Which Vivitar zoom Lense & matched Multiplier?

<p>OK so I am looking for a cheep good quality travel Zoom and I was considering getting ether a Vivitar 70-150mm or 70-200mm lens, Both are the f/3.8 with matched multiplier. Both i can get for under twenty dollars us. But I can't make a comparison with the info I find online. I see many good things about the 70-150mm lens and its 2x multiplier. Many rating it sharpness as an 8 or 9 without the multiplier and a 7 or 8 out of 10 with it. However I do not see anything about the 70-200mm with its multiplier and very little on the zoom lens alone.</p>

<p>Does anyone have experiences with both lenses or alt least the 70-200mm with multiplier, & can tell me their opinions and experiences in image quality with it?</p>

<p>Thank you in advance<br /> Daniel</p>

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<p>Both i can get for under twenty dollars us.</p>

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<p>Why not splurge, get both, do a comparison, and let us know how it went? That would make for an interesting read!</p>

<p>Vivitar sold three different 70-150/3.8 lenses. There is a two touch Fixed Mount, a one touch Fixed Mount and a TX (interchangeable lens mount) two touch. They are all decent lenses. I favor the original Fixed Mount two touch. Using any of these lenses with a 2X teleconverter, even one made for the specific lens, is difficult. With any of the 70-150 f/3.8 lenses you get a 140-300 f/7.6. For experimental use on a tripod you could get something useful. For hand-held use you are really testing the limits. The viewfinder is so dark it makes focusing a trying experience. I am not familiar with the 70-200. I do have both two touch and one touch versions of the 75-205/3.8 but I don't know which one of them was meant to be used with the Matched Multiplier. Color print film faster than 400 may not be around much longer so this may be a consideration if you plan to shoot color print film hand held with the 2X. <br>

An example of lens speed and teleconverter use I can give you involves 200mm lenses. I have used a Canon 200/4 FD SSC on a tripod and with a 2X for macro work. It is difficult to focus what is now effectively a 400/8 but the spider I was photographing cooperated. Using this set-up hand held would not be practical. I used the same camera with a Canon 200/2.8 New FD (1st version) with a 2X to shoot at a Little League game. This gave me effectively a 400/5.6. Some sots were taken hand held and others were taken leaning on a fence. The difference between f/5.6 and f/8 made hand held shooting possible. In both cases the camera was an F-1 with a D (grid type) screen. If you plan to use these zooms with the 2X you should try it with a camera which has interchangeable focusing screens. A plain matte or grid screen will work best. A microprism, split image or combination screen will black out even in good light in the center and make focusing very difficult. <br>

The irony of this situation is that we now have the best 800 speed color print film ever made. When these slow lenses first came out there either wasn't any 800 speed color print film or it wasn't nearly as good. If you can swing it, a 100/2.8, a 200/2.8 and a good 2X would be a more capable set and would be easier to use. </p>

<p><strong>I guess I should also have mentioned that I now shot mostly Digital. Three years ago I purchased a Panasonic DMC-G1 with MD and FD adapters. last year I got a 14-42mm kit lens, but was using my Vivitar 17-28mm lens until then. I still Shoot film occasionally, and cant bring myself to purchase anything but old manual focus lenses ( I cant explain it). Cost may have something to do with it . Much of my shooting is done with a tripod anyway, or walking around in the bright afternoon sun.</strong></p>

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<p><strong><em>Why not splurge, get both, do a comparison, and let us know how it went? That would make for an interesting read!</em></strong></p>

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<p><strong>Well, because I would be only able to post shots off my 4/3 sensor or if with film I would have the drugstore scans, <strong>since I don't have a scanner</strong>, and last time I did a lens comparison that way I received much criticism. Plus since a couple years ago I found myself going to College as a full time student so I try to save twenty bucks when I can... although on that logic I should cull some of the lenses I already have that don't get much use. I have many sub par 3rd party lenses.<em><br /></em></strong><br>

