[MichaelPatrick]

Hi everyone,

I've been using a 35mm Pentax Super ME and some lenses that my dad gifted to me. The camera finally crapped out and I just bought a k-5 DSLR from a fellow forum member. I have been trying to do some research on the lenses that I currently own, but I am having a hell of time finding information on the specific models. Specifically, I am trying to ascertain two things about each lens: 1) the overall quality; and 2) how well it will perform on the k-5. Indeed, I have been pretty happy with them on the Super ME, but I know things can get hairy when you throw them on a newer DSLR. Any information you can provide me will be greatly appreciated! Also, any recommendations on additional lenses that I may benefit from would also be quite useful. The three lenses are:

1) Visitor 28mm 1: 2.8 MC Wide Angle No. 28073270

2) Asahi Optical Co. SMC Pentax-M 1:2 50mm 5287442

3) Visitor 80-200mm 1: 4.5 MC Zoom No. 28123634

Thanks everyone!

Mike

[onlineflyer]

Did you look in the PF lens review section(s)?

Pentax Lenses >> Pentax Lenses - Pentax Lens Reviews & Lens Database

Third Party Lenses >> Pentax Lenses by Sigma, Tamron, Zeiss, and more - Reviews and Specification Database - Pentax Lens Review Database

[timw4mail]

Visitor? Not Vivitar?

[MichaelPatrick]

Visitor? Not Vivitar?

Ha! My mac's autocorrect must have kicked in without me noticing! Yes, Vivitar, not visitor...

---------- Post added 10-04-17 at 07:00 AM ----------

Did you look in the PF lens review section(s)?

Pentax Lenses >> Pentax Lenses - Pentax Lens Reviews & Lens Database

Third Party Lenses >> Pentax Lenses by Sigma, Tamron, Zeiss, and more - Reviews and Specification Database - Pentax Lens Review Database

I did, and I had no luck. The only lens that I think I may have located is the Pentax f2. However, it is showing up in the review as a wide-angle lens, and it is not. SMC Pentax-M 35mm F2 Reviews - M Prime Lenses - Pentax Lens Reviews & Lens Database

---------- Post added 10-04-17 at 07:01 AM ----------

Did you look in the PF lens review section(s)?

Pentax Lenses >> Pentax Lenses - Pentax Lens Reviews & Lens Database

Third Party Lenses >> Pentax Lenses by Sigma, Tamron, Zeiss, and more - Reviews and Specification Database - Pentax Lens Review Database

Scratch that! SMC Pentax-M 50mm F2 Reviews - M Prime Lenses - Pentax Lens Reviews & Lens Database

[onlineflyer]

This is your Pentax lens

SMC Pentax-M 50mm F2 Reviews - M Prime Lenses - Pentax Lens Reviews & Lens Database

Vivitar

https://www.pentaxforums.com/userreviews/vivitar-28mm-f-2-8-close-focus.html

[twilhelm]

Personally I think the Vivitar 28 you have is a good lens. There’s also nothing really wrong with the 50 f/2, but if I’m using a manual 50, I think one of the best Pentax produced is the M50 f/1.7. I didn’t like the Vivitar 80-200 on digital while it was ok on film.

As far as recommendations, your budget and shooting style will determine that. Check out some of the lens clubs and see what some can do with various lenses. A couple of other places to check are the games, specifically the Daily in challenge, and the Single in Challenge.

Good luck!

[nnyorkie]

Personally I think the Vivitar 28 you have is a good lens. .

Good luck!

+1.

I have the Vivitar 28 lens and have come to really enjoy it. I also use it with a K-5.

As for other lenses, I've found the forum reviews very helpful. It is overwhelming, but also fun to browse.

[Alex645]

I am trying to ascertain two things about each lens: 1) the overall quality; and 2) how well it will perform on the k-5.
Also, any recommendations on additional lenses that I may benefit from would also be quite useful. The three lenses are:

1) Visitor 28mm 1: 2.8 MC Wide Angle No. 28073270

2) Asahi Optical Co. SMC Pentax-M 1:2 50mm 5287442

3) Visitor 80-200mm 1: 4.5 MC Zoom No. 28123634

Mike,
Although the reviews and evaluations of others can reveal general truths, there is no substitute for you putting your three lenses through your own tests and coming to your own conclusions.

At some point, you will want to put a modern digital lens on the K-5, to see the difference with your older glass. With the APS-C sensor, youʻre probably going to want at least something around 16-18mm for wide angle.

With film, fast glass with large apertures really made a difference. I would argue this is less significant with digital where 1600 ISO will look more like your old 400 ISO on film.

To answer your question of what weʻd recommend.....of your three lenses, which gets the most use? Or do you want a recommendation for an all purpose wide to telephoto zoom?

