hi guys, i'm finding the want for a telephoto zoom or prime lens on the cheap.... the kit lens seems to run short and i'm not quite willing to spend the dough on a 14-150/45-200 given the apertures limit them to tripod/bright condition usage. i've been browsing the forums and noticed that the vivitar 70-210 looks decent (depending which version you get) but don't know about too many other legacy lenses. (i'm pretty new to the whole interchangeable lens thing!) thanks
I have the Vivitar 70-210 V.2 that I use on my GH1, and it's a nice lens indeed. Heavy and large, so not sure how well it fares on your PL1 with the LCD. With the GH1 body it works well because it balances well, and I focus using the EVF.
I really like the Konica 135 f3.5 I bought for about $30. Can't complain about the price and the shots I have taken so far have been very good.
I have a GF1 & did find it tricky controlling a one-touch MF zoom on it (in my case the Minolta MD 70-210mm), probably because you're not holding the camera against your face. However the two-touch 35-70mm is better, and the Minolta 135mm f3.5 MD is wonderful - it only weighs 9oz, so balances really well. I use a Novoflex adaptor.
IMHO vivitar 70-210 is good lens, but it's too large and too heavy, not easy to operate on EPL1, it feels like driving sport car towing a boat. I am thinking of something fix and something fast, between 105-135, such as nikon series E 100/2.8, nikon 105/2.5, Carl Zeiss jena Sonnar 135/3.5 most of them are under $100 and if you don't care much about flare and slow lens , leica Elmar 90mm f4 screw mount is another one to consider, often end under $100.
Adapted telephoto I just got the Vivitar Series 1 70-210 by Tokina in Minolta mount. Looks to be the sharpest long lens I have ever used. Total cost shipped $32.00 in mint condition. Even the case looks new. But how does it perform? This pic was taken this morning, through a dirty office window hand held at about forty five feet. It is cropped and levels adjusted to bring out the shadow in the tail. Contrast bumped up 15. Mounted on E-p1. A larger version is in my gallery. By the way I clicked 15-20 shots and this is the cleanest. Squirrels move quick, when there are hungry cats lurking about. 5 minutes later a cat darted out from under our van, but missed breakfast.
Since a big zoom needs to be used on a tripod anyway I should think having an EP1 wouldn't be an issue. I have an EPL1 and VF2 and I can't hand hold my Vivitar 70-210 most of the time. The Konica 135/3.2 sure but not something bigger.
If you're seeking tele zoom, I'd recommend the Tokina 60-120/f2.8 - fast, sharp, and covers a useful length - a bit rare to find, though. If you're looking for something longer, I'd also recommend the Tamron Adaptall 70-210/f3.5 - I think it's a bit lighter than the Vivitar and has a very light touch for focus and zoom, so it's nicely matched with m4/3 bodies.
