I want to thank those that gave me encouragement on my Hexanon 135 f2.5 purchase. The question, how do you rate the Vivitar 35-105 f3.5 with marco? Besides being heavy, is it a good all around lens for us that are not in the business? I just saw a "varifocus" Hexanon 35-100 go for over $400. US on eBay. I'm not sure if it was that good, or just rare for those collecting, it certainly would be "rare" in my bag. The 135 is great and my 57 f1.4 is too, but I like having the range of this "zoom". Thanks again, and I really enjoy this BB.

-- Anonymous, February 12, 2001

Answers

How do you rate Vivitar lens

Hi Gary!

I don't know much about the Vivitar Lens in question (32-105mm) But the 35-100mm Hexanon Varifocal is a monster of a lens that some people swear by and others swear at. It is a fairly rare lens and it is not a true zoom as you have to re-focus whenever you change the focal length. I had one 15 years ago that I really liked and used a lot but mostly on a tripod as it was so heavy. Vivitar lenses can be very good and very bad - I have a 200mm that takes great pictures but now the diaphram is real slow and it is unusable, I also have a 85-205mm zoom that is only barely passable in picture quality and hardly ever gets used at all.

Lee

-- Anonymous, February 12, 2001

Vivitar lenses

Hi Gary,

Yeah, those Hexanon 35-100 Varifocals are very collectible now. When I bought my first 35mm (used: T3, 57/1.2, 80-200/3.5) the seller had one, but I couldn't afford it and he was pretty reluctant to let it go. I've heard good & bad about them in actual use. Definitely a monster, as Lee notes.

Regarding Vivitar lenses, I haven't used the zoom you ask about, but have several other Viv. lenses (all fixed focal length). The older Series 1 lenses are their best, IMHO. Many of their lenses were (are?) made for them by Kiron, which also has very good reputation.

You might look on Photo.net to see if there are any discussions on that particular lens (even in other camera mounts). Also, there is a website with a ton of info on 3rd party lenses at http://www.smu.edu/~rmonagha/third/

Hope that helps.

Alan Myers San Jose, Calif.

-- Anonymous, February 12, 2001

I have a Vivitar 35mm f1.9 lens I did tests with

I have a Vivitar 35mm f1.9 lens I did tests with at Photography Blue Book web site. Server #1 Photography Blue Book web site. Server #2 that you can take a look at. Some Vivitar lenses (like the 70-210mm Series 1 f3.5 lens, or the 90mm 1:1 f2.5 lenses) are just top of their class and the 35mm f1.9 lens I have is just as sharp as the 28mm f3.5 hexanon lens.

Vivitar durring the Konica period made some wonderful lenses, today, well they are "ok" but in the 70's and 80's, they make cult classics.

Mike Photography Blue Book web site. Server #1 Photography Blue Book web site. Server #2

-- Anonymous, February 12, 2001