70 210MM pentax vs vivitar

I am looking for an additional lens to complete both my k100d and continue
with my k1000 as well.

I noticed that there is quite an availability for the pentax A SMC 70-210mm
f4 on the internet at very reasonable prices.

The other alternative I see is a vivitar 1 series (3rd) 70 210mm f2.8-4.
Seems that this lens (according articles) delivers very good optics.

Since I havenot use any of the two, I doubt on whcih one is the better
choice.
The pro for the vivitar seems to me the f2.8, but unsure if the comparison
is correct. the Vivitar seems also a bit heavier...

thoughts?
chr

Hi Chr

Welcome to the forum.

For use with the K100D it has to be a Pentax DA50-200 ( the Samsung labeled one is the same but cheaper), you will be amazed at the size of this lens, in a word it's small, at the moment nothing else comes close in cost v quality unless you go past the £600 mark and locate a Sigma 70-200 f2.8 (expect stiff competion if it's up for auction though). The old Pentax-F 70-210 is a quality lense too but is heavy, noisey and has slower AF, you will also be expected to pay around the same as a new DA50-200 at auction.

Never ever seen a Vivitar f2.8 70-210 zoom, are you sure you have the correct specs? The SMC-A 70-210 is also a quality lens but has a one touch zoom/focus mexhanism which I could never get the hang of, again these are going for extra ordinary money at auction.

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Cheers
Brian.
LBA is good for you, a Lens a day helps you work, rest and play.

the vivitar specs are correct. You can see what I mean on this page:

http://www.robertstech.com/vivitar.htm

I have my eye on an auction for the 3rd version. But you can see that is is a little bit heavier than the pentax 70-210 and has no built in lenshood..

The idea to get an old 70-210 is because it fills perfectly the gap I have for my analog camera (as I only have primes up to 100mm). and for digital is nicely fills everyting above the kitlens (105 to 300mm).

The DA 50-200, I believe is not something useful for my analog system (fully manual and this lens has no aperture ring...)
chr

The Vivitar is not in the same league as the Pentax, and is much heavier and more unwieldy. Also, some of these old designs may not be ideal for your digital SLR.

You are correct that the 50-200mm will not suit your K1000, but it is superb on the DSLRs.

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Best regards, John

I have both the Pentax F 70-210, which has autofocus, and the 50-200. I think the weight of the former is too much for the digital bodies. It really is a good lens but on digi the 50-200 beats it hands down in terms of balance and performance, however, the 50 - 200 wont work on a film body and the M series lenses lack function on the digital bodies, M42 screw threads are actually better! I might be tempted to sell the F 70-210. PM me if you are interested.

Ken

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Ken
“We must avoid however, snapping away, shooting quickly and without thought, overloading ourselves with unnecessary images that clutter our memory and diminish the clarity of the whole.” - Henri Cartier-Bresson -

And how does the pentax a 70 210 perform on a digital?

or would I be better off buying a 50-200 for my digital and buying a 200mm f4 for my k1000? (since for analog, I already work with primes only..) and I've seen them for low prices as well.
chr

The 70-210 performs very well but as mentioned above it is slow and heavy - sharp though

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Ken
“We must avoid however, snapping away, shooting quickly and without thought, overloading ourselves with unnecessary images that clutter our memory and diminish the clarity of the whole.” - Henri Cartier-Bresson -

I strongly recommend the A70-210 f4
It's manual focus, but it's incredibly sharp even wide open!
I used it for years on film bodies, and still use it on digital.
It is fantastic to say the least!

think I made my choice on the pentax a70-210.
Since I do mainly black & white pictures, I need the lens to deliver sharp results.

Ken, sorry, needs to be A 70 210 not F...
thks
chr

one thing you should consider is that the A series lens wont send its focal length to the camera. The K100D needs this information for SR, so you will have to set the focal length manually. With a prime lens this isn't really a problem, but with a zoom it will be annoying (or at least it would to me).

The F series 70-210 will transmit this data and will work properly with the SR system on K100D and K10D.

M42, M and A series primes are great on DSLRs, but I'm trying to avoid old zooms because of the focal length issue.

for some reason, my mind tells me the A version is better. Must have read some negative comments on the autofocus version.

Also, believe is not f4 all the way..
correct me if I am dead wrong!
chr

But I see your point, with primes it is not an issue. but with a zoom.

Yes the A has a constant f4 which aids in sharpness.
The F does not have a constant aperture.
This also helps me as I also use this lens with extension tubes, so my exposure wont change if I zoom the lens. (I usually use and incident reading for macro)

The SMCP-A 70-210mm 1:4 lens is a superb performer and I'm sure you would not be disappointed with it. If however you were to opt for one of the Vivitar Series 1 lenses, be sure to pick one of the better ones.

There were about five different manufacturers I think and some better than others. I have one made by Kiron and it's macro facility is superb.

I haven't used it on the K10D yet, neither have I used any of my 'older' A series lenses on it but I can see that the Shake Reduction issue might be annoying unless you use a tripod of course, and then the SR would be switched off.

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Peter E Smith

My flickr Photostream

Not wishing to start a fight but I beg to differ on the Vivitar. Build quality and optice are excellent, depending on which one you buy - they were made under the same label by different manufacturers. I'll check which one I have (the serial number provides the information). I also have a 70-210/f4 - also an excellent optic. They are about the same size and wieght.

On the subject of good manual focus lenses, I own the underrated Tamron SP 70 - 210 f/3.5, which is an excellent performer, if a bit hefty. The 70 - 150 f/3.5 is also pretty good, & much easier to handhold. Coupled with a PKA Adaptall mount these give good results on digital, & are massively useful for low light work, at a fraction of the cost of what you'd have to pay to get those specs on a current lens.

Jonathan