you can check it.
7. If you're starting out in photography a manual focus lens is a good way to teach yourself focusing techniques and will help you to learn about aperture settings.
Conclusion
Love it! I think close focusing is where this lens excels especially when used with a micro 4/3rds camera owing to the narrower angle of view. It's very sharp for general purpose use and creates very pleasing bokeh when focused close. Considering how old this lens is I think it's a great performer and is a pleasure to use.
I really like manual focus lenses. The tactile impression I get from this lens makes me feel good. The quality it communicates is something that I just don't get from a plastic lens. When you like your equipment you'll reach for it every time you leave home and the best camera is the one you take with you everywhere.
Well, I hope that gave you an insight into using old legacy lenses and how they can be a great affordable alternative.
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