Very Vivitar.

I seem to be on a bit of a Vivitar roll, this week. Within the last few days, I've bagged a very nice Vivitar 28mm f2.8 close focus (28xxx Komine?) in PK-A mount with box, for £17 delivered, and a mint, unused Vivitar 2X Tele-converter, also PK-A and boxed, for £5 delivered.
I hope this means that the longed for Viv Series 1 35-85 Varifocal f2.8 is just around the corner, waiting for me in a ten quid BIN!

I don't know that lens. What is special about it?

Best wishes, K.xxx

The last Vivitar PK-A 2x converter I had wouldn't talk to the camera (my K110)

Is this a common fault or was I just unlucky?

Good luck on your quest Mowog.

Womble:
The Vivitar 35-85 Series1 Varifocal was produced in the mid to late seventies. Varifocal lenses, unlike zooms, have to be refocused when the focal length is changed. It has a constant f2.8 max aperture throughout the range, and focuses very close. At the 85 position, it is not much longer than a standard prime lens, but has a huge front element.
Said to be one of the very few zoom/varifocal lenses ever made, that is as good as a prime. This beastie is quite rare and I've wanted one for years. They weren't made in PK-A mount, just regular K, Nikon, Olympus, Canon and Screw thread. I would prefere one in M42.
I dont know how to do links (I'm computer semi- illiterate). So I can't provide a picture of one.


Hardgravity:

Maybe you got a dud. I havn't heard about that problem with Viv converters. We'll see when It arrives!

Mowog, if you are a Vivitar connoisseur... I have a Vivitar Series 1 70-210mm F2.8-4.0 that I intend to sell. It's Komine made and a PK-A version, which not all of them are. Thought I'd let you know before it goes onto ebay.

Wolf

Thank you, Wolf, but I'm not a big fan of long zooms. Your lens is thought to be THE best of that type though, so you will have no difficulty getting a good price for it! .

My search for the fabled Viv Varifocal goes on!.

Thanks Mowog... well I certainly hope you're right, considering I got a bit carried away myself when I won the auction for it

I swapped my PK/A Vivitar 100mm f2.8 macro a few months ago for a Pentax D-FA 100mm f2.8 macro. A good deal if I'm honest as the Pentax lens is worth more but I really do regret that trade.

Saw one today. Unfortunately it had an Olympus mount. Very odd looking beast.

Cheers,

/Ian

This is the animal. This has seen many years use on one of my LX's.

Just pulled this out of storage for this shot.




The hood is a clamp on type.

Regards

IIRC that vivitar is from the first run of "Series 1" lenses, when Series 1 meant optical quality at the expense of all else. They didn't sell very well because varifocals are harder to use than zooms but the fewer optical compromises involved is supposed to make them fantastic optically.

wheres the drewl smiley?

I've read the Vivitar 100 macro series 1 is a beauty. If anyone has got one.....
Regards

Yep, That's the one, K10D... And waddaya mean, 'Pulled out of storage'... Shame on you!. A lens like that should be in constant use!

Is it K mount, or screw thread? - And if screw, how much do you want for it?

I have recently bought a 24-70mm macro and I am very pleased with it I am pretty new to this but know what I like

I still use my Vivitar Series 1 28-90 K mount. Great quality lens and built like a tank. Although to be fair it does suffer from blue Chromatic Aberration and vignetting at 28