[Skodadriver]

Hi everyone,

I've been using a 35mm Pentax Super ME and some lenses that my dad gifted to me. The camera finally crapped out and I just bought a k-5 DSLR from a fellow forum member. I have been trying to do some research on the lenses that I currently own, but I am having a hell of time finding information on the specific models. Specifically, I am trying to ascertain two things about each lens: 1) the overall quality; and 2) how well it will perform on the k-5. Indeed, I have been pretty happy with them on the Super ME, but I know things can get hairy when you throw them on a newer DSLR. Any information you can provide me will be greatly appreciated! Also, any recommendations on additional lenses that I may benefit from would also be quite useful. The three lenses are:

1) Visitor 28mm 1: 2.8 MC Wide Angle No. 28073270

2) Asahi Optical Co. SMC Pentax-M 1:2 50mm 5287442

3) Visitor 80-200mm 1: 4.5 MC Zoom No. 28123634

Thanks everyone!

Mike

I have a Vivitar 28mm F2.8 close focus and like it, I do not use it much but I have 4 or 5 others at 28mm and do not use any of them much..
My limited experience with digital photography would like to recommend the 18-55mm kit lens, with WR if possible to enable the WR of the K-5 to be complemented. This would lose you some F stops but shooting at ISO 400 with the K-5 is pretty good. There are variants without WR, DA and DAL, you can check out user comments in the lens reviews. This lens will give you images around the 28mm focal length that you will lose using the K-5 due to the crop factor at 18mm and is probably the cheapest option. Nevertheless this is not a cheap "bad" zoom!
Complement this lens with a Pentax 50-200mm or 55-300mm lens and you have a pretty good "budget" start to digital photography with autofocus lenses covering, in effect, focal lengths from 28mm to 300mm or 450mm in 35mm film terms. Not that I am knocking legacy manual focus lenses, I have many myself.
Enjoy your K-5, try not to crop your images too much as this may lead to the occasional disappointment in your images and remember that all the rules of taking good images with 35mm film probably carry over to digital.

[Steve Beswick]

Check if those lenses have the Ricoh pin before you mount them on the camera. If they have it, and you mount them on the camera, they could become permanently stuck on there.

As far as Vivitar 28mm lenses are concerned, you should look here:
Great Vivitar 28mm Bestiary

It is truly dizzying how many 28mm lenses Vivitar marketed.

[aslyfox]

Hi everyone, . . . Also, any recommendations on additional lenses that I may benefit from would also be quite useful. . . .

Thanks everyone!

Mike

one way you can learn about possible lenses you are already doing, asking others for advice and suggestions

another way is to read reviews of the lenses under " Lenses " above

those are free methods

once you have done that stuff you might want to consider a third option but that would cost $ - renting some lenses and trying your own tests

I have used LensRentals.com - Rent Lenses and Cameras from Canon, Nikon, Olympus, Sony, Leica, and more with success. They are from Tennessee and there is also

borrow lenses.com

Rent professional cameras or camera lenses for Canon, Nikon, Sony, Olympus, Leica and Pentax

but I have no experience with them

[ChristianRock]

The problem with knowing the Vivitar 28mm in particular, is that Vivitar used so many different 28mm suppliers, it is hard to know what you have until you know who made it. So someone created a "28mm Vivitar Bestiary" where most (but apparenty not all) Vivitar 28mm lenses are catalogued. A link can be found in this thread: The Great Vivitar 28mm Bestiary - PentaxForums.com

[Alex645]

...and remember that all the rules of taking good images with 35mm film probably carry over to digital.

True....but for exposures, digital is more like slide or reversal film and not negs.

With neg/print film when bracketing, you often want to over-expose to capture details in the shadows. The dynamic range can often handle those highlights.

With slide film when bracketing, you typically want to under-expose for richer colors and to avoid loss in blown out highlights. Less dynamic range.

The Sony sensor in the Pentax is excellent with dynamic range, but still has its limits in overblown highlights. So with digital, instead of bracketing with a bit of overexposure, Iʻd recommend the opposite.

[aslyfox]

If the OP has mentioned what type of photography he enjoys I missed it.

without that info, it is kinda hard to recommend the type of DSLR lenses to recommend

for example I enjoy wildlife photography and I am trying to learn how to do that as well as how to do macro photography " in the field "

I use a older SMC Pentax-D FA 100mm F2.8 Macro which gives me 1:1 magnification and a short telephoto prime.

I like it very much

[MichaelPatrick]

If the OP has mentioned what type of photography he enjoys I missed it.

without that info, it is kinda hard to recommend the type of DSLR lenses to recommend

for example I enjoy wildlife photography and I am trying to learn how to do that as well as how to do macro photography " in the field "

I use a older SMC Pentax-D FA 100mm F2.8 Macro which gives me 1:1 magnification and a short telephoto prime.

I like it very much

Sorry if I didn't mention this! I primarily shoot outdoor landscapes, as well as urban shots. Naturally, I also enjoy shooting things at home like candid family shots..

Thanks everyone!!!

M