Showcase Vivitar 135mm f/2.3 Series 1

[Amin Sabet]

This lens is a tank but a nice bargain fast telephoto to adapt. Mine was OM mount.

Wide open at f/2.3 with an unusually patient insect and lots of luck:

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[BBW]

What a fantastic catch, Amin!

 

[Amin Sabet]

Thanks BB!

 

[steve]

Fantastic capture. Super sharp for wide open.

 

[Amin Sabet]

Thanks Steve! A couple more samples of this old cult classic lens:

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[Brian S]

I can't resist- this is with the 135/2.3 Vivitar Series 1 Wide-open on the Nikon Ftn.

View attachment 142132

This is the first Telephoto lens that I am aware of that used close-range-correction optics, ie a floating element. Nikon used them in wides and only recently in telephoto lenses. My Vivitar is from ~1973, bought it from Dante Stella for $60 a few years ago. It is big, uses 72mm filters... like my 50mm lens

 

[apt-efx]

Hi Amin, that is a great shot of the insect! The background complements the color of the insect too!

Your images are always so sharp! I just got an old manual focus lens today and been playing with it but somehow the sharpness left me wanting.. I should practice more with that lens!

 

[Amin Sabet]

Brian, that's a beautiful photo of your daughter. The Vivitar does very well from close range, has a great feel for manual focus, is built to last, and has a nice built in hood as well. Lots to recommend it, with the only real issue being color fringing, which unfortunately is magnified on a 4/3 sensor. I paid twice what you did and bought from a less well known person :smile:.

 

[Amin Sabet]

Hi Amin, that is a great shot of the insect! The background complements the color of the insect too!

Your images are always so sharp! I just got an old manual focus lens today and been playing with it but somehow the sharpness left me wanting.. I should practice more with that lens!

Thanks apt-efx! Looking forward to seeing some of your adapted lens photos!

 

[MarylandUSA]

I used the 135/2.3 in Pentax PK (bayonet) mount. It was one of my workhorses, especially when recording school plays. Bear in mind that the M42 screwmount version is not multicoated. My Series One 200/3 was scremount, and that could explain why I always found its colors more dull than the 135/2.3's.

 

[3dpan]

Methinks it is time to revive this thread.
Just bought this lens. Handheld, IS on, and wide open to show narrow depth of field.
I don't know what the flower is, but the range of colors has always fascinated me.

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[MarylandUSA]

In the days of film, this was my workhorse telephoto. I owned both the single coated and the multi-coated MC versions. The single coated version transmitted about a half stop more light.. But I preferred the coloration of the multi-coated version.

 

[3dpan]

Another shot at my favorite flower, this time with the lens stopped down to f/5.6, and the camera (E-M5 II) on High Res mode.

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[barry13]

Note to self: pic of the lens and some other info at

Show us what your adapted lens looks like on your camera

 

[Birger]

GH5 and Vivitar 135/2.3 series 1

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1

 

[3dpan]

GH5 and Vivitar 135/2.3 series 1View attachment 562423 1

Nice soft colors, mixed with the butterfly brilliance.
I'd be interested in your lens details, or maybe just a pic of the front of the lens showing the numbers ?
Cheers,

 

[Birger]

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the butterfly photo was a jpg SOOC in natural mode.

 

[3dpan]

View attachment 562661

the butterfly photo was a jpg SOOC in natural mode.

Your lens looks immaculate, and a VMC version too. What lens mount does it have ?

 

[Birger]

its a Petax lens mount, bought it used in Rotterdam together with a Pentax Me super camera in 1998.

 

[3dpan]

its a Petax lens mount, bought it used in Rotterdam together with a Petax Me super camera in 1998.

Wow, what a find. Time to show the "world" what this lens can do on an m4/3 body.