| Author: | | Forum Member Registered: June, 2014 Posts: 58 | | Review Date: July 21, 2022 | Not Recommended | Price: $60.00
| Rating: 5 |
| Pros: | Useful focal range, fast max. apertures, very sharp stopped down | | Cons: | Very difficult to focus, heavy, no "A" setting | | Sharpness: 8
Aberrations: 6
Bokeh: 7
Handling: 3
Value: 4
Camera Used: Pentax KP
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The lens is very sharp stopped down, but the focusing through an optical viewfinder is very difficult at long distances and nearly impossible up close. A slightest zoom creep throws the image out of focus. Not recommended.
| | | | | | | New Member Registered: October, 2009 Location: The Worlds Only Portable City - Complete with Carrying Handle Posts: 2 | | Review Date: March 17, 2021 | Recommended | Price: $15.00
| Rating: 7 |
| Pros: | Vivitar was a Ponder and Best design, the Kiron was a Kino Precision design | | Cons: | close focusing distance | | Sharpness: 8
Aberrations: 7
Bokeh: 7
Handling: 5
Value: 9
Camera Used: Several
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I don't believe the Kiron version is the same as the Vivitar? in fact the patents belonged to Ponder and Best based on their design. It would be difficult for a supplier to explain they reverse engineered what they were given in the first place, then put under another brand label? It was a Vivitar design and not something Kino/Kiron tried to get Vivitar to buy from them. I believe it is a different lens designed their way at Kiron, in the USA using CAD and it even cost more than the Vivitar, of whom was irritated over a 1 million dollar service charge by Pekin Elmer using NASA computer time. Ponder and Best were extremely upset by the added expense a computer created. That was typical then, computers were cussed at more than praised and people resisted them over the cost realized in using their abilities. Kino Precision did not have access or the ability their US Kiron counter part had, and Kiron was viewed as driving up cost in the industry and was a business casualty of sorts?
'resistance' that part of human emotion that denies progress over expense - the 80's were that period, a struggle between old and new Disco and Rock?
For those of us born in that century, this was the 80's a fierce battle of change and resistance to change
Loads of Rhetoric regarding Vivitar was pumped into online forums by a few select/slick individuals hyping 3rd party lenses, mainly Vivitar and Kino and as a direct result of their intended actions to over inflate and drive up interest and cost, hyperbole and pure rubbish resulted in creating false information that sticks to this day.
It was tested 40 years ago, it performed better than the Vivitar 28-85 they had tested before it. How could that be? Simply, it is not the same lens design, additionally it cost 50% more as well.
Kiron 28-85mm Varifocal Macro Zoom Review (Modern Photography 1981)
Kiron's varifocal 28-85mm f/2.8-3.8 zoom rated 34 out of 36 excellent ratings for center and
corner sharpness (and the two holdouts were both very goods) at 28, 50, and 85mm. Contrast
rated as all highs at 28mm, all but one high at 50mm, and mostly high at 85mm (center).
Quote: Based on our lab and field experience with the 28-85, we're happy to say that it performs
splendidly - better than any lens in this focal-length range we've tested so far...
The lens close focuses to 1:4 macro shots without the need for macro buttons or special settings.
Both the 28mm and 50mm settings were superb by f/5.6. Pincushion distortion was under 1.25%.
Light falloff at 28mm was a relatively high 1.4 stops at f/5.6, but only 0.3 stops at 85mm.
Here is an example of a Kiron varifocal mid-range zoom that is very sharp and very contrasty,
while delivering its best performance at the wider and faster 28mm end of its range.
Source: Modern Photography, p. 90, March 1981
Vivitar 28-85 658g 14-11 elements
Kiron 28-85 ? Everything I find copies the Vivitar Specs to a "T", except for one thing "it weighs 675g" maybe it has much thicker rubber grips?
| | | | | Veteran Member Registered: August, 2010 Posts: 648 | | Review Date: August 9, 2011 | Recommended | Price: $30.00
| Rating: 9 |
| Pros: | well built, convenient range | | Cons: | variable focus, weight | | Sharpness: 9
Aberrations: 10
Handling: 9
Value: 10
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I gave it 9.
I like it even it is pretty heavy piece of metal, but very well built piece of metal.
Variable focus makes shooting a little bit challenging, but if you take time to focus it is not a big issue.
