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Cosina ( Vivitar ) MC MACRO ------ 35-70mm F3.5-4.8 Review RSS Feed

Cosina ( Vivitar ) MC MACRO ------ 35-70mm F3.5-4.8

Sharpness 
 7.3
Aberrations 
 7.0
Bokeh 
 7.7
Handling 
 8.3
Value 
 6.7
Reviews Views Date of last review
3 31,482 Wed November 11, 2020
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Recommended By Average Price Average User Rating
67% of reviewers $19.00 6.33
Cosina ( Vivitar ) MC MACRO ------ 35-70mm F3.5-4.8
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Description:
Relatively commonplace kit-zoom. Presumed to be the successor to the Cosina Cosinon-Z 35-70mm f/3.5-4.5 MC - f3.5-4.5. The vivitar 35-70mm f3.5-4.8 is the same lens. Can be found in all the mounts of the era (1980's). Typically PKA mount for pentax. Lens made in Japan
Mount Type: Pentax KA
Price History:



Add Review of Cosina ( Vivitar ) MC MACRO ------ 35-70mm F3.5-4.8
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Sort Reviews by: Date | Author | Rating | Recommendation | Likes (Descending) Showing Reviews 1-3 of 3
New Member

Registered: September, 2019
Posts: 20
Review Date: November 11, 2020 Recommended | Price: $20.00 | Rating: 8 

 
Pros: Well made, smooth mechanics, cheap
Cons: not greatest zoom range f3.5
Sharpness: 8    Aberrations: 7    Bokeh: 8    Handling: 9    Value: 9    Camera Used: KP, K3(i)   

I have the CZJ 35-70mm Jenazoom Macro version

All metal - beautiful construction.

I think there are several versions of this lens - and they are NOT all the same quality, if the other reviews are to be believed.

Mine is a great example - and very capable of producing some nice clear images. Not razor sharp but decently sharp.

Focus ring is very light - but beautifully smooth.

For £20 I thought this was a bargain. (Having said that, I sold it pretty quickly as I'm basically a prime guy!)

A few examples all shot at f3.5 and either 70mm or beyond (macro)

   
Site Supporter

Registered: April, 2015
Posts: 3,505
Review Date: July 1, 2015 Not Recommended | Price: $12.00 | Rating: 1 

 
Pros: none
Cons: all
Sharpness: 4    Aberrations: 4    Bokeh: 5    Handling: 6    Value: 1    Camera Used: K5II   

This lens is the same as

Exacta 35-70 Macro
Nikon 35-70 (non AF)
Zeiss Jena 35-70 (made in Japan)

The stiff competition for this lens is the Pentax F35-70 which is great and cheap, two primes within one lens, short, fast and precise AF and usually around $ 50 or cheaper. Compared to the F35-70 the Cosina as a pure manual lens is crap as crap can be. Recommended only if you have a cheap camera which you want to give your kids to use for playing outside in the sandbox to learn how not to treat a camera.

Addition June 2019:
There is indeed a cheaper version which says only Cosina but not Cosinon. I never had this one but the Cosina Cosinon-Z and the Exacta version which is the same as the Cosinon.

   
New Member

Registered: November, 2013
Posts: 14
Review Date: November 30, 2014 Recommended | Price: $25.00 | Rating: 10 

 
Pros: very sharp, even wide open,very nice bokeh, excellent colors
Cons: nearly none, only plastic housing
Sharpness: 10    Aberrations: 10    Bokeh: 10    Handling: 10    Value: 10    Camera Used: k-x,k200, k-5   

Pay attention !!!



Obviously, there are two different editions of this lens !!!The better one has a bigger front lens, the cheaper one has a smaller front lens. The better one has been named Cosinon, the cheaper one Cosina !!! In order to get the better one, the middle ring must be structured like the big front ring.


highly recommended lens, small lens with high performence,
good contrast, nice colors,
really very few CA's, scarecely visible in big poster size.

My lens is - Cosinon 3.5-4.5/35-70 ! - zoomed to 35mm much more better than the famous Pentax Takumar 3.5/35. Why for? The Pentax has strong CA's in the corner - but this has nearly none.

If you can get one, buy it

very sharp in the corners when stopping a few down to f8
50mm are sharper than DA 18-55 standard lens.

sometimes an older lens construction seems to be better than some recent zooms with gold rings at a high price suitable for beginning adults and children photographers

perhaps other guys has got one with decentered optics

pentax F35-70 has a few better color rendition, a few higher contrast still wide open

ps.don't forget: new Pentax DA lenses have a plastic housing;too . in different colours

I've discovered that standard sharpness is the best with k200. with k-5 of my son I must sharpen with PhSh after shooting, and colors are not so brilliant as with k200. perhaps this is the reason of different results

full recommendation. Compare and verfy with test indicated below:

some test picture+video with this lens visible at: blog.bkspicture.com/review_Cosina_Cosinon-Z_35-70mm_f3.5-4.5_MC.html

if you'll make a double click on the picture you'll discover an at least 60x80cm poster confirming my recensation for f 8

Ps. The cheaper Cosina edition is not so sharp at 35 mm in the corners and has therein some visible CA's - 3 points less
Add Review of Cosina ( Vivitar ) MC MACRO ------ 35-70mm F3.5-4.8



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