Vivitar 28/2.5 for Canon FD

[baris_john]

Anyone ever used this lens?

[User_502260]

This was one of my first wide angle lenses for a Konica in the early 1970s. If you are talking about the Fixed Mount lens with the 22XXX... serial number then it's the one made by Kino. Years before I started collecting I traded this and a 20/3.8 Vivitar for a 24/2.8 Hexanon. Later I got the lens back. I now have it in Konica AR, Minolta MC, Nikon AI, Olympus OM, Pentax K, M42 and T mounts. This is one of my favorite wide angles and one of my favorite lenses. There was a later 28/2.5 Vivitar TX lens (interchangeable mounts). The TX lens was made by Tokina. It's a nice enough lens but I don't think it's as good as the older Fixed Mount model. The Fixed Mount lens sells for very little and the TX model sells for almost nothing. I have any Canon 28mm lenses but I still use the Vivitar sometimes.

[Lou_Meluso]

I had the 28mm f2.5 many years ago and I currently have the 28mm/2.0 version. The build and optical quality of the

Kino produced lenses(ser# 22xxxxx) are excellent. However, one issue that keeps coming up is the aperture blades

get frozen open. Sometimes suddenly and without warning. One of my most embaressing moments as a young pro

was shooting slides for a slot machine factory of the assembly line which they halted for me and dressed everyone in

fresh lab coats. I used the Vivitar 28mm f2.5 lens and shot about 6 rolls with it at f11. Half the rolls came back clear!

The blades had frozen open mid way through the shoot and overexposed the lot. Talk about flop sweat! If you get the

lens, have it serviced, with clean blades and fresh lube, and you will be in the clear. My current one performs

beautifully. That said, at current prices, I think the Canon 28mm f2.8 is a better deal. It is lighter and the quality, build

and reliablitiy, are great. I keep the Vivitar 28mm f2 around because of it's extra speed.

[User_502260]

The 28/2.5 Fixed Mount Vivitar lens hasn't been made for many years. With any lens that old you have to look at it carefully before using it for anything important. Vivitar had three fast 28mm lenses. The first was the 28/1.9 Series 1 made by Tokina. This is heavy and well built. If it's in good condition it can work nicely. I have one in Minolta MC mount and another in M42 mount. Vivitar later made a 28/2 with the 22XXX... serial number. This is a sharp lens but almost every example I have seen has oil on the aperture blades. Ken Ruth at Photography On Bald Mountain just overhauled one of these for me. It's in OM mount. The last Vivitar 28/2 has a 28XXX... serial number and was made by Komine. This lens is smaller and lighter than the 28/2 made by Kino and rarely has oil on the aperture blades. My Canon FD 28mm lenses include a chrome front f/3.5, a black front f/3.5, an f/2.8 SC, a 28/2 FD SSC and two f/2.8 New FD models. The 28/2 FD SSC is my favorite but these can be expensive. I like the f/2.8 SC better than the f/2.8 New Fd model but both sell for very little. I have the 28/2 Kiron in Canon FD, Minolta MD and Konica AR mounts. These are also very nice and usually don't show the oil problem.