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Vivitar 24mm f/2.8
The lens is made up of 7 glass elements in 7 groups, which helps to produce sharp and clear images. The lens also has a multi-coating to reduce flare and ghosting. It was manufactured in the past and may be available as a used option. The aperture range is f/2.8 to f/22, which means it can capture a lot of light and produce shallow depth of field. The build quality is good and the lens feels sturdy in hand. In terms of resolution, the lens is capable of producing sharp images with good contrast. The bokeh or out of focus areas can be pleasing to the eye. The lens is manual focus only, which may require some practice and patience to get the focus right. There are alternative options available from other brands if autofocus is a must-have feature. Overall, Vivitar 24mm f/2.8 lens is a good option for those who want a wide angle lens with good optics and build quality.
Positives:
– Sharpness: The Vivitar 24mm f/2.8 lens is incredibly sharp where it matters most.
– Dependability: This lens is reliable and can be used with confidence.
– Cost-effective: The lens is a real alternative to more expensive options, like the Minolta Rokkor 135mms, while still providing superb performance.
– Great “dirty-work” lens: This lens is a great option for less than ideal shooting conditions or for photographers looking for a versatile, all-purpose lens.
Negatives:
– None that I can think of.
Conclusion:
The Vivitar 24mm f/2.8 lens is a capable and dependable option for photographers looking for a cost-effective alternative to higher-end lenses. It excels in sharpness and can be a reliable “dirty-work” lens. Overall, I highly recommend this lens for both amateur and professional photographers alike.
Optical design
Bright lens thanks to the high aperture value Has 6 aperture blades, this number of blades are commonly used. Having rounded blades provides out of focus circle shape closer to a circle.
Physical characteristics
67 mm long, this small lens should be always in the camera bag. Weights 250 grams so consider putting to your camera bag. With a lens filter diameter of 52 mm commonly filter size, presents numerous filter possibilities.
Related stuff
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Adapter
Fotodiox Lens Mount Adapter
With this adapter you can use your Sony a mount lens on Sony E (NEX) APS-C and full frame camera body
allphotolenses.com –
1 allphotolenses.com user rated as 3.4/5
Ebay.com –
Ebay.com rated as 4.78/5
Ebay.com Aug 04, 2010 –
Very nice if you know what you’re looking for First off, two caveats: there are two Vivitar 135/2.8 lenses, one common and one not-so-common.
The common is a standard telephoto lens, usually labeled “Vivitar Auto Telephoto”.
The not-so-common, and the lens in question in this review, is the “Vivitar Auto Telephoto Close Focusing,” or 135/2.8 CF to disambiguate between the two.
The second caveat is that this review is based on using the lens on a DX-format Nikon digital body. This is similar to most Canons and Nikons, except the big pro cameras like the Canon 1D Mk II/5D, or the Nikon D3/D700 series. On these cropped-sensor cameras, the recorded image is the center “sweet-spot” of the lens’ projected image so the camera does not reveal many of the flaws a film or FX-format digital camera would expose, and for this I’m automatically docking the lens one grade, from “Excellent” to “Good.”
With that said, the Vivitar 135/2.8 CF is a marvelous lens. It’s fairly small, fairly cheap, and optically superb. It has continuous focus down to a 1:2 reproduction ratio. In color, contrast, and sharpness, it rivals or bests the Nikon Micro 105/2.8D — a lens 20 years its junior and more than 500$ more expensive, and this holds at both normal distances and for macro work.
The only weak spot I can see is a slight amount of distortion. It appears comparable to the Nikkor Micro, but it is present.
If you’re a dedicated macro shooter, the autofocus and distance-metering capabilities of the Nikkor are worth the extra cost. If you’re a general-purpose photographer looking to take impressive pictures of little things, and not spend thousands of dollars doing so, this is your lens.
All that said, this is one of my favorite lenses. I accidentally bought one attached to a Minolta X-700 and discovered its capabilities there, and when Diana started carrying that one around with her, I went and bought myself another in Nikon AI.
The “normal” 135/2.8 (non-CF) I have no experience with. Going by my other non-Series I Vivitar lenses from that era, I don’t expect spectacular results, but I do expect solid build quality and low price.
Ebay.com Apr 10, 2009 –
An Island of Light in a Sea of Abyssmal Darkness Buying an secondary-market lens (especially used) is like a game of Russian (Zenit) Roulette. You pays your money and you takes your chances. There are very few good wide-angle lenses in this group, because making a sharp, contrasty wide angle lens is much more difficult than making a good telephoto lens.
The Vivitar 24mm f/1:2.0 has always been a top performer in its class, due to its optical design and decent construction. I have used this lens for years, and have found it to approach the qualities of some f/1:3.8 primary market (OEM) prime lenses that I own. Landscape focusing with an f/1:2.0 lens is, for me, so much easier than with an f/1:3.8 at this focal length
Expect to pay a little more for this lens than for similar secondary-market lenses, but know that the price represents value.
wmwilcox
Ebay.com Nov 08, 2010 –
Excellent buying opportunity The lens came just as described. I was looking for a good 135mm lens to use with a bellows I have. I am using this with my Pentax K7 digital. Although a Pentax A or K bellows would have been a better way to go, the bellows I was able to get is great (Novoflex) and the older Pentax type lenses (M42) are generally exceptional. And with the Vivitar lens, if you know what you are looking for you can get some really great buys through eBay!
Ebay.com May 28, 2007 –
Vivitar 24mm Wide Angle Lens It is a great lens if you find one that was made by a good glass maker. Vivitar used to many different companies so not all 24mm lenses are the same. Unfortunately most guys can’t tell one from another, look for the older lenses made for metal, they appear larger and sometimes worn on the outside, but the glass is really great
Ebay.com Nov 22, 2010 –
Vivitar 135mm – 100% sharp where it matters Sharp and dependable. Shoot like a professional using this one. This lens is a real alternative to the Minolta Rokkor 135mms, and can be the “dirty-work” lens of all time. Performance is superb, certainly worth more than what I paid for (in ebay)!!!