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08-24-2009, 02:53 PM   #286
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Some more shots to admire are in the thread Testing the Vivitar 28mm K01 by taking kitten photos. Have I said before that I really really like this lens?

08-24-2009, 08:43 PM   #287
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QuoteOriginally posted by TourDeForce Quote
SMS (simultaneous multiple-surface) is a design method that allows lens elements to do more optical work in producing a desired image. The SMS design process requires HEAVY mathmatical calculation and is now more commonly used by many lens manufacturers.

I'm beginning to think, based on SMS research, that Vivitar may have designed the optics of some of the lenses their name was on. True they were not a manufacturer, but if they had the design capability, there were plenty of small lens manufacturers hungry for the chance to produce 3rd party lenses for big name cameras. Vivitar may have simply consigned them to manufacture a Vivitar formula. Given how protective the camera companies may have been of their lens market, it would have been easy for Vivitar to exploit restrictions the camera companies may have placed on the 3rd party guys - which would have given the 3rd party makers a loophole into a wider market through Vivitar.

This type of relationship between the small manufacturers and Vivitar may be the reason why companies like Pentax never took the opportunity to have the likes of Komine make a 28mm with the Pentax brand on it. Seems to me it would have been an EASY move given the weakness of the Pentax 28mm offerings. The little guys didn't own the formula, so the big boys were outa luck and/or had to deal with Vivitar for the lens formula. It also explains why those old makers are not around any longer. They were playing both sides and ultimately poisoned the well they wanted to drink from.

"The shapes of the plurality of optically active surfaces (e.g., three optically active surfaces), deployed on the first and second lens surfaces, are derived through a simultaneous multiple-surface (SMS) method. The present method,... utilizes an SMS process in at least part of the method to perform a conjoint successive generation of two optically active surfaces in a system."
.

Jim, thanks very much for pursuing this mystery, you've added to our collective knowledge in a way I appreciate, being the owner of one of these SMS lenses

BY THE WAY, as of 8/24/09, someone is selling a K02 in the marketplace (no, not me.)
08-24-2009, 09:02 PM   #288
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That's right, come on over to the marketplace and get yourself a nice K02!

Vivitar 28mm/f2.8 K02

David
08-31-2009, 09:25 AM   #289
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More Vivitar 28/2 K01 Test Shots, this time at 100% in available light.

09-04-2009, 02:20 PM   #290
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just bumping the thread with a pic I took yesterday while attaching my Viv 28mm ($15 "K21" variant) to an extension tube.

Never leave a man behind
09-15-2009, 06:01 AM   #291
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K02 F8 1/160 Cropped, resized, but not sharpened and not leveled, hand held split focus screen used:
09-23-2009, 11:53 AM   #292
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Was it ever determined what the relative performance is of these Vivitar lenses vs. their Pentax-M 28mm F2 or Pentax-M 28mm F2.8 (edited from 35mm, stupid me!) counterparts?

I just bought an M11 Kino/Kiron copy. I thought I was buying a K12 because the SN was long and the bestiary listed the M11 SN as No. 22xxx, which I took to mean it was shorter than the K12, but that turns out not to be the case.

I bought the lens for my 1.6x crop camera for use at a wedding. I looked like it needed cleanup, but that's easy enough and the price was right: $22.50 shipped.

I wish there was a standardized test of each of these lenses to find out which ones are the good ones! I guess the series-1 are probably the best.


Last edited by cwm9; 09-23-2009 at 10:17 PM.
09-23-2009, 05:28 PM   #293
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QuoteOriginally posted by cwm9 Quote
Was it ever determined what the relative performance is of these Vivitar lenses vs. their Pentax-M 35mm F2 or Pentax-M 35mm F2.8 counterparts?
Not sure why one would compare 28mm lenses to 35mm lenses, since the FOV is quite different.

I much prefer my Vivitars to the Pentax A 28/2.8 for what that's worth.

Complete lens tests? That would be great. Anyone got the time and a full collection of glass? ;-)
09-23-2009, 10:16 PM   #294
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QuoteOriginally posted by rparmar Quote
Not sure why one would compare 28mm lenses to 35mm lenses, since the FOV is quite different.
AAAHH! Brain fart.

I MEANT the Pentax-M 28mm F2 and the Pentax-M 28mm F2.8.

QuoteOriginally posted by rparmar Quote
Anyone got the time and a full collection of glass?
Yeah, that is a lot of pictures to take and a lot of glass to use! Still, it'd be pretty cool to have resolution test shots from each lens... Sounds like way to much work for anyone sane, especially me!