Mine is a little blurry if wide open, but I found it pretty cool. Here it is some picture of the flower with the blur and the other one taken from a car while driving..
 | | | | | Veteran Member Registered: January, 2011 Location: Minahasa, North Celebes (Sulawesi) Posts: 586
1 user found this helpful
| | Review Date: July 31, 2011 | Recommended | Price: $70.00
| Rating: 8 |
| Pros: | Sharp! Colors! Tank! Very usable at any condition, be it low light. | | Cons: | A bit glowing at f/2.8 -but this could as well be a feature, not a handicap | | Sharpness: 8
Aberrations: 8
Bokeh: 9
Handling: 9
Value: 9
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Mine is the original Kiron version, the physical design is a bit different at the front part, where the filter is attached. I bought this "Kiron" instead of the "Vivitar" version because of the feeling of originality.
 | | | | | | | Forum Member Registered: February, 2011 Location: Athens, GA Posts: 68
1 user found this helpful
| | Review Date: April 6, 2011 | Recommended | Price: $40.00
| Rating: 8 |
| Pros: | Nice zoom range, fairly quick, pretty sharp, built like a tank | | Cons: | not very contrasty, prone to CA, bokeh can be harsh | |
I picked this up on Ebay for use in low light when I needed a wider angle than my nifty 50 could provide. So far it has done a decent job and I can't really complain. Many of the faults I may have attributed to the lens in low-light situations I've realized are due to my own misunderstandings/mistakes.
The first thing to notice about this lens is the build quality. It's all metal and when compared to say a DA18-55 kit lens, it feels like a brick. I honestly think I could run this over with my car and it would be just fine.
Shots can lack contrast in certain lighting conditions (i.e. bright, direct sunlight). I don't know if this is because I don't have a hood or if it's due to some other fault of my own, but some of my other lenses do not suffer from the same problem. Whatever the case may be, good SOOC images can be made to sing with a tiny bit of PP.
This lens really shines at sunrise/set, producing some stellar images. For indoor, low-light (think bar or concert venue), it doesn't perform as well as I'd like it to, but I'm comparing it to a 50/1.7, which may be a bit of a lop-sided comparison.
My major concern with this lens is the bokeh, it can be pretty... unpleasant at times. This image shows the bokeh (@28mm, close focus, f2.8) as well as contrasting the sharpness of the lens:
IMGP4991
Additionally this thing can suffer from pretty bad CA in contrasty situations, which may be something specific to my lens or it may be a wide-spread issue. Many people mention the focusing being wonky, which I suppose is true at first, but you get used to it very rapidly and it soon becomes a non-issue.
I am giving this an 8 due to the fact I can never seem to pull a SOOC keeper, with this lens, I always have to muck around in PP a bit to get things where they should be. That being said, when this lens sings it sings and has the capacity to produce some stellar images:
IMGP5437
If you're looking for a cheaper, pretty fast zoom and find one laying around, I'd recommend it!
| | | | | New Member Registered: September, 2010 Location: Ljubljana Posts: 2
1 user found this helpful
| | Review Date: November 3, 2010 | Recommended | Price: $28.50
| Rating: 9 |
| Pros: | sharp all the way, solid build | | Cons: | prone to flare | |
One of my favourites, solidly built and a pleasure to use. Very sharp even wide open but lense hood is recomended on a sunny day since it's prone to flare.
I have a feeling that it has som contrast issues but maybe it's just me since I'm quite new at DSLR camera photograpy..
Variable focusing is a bit tricky but once you get used to it, it's quite easy.
I got this one in almost perfect state on eBay for 28.50$, but when I add shipping costs and customs, it cost me about 50$ Still a bargain though.
| | | | | New Member Registered: August, 2010 Location: British Columbia Posts: 13 | | Review Date: October 22, 2010 | Recommended | Price: $75.00
| Rating: 8 |
| Pros: | Very well Built, extremely sharp, amazing colors | | Cons: | sticky aperture is an issue in some lenses | |
I've had this lens for a while now although it hasn't been used much untill i recently revisited it. well im glad i did as i forgot how nice this lens is.
i use it on a digital pentax kx, its a manual lens so not always convenient to use especially when chasing kids around, but when used on slower subjects this lens gives pictures a certain warmth , colors seem very nice. im not sure how to explain it, they just seem very warm and pleasing to my eye.
but what really surprised me most was the sharpness... i simply couldnt believe how sharp this lens is at wide open aperture. sharpness only gets better when stopped down a bit.
the lens is very well built, all metal construction so its pretty heavy, focuses and zooms very smooth. when zooming however u have to refocus each time "Variable Focusing".
all in... if it wasn't for the sticky aperture issues (which my lens is starting to show) i would be rating this lens a solid 9 as it really is a pleasure to use and gives amazing results.
| | | | | Veteran Member Registered: February, 2007 Location: Toronto Posts: 1,774
1 user found this helpful
| | Review Date: January 6, 2010 | Recommended | Price: $100.00
| Rating: 8 |
| Pros: | Built like a tank, good close focusing, sharp all around | | Cons: | Variable aperture can be weird if you aren't use to it. | |
I would give this 8.5 out of repsect for the Series 1 28-90/2.8-3.5 which sits at a 9 right now on the reviews.
Both are not to be overlooked. These are stellar lenses that have earned their place in cult lens lore nicknamed the 'Stovepipe' because of their tubular look.
This is I think the precursor to the Series 1 variant (correct me if I'm wrong). Made by Kiron in both the Kiron name as well as the Vivitar.
Manual focusing is a breeze but the focus changes if you zoom so beware of your ranges. This lens can easily stand up to todays 2.8 standards. The long end is a bit slower at f3.8 but throw in a bit of flash indoors and the pictures will sing.
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