On a tangent, I still hope and pray for a mirror-less Full Frame camera to appear on the market someday. Just like the Micro four thirds camera was the answer to my Digital prayers. If not I will just buy a used 5D in a few years when the price drops enough, and switch flanges so I can use all my old Minolta mount glass. But I digress ..</p>

<p>Um, Minolta MD lenses cannot be easily adapted to any FD- or EOS-mount camera, unless you are contemplating some kind of Frankenstein's monster ("switch flanges" ? ? ). Nor can FD lenses be easily adapted without optics to EOS, so I'm not sure how the 5D would fit into your future at all.</p>

<p>Some of the old Vivitar Series 1 MF lenses were very good for their time (by the way, there is no connection <em>except the name</em> to the modern company selling "Vivitar" and "Series 1" lenses).<br /> Time has passed, however. Shooting strange combinations of lenses on newer cameras is a lot of fun, but if you are really trying to do serious work, it's also a lot of trouble.<br /> There are some fairly modern, AF lenses that would give you much better service than most older zooms.</p>

<p>Primes, on the other hand, haven't improved so much, sometimes not at all.</p>

<p> </p>

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<p>Um, Minolta MD lenses cannot be easily adapted to any FD- or EOS-mount camera, unless you are contemplating some kind of Frankenstein's monster ("switch flanges" ? ? ). Nor can FD lenses be easily adapted without optics to EOS, so I'm not sure how the 5D would fit into your future at all.</p>

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<p>Ohh .. Have you heard of the Digital Rokkor site? Sorry, I thought its been around long enough and mention enough on the PN forums where most would have . Its been around for some years. Yea there has been a way for canon DSLRs to be EASILY adapted to use MD lenses. No Frankenstein making. In fact its easily reversible. An Italian engineer came up with the way and makes the kit. All you do is remove the Stock lens mount flange and electrical connector piece and screw on the new MD lens mount flange you buy from him. Slight mirror shaving for FF cameras is required.<br>

<br />Also I am not sure why you included that FD lenses cannot be adapted to Eos with-out optics.. I read though all the posts again and didn't think seen anyone suggesting that. I already knew that, which is why I didn't mention such an endeavor, and just the use of MD lenses on an EOS body, but maybe I overlooked a comment from someone else mentioning it.<br>

And as to how the 5D fits into my future? YOu are not alone, I cannot see into the future ether, but if someone reading this does know of a way to look into the future I am more than willing to give it a try, please PM me with details.<br>

However if I had the money presently, the way it would fit right now would look like this:<br>

<img src="http://digitalrokkor.altervista.org/image/IMG_1919-m.jpg" alt="" width="605" height="403" /><br>

or if i could get a really cheep 1D, it would look like this :<br>

<img src="http://photosmind.altervista.org/d-photo/digitalrokkor/1d/IMG_0005-m.jpg" alt="" width="615" height="461" /></p>

<p>The photos taken with this 1D camera and Rokkor Zoom lens, by <a href="http://digitalrokkor.altervista.org/1d.html">Mr. Kevin Danjou, Look quite nice.</a></p>

<p>Okay, have it your way, Igor. ;)</p>

<p>OK so due to the lack of info on the zooms I was asking about I passed up on the auctions that I seen available ..<br /> So For now I will put my Tokina AT-X 60-120mm F2.8 along with my Minolta 300s 2x multiplier (forgot that I had the 300s till I found it this weekend) in my walking around bag, And I will do some test shots and study the quality. I hope the IQ would be as good as the Vivitar 70-150mm with matched multiplier if not better.<br /> By the way Jeff thanks for your reply , I also prefer two touch lenses when it comes to Zooms. The 70-150mm with matched multiplier that I was looking at was the one touch which is another reason I am glad I passed on it. My favorite film camera zoom is a Sologor C/D 35-140mm f3.5 two touch Zoom ,but it friggin heavy lol..</p>