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Veteran Member Registered: December, 2009 Location: USA - Delaware Posts: 435
1 user found this helpful
| | Review Date: October 22, 2012 | Recommended | Price: $300.00
| Rating: 10 |
| Pros: | Sharp even wide open, smooth long throw focus ring, heavy quality all metal built | | Cons: | absolutely none | | Sharpness: 10
Aberrations: 9
Bokeh: 10
Handling: 10
Value: 10
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Im reviewing the Vivitar Series 1 105mm F2.5 version. One of the best quality lens I've ever used. Focus is precise and the focus ring is a joy to use. Super sharp even at F2.5. Amazing quality built. Some people complain the lens doesn't perform great for portraits. Not in my experience. Bokeh is creamy and it creates nice 3D portraits when shot at F2.5.
The only downside I can think of is that it is quite heavy and long when focused at the minimum focus distance. This can be a problem if you are shooting handheld and holding the camera w one hand and flash gun in the other. However, that will be a problem with any macro lens of this focal length.
Amazing lens. Buy one if you get a chance!
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Senior Member Registered: February, 2012 Location: Houston Posts: 129 | | Review Date: March 25, 2012 | Recommended | Price: $250.00
| Rating: 10 |
| Pros: | Scapel sharp! Great macro! fantastic color! Built like a tank. | | Cons: | Lettering wearing off. | | Sharpness: 10
Aberrations: 9
Bokeh: 10
Handling: 9
Value: 10
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I have the Kiron version of this lens This lens is magical!! It does not take a bad shot once you focus it right. It is really sharp and the bokeh is creamy and dreamy . My friends are all asking what lens i am shooting with that gives such amazing pictures. I purchased this after reading the reviews here and I can say this is a lens I wont ever sell! Amazing. Cant wait to use it more and more each day.
https://farm8.staticflickr.com/7261/13469708415_888cba6fdb_b.jpg
https://farm6.staticflickr.com/5501/12785482615_0b441b9cf9_b.jpg
One of the Best lens I own hands down. I recommend you get one especially if you like manual focusing.
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Junior Member Registered: November, 2009 Location: Portland, OR Posts: 42
3 users found this helpful
| | Review Date: February 11, 2012 | Recommended | Price: $15.00
| Rating: 10 |
| Pros: | Superb image and build quality. | | Cons: | None | | Sharpness: 10
Aberrations: 8
Bokeh: 9
Handling: 10
Value: 10
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Perhaps Kiron's finest lens. It's incredible. I have three of them. Weighs a ton? I think not! It is very well built and will last you and your grandchildren a lifetime. I know many macro shooters that prefer this lens over the modern day equivalents.
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Veteran Member Registered: April, 2007 Location: Uppsala, Sweden Posts: 576
1 user found this helpful
| | Review Date: August 20, 2011 | Recommended | Price: $270.00
| Rating: 8 |
| Pros: | Sharp, Looong focus throw, Build Quality, Bokeh, 1:1 Macro | | Cons: | Purple fringing, lack of contrast wide open, built in lens hood not very good. | |
I own the Ricoh Rikenon version of this lens.
This lens is quite an amassing thing. Very, very sharp when stopped down, and also with good contrast and colour. It has a wonderfully long focus throw that comes in handy when doing macro work. At 2.8 it is quite fast for being a macro lens, making it useful as a portrait lens. As expected from a macro the bokeh is very smooth and nice, again good for portraits. Being able to shoot a portrait one minute and a 1:1 macro the next without changing the lens is very nice.
It does suffer from poor contrast wide open and purple fringing until a bit stopped down. The built in lens hood is not very big and I suspect it doesn't have all that much effect. On my copy it is also quite loose but considering that the lens is probably 20+ years I can't blame it for being a little worn.
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New Member Registered: February, 2008 Posts: 6 | | Review Date: March 21, 2011 | Recommended | Price: $325.00
| Rating: 9 |
| Pros: | Sharp, great colors, build like tank | | Cons: | Heavy, Non AF | |
I have the Lester A. Dine version. And it's the best lens i have.