The reviews of the Pentax A 28/2.8 were a bit... lackluster? So I'm glad you prefer the vivitar over it. I can't wait to get my copy in the mail. I hope it works out of the box and doesn't need the aperture fixed.

Last edited by cwm9; 09-23-2009 at 10:24 PM.
10-01-2009, 11:06 AM   #295
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what a HUGE t hread, unfortunately the minimum for searching is 4 characters.

I had a couple questions:
How does one tell the difference between a KA (auto aperture control?) mount and K mount? The writings on the beastiary appear the same. Is there an auto switch or something? Does this make it act like a Pentax-A series lens where the body can pick the aperture? I assume this would be preferable.

What are the general differences between the Komine, Kiron, Tokina makes? Is Komine better optically? Kiron's get oily?

Are SMS preferable? F2 just as sharp as F2.8?
10-01-2009, 11:29 AM   #296
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QuoteOriginally posted by Eruditass Quote
what a HUGE t hread, unfortunately the minimum for searching is 4 characters.

I had a couple questions:
How does one tell the difference between a KA (auto aperture control?) mount and K mount? The writings on the beastiary appear the same. Is there an auto switch or something? Does this make it act like a Pentax-A series lens where the body can pick the aperture? I assume this would be preferable.
In answer to this question, the KA mount compared to the K mount is the same look and same effect as if comparing Pentax lenses. You look for the "A" aperture setting on the lens. And sure, an A lens is preferable to the non-A lenses due to the better functionaility. In the case of the Vivitar Close Focus lens (K02), the lens is pretty rare in general, but the A mount seems to be very rare.

Last edited by jeffrey r; 10-01-2009 at 11:36 AM.
10-01-2009, 11:44 AM   #297
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Is the K02 regarded as better than everything else in the K series (or taking into account close focus, the K0x)? I thought SMS was good and that is K06.
10-02-2009, 04:50 AM   #298
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I recieved my Viv 28 CF with A-setting a couple of days ago.

The A setting is handy, but I am not sure I will keep it anyway. I already have the M02, which is not that much harder to use, and I think the M02 is a tiny bit sharper wide open.

Robin, the description on the front don't match any of the lenses at...

The Great Vivitar 28mm Bestiary

...Is this a new A03? Same text as the A02, but it lacks the SMS part, what now SMS might stand for.




Some samples:

f2.8


f2.8


f3.5


f4


f4.5


My Viv 28 CF A03(?) gallery
Vivitar 28mm KA f2.8 Close Focus - joj's Photos- powered by SmugMug

My Viv 28 CF M02 gallery
Vivitar 28mm f2.8 Close Focus - joj's Photos- powered by SmugMug
10-02-2009, 05:04 AM   #299
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Jeffrey beat me to it. The "KA" is not distinguished by anything specific on the front rim, but rather by the "A" setting on the aperture dial. You can't miss it! While I prefer KA for convenience I don't have a big problem with hitting the green button to get stop-down metering, especially on manual focus lenses where the process of taking pictures is necessarily a bit slower and more considered.

To attempt your other questions, which have no definitive answers.

The K02 is indeed highly regarded but "better than everything else in the K series" I would not say. There are other very nice lenses from Komine and Kiron. The Tokina seem to be earlier designs and are not as great, but I have not tried too many so this could be sample variation. (Besides, the ones I have are not K-mount.)

I have heard that Kirons get oily and stuck blades, but mine is perfect and takes great shots.

I cannot tell the difference between SMS and not, but have done no concerted study of this. I always use a lens hood, which helps more than anything with flare. I bought three different sizes of cheap metal hoods off eBay and use them on a variety of lenses.

On a given lens in this series f/2.8 is always sharper and has less aberrations than f/2. It is always worth stopping down one or even two if one does not need the small DOF. At f/4 I would say that these lenses provide enough contrast etc. for anyone.

Of course there are some nice zooms at f/4 as well, but these primes are smaller and have a more solid build. Plus they provide the opportunity to open up if need be. I don't use my DA16-45 much any more, but that's because I am more of a prime person.

If you are comparing across lenses, I would say that the f/2 variants are better optimised, so that if you stop down to f/2.8 and compare to a 2.8 lens wide open, the image from the faster lens will indeed look better. For me, then, it is worth seeking out the f/2 versions. But you will pay more.
10-02-2009, 05:56 AM   #300
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Frangipani K02 ISO200 1/3200 f2.8

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