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Loyal Site Supporter Registered: October, 2009 Posts: 137
2 users found this helpful
| | Review Date: January 24, 2011 | Recommended | Price: $200.00
| Rating: 10 |
| Pros: | very sharp; beautiful colors; a gem | | Cons: | nope | |
easy to use MF; fits very well on K20D/Grip
some examples
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Junior Member Registered: November, 2008 Location: Lyon, France Posts: 31
3 users found this helpful
| | Review Date: November 17, 2009 | Recommended | Price: None indicated
| Rating: 9 |
| Pros: | arge aperture, built quality, good IQ, colours | | Cons: | Heavy, purple fringing, "cult" lens | |
I am reviewing the Vivitar 100mm f2.8, the same lens but was marked differently.
I bought this lens after reading many positive reviews of this lens. Yes, many people call it "legendary" but compare to my Vivitar 100m f3.5 (made by Cosina). I can't find any thing much superior.
Positive: Large aperture, built quality and IQ is very good. Bokeh and colors are excellent.
Negatives: Heavy. A little heavy for photomacrography when you use with many macro accessories. Sometimes LoCAs are visible.
Ex:
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Veteran Member Registered: August, 2008 Location: Brazil Posts: 532
1 user found this helpful
| | Review Date: May 19, 2009 | Recommended | Price: $250.00
| Rating: 10 |
| Pros: | tack sharp stopped down, takes awesome pictures, very easy to focus | | Cons: | a bit soft wide open, heavy to carry around all day | |
This lens is absolutely top quality.
Focusing is incredibly easy due to the looong throw (3 complete turns of the barrel) and extremely narrow DOF when wide open - you have to be blind to miss focus with a lens like this.
Built like a tank - makes moderns lenses look like toys. Also, quite heavy.
Its images are simply incredible in colour, contrast and detail. Many of my best shots were taken with it.
I don't think macro lenses get any better than this. Also works well for portraits and any other kind of shots. At f/2.8 it's a bit soft but that's to be expected of a macro. Stopped down is VERY sharp across the focusing range.
A very strong recommendation for anybody interested in macro photography.
If anyone cares to have a look here's my flickr set of my photos taken with this lens
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Senior Member Registered: February, 2007 Location: Omaha, NE Posts: 111
1 user found this helpful
| | Review Date: April 26, 2009 | Recommended | Price: $280.00
| Rating: 10 |
| Pros: | Tack Sharp | | Cons: | Weighs a ton | |
I purchased this lens in January 2009 in mint condition, and just recently have had the chance to enjoy this lens. All that I can say is wow! Just like everyone who has owned this lens, I have to say that it is just spectacular at doing it's business at macro. I have not found one flaw mechanically with this lens. Hell I have even shot portraits with it - only to find out it's just as good as my go to lens for portraits.
If I had to gripe about anything it would have to be the weight of this lens. After shooting with limited primes, this lens seems to weigh about 5lbs! Which tells you that the construction of the lens is like a tank, and it's built to last.
Overall it's a joy to work with macros with this lens. If you can find one in great condition at a reasonable price, then go for it. You won't be disappointed.
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New Member Registered: July, 2008 Location: Wisconsin Posts: 3
1 user found this helpful
| | Review Date: July 14, 2008 | Recommended | Price: None indicated
| Rating: 10 |
| Pros: | Superb 1:1 MACRO | | Cons: | Screened letters wear off | | Sharpness: 10
Aberrations: 8
Bokeh: 10
Handling: 10
Value: 9
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I might prefer Kiron 105mm or Kino as a title for this review heading, as an acknowledgment to other fine Pentax mount, Kiron focal lengths. The excellent Lester Dine 105mm examples, dental derivatives, to be sure, are more common in Nikon & Canon mounts.
My version would be Pentax K mount - Kiron 105mm F2.8 MACRO 1:1. I have used this lens since about early 1980's originally purchased w/Pentax MX for use with Kodachrome. It proved to have superior macro and close focus performance for my continuing wild flower collection.
Rediscovered for digital use, the Kiron 105 remains superb. Solid metal construction, built-in lens hood, wonderful tight focus ring. Lettering is screened rather than engraved and does show wear. The lens surpasses sharpness in my comparison to the Sigma 105mm Macro, and has obvious, convenient handling and working distance compared to my Nikkor 55mm F2.8 Micro or Canon 50mm F2.5 Macro. If one can find this lens, I recommend it.
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Inactive Account Registered: April, 2008 Posts: 817 | | Review Date: May 24, 2008 | Recommended | Price: $325.00
| Rating: 10 |
| Pros: | Sharpness, contrast, working distance, feel | | Cons: | | |
Like it's counterparts with other brand names this lens is amazing.
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