New 7mm f3.5 Fisheye from Vivitar Series 1 anyone try

[dennisgg]

<p>I was searching on that famous e*** auction site and came across a Vivitar Series 1 7mm f3.5 lens (I wonder if it is made by the same company as the new 85mm f1.4 that showed up). Has anyone tried it?</p>

<p>item # 290325548214</p>

<p>Dennis</p>

[bobatkins]

<p>It's also available from regular vendors such as B&H for around $365</p>

<p>It's a manual focus full frame (180 degree diagonal) image fisheye lens for APS-C (crop sensor) cameras. That's all I know about it. I assume it's made by whoever makes the Vivitar series 1 85/1.4 which is marketed under several different brand names. I think it's Sakar, who bought the rights to the Vivitar name last year.</p>

[JDMvW]

<p>Yes, this is a revival of the classic Vivitar lenses, which were all made by someone else, but often designed especially for Vivitar. Their "Series 1" lenses were legendary. I have no idea whether the new "Vivitar" lenses are any thing like as good, and I have not seen any new reviews to date.</p>

<p>By the way, I think it's OK here to actually say "eBay", ---see: eBay, <strong>eBay</strong> ,</p>

<h1>eBay</h1>

<p>....<br /> it's just not good to link to specific auctions since they 1)go away and 2) the person posting "have you seen..." often, strangely enough, happens to be the vendor....</p>

 

<blockquote>

<p>This coyness, Lady, would be no crime<br>

Were there world enough and time...</p>

</blockquote>

[jim_simon3]

<p>the quote is:<br>

Had we but world enough, and time,<br />This coyness, lady, were no crime.</p>

[henry_ed_fly]

<p>Tried Item # on E*** and another item besides a lens comes up.</p>

<p> </p>

[shambrick007]

<p>It would be interesting to know if you get the full circular image on a full-frame body.</p>

[dennisgg]

<p>Sorry - here is one: ebay item# 290325548215</p>

[rainer_t]

<p>-- "It would be interesting to know if you get the full circular image on a full-frame body."</p>

<p>Unlikely, since the lens has an integrated lens shade ... so, its shape on fullframe can not be circular. ... But eventually ... if you give the lens a shave ... it might work on fullframe as well.</p>

[mike_jenkins4]

<p>I also would like to know if anyone has experience with this lens, since I will probably be purchasing it from B&H when they start accepting orders again. However, I will be getting it for the Sony Alpha and not the Canon EOS. I imagine the lens will perform the same on both cameras since they are both APS-C, if anything it will be better on the EOS since it says it was designed for the Canon EOS. If nobody has experience with it, I will share my resultsonce I get the lens.</p>

[mike_jenkins4]

<p>Just ordered it from B&H so I will post my findings when it arrives.</p>

[ricardovaste]

<p>Mike, please let us know what you think! I'm very interested in this lens and would use it on a Sony too :). I'm specifically interested in it's flare and glare performance, but would just be interested in any of your thoughts on it really. Thanks for your time.</p>

[mike_jenkins4]

<p>The lens will be here tomorrow and I will do my best to thourougly test it out, is there anything specific you guys would like to know about it? I'm new to fisheye lenses so I don't know if there's any particular characteristic that would make this lens better or worse than a comparably priced fisheye lens.</p>

[mike_jenkins4]

<p>I got the lens today and the first shots seem promising, it might take me a little while to get the sharpest images out of it, the completely manual controls certainly aren't what I'm used to. It's been raining all day so I won't get to go take some outdoor pictures until it stops but for now I'll give my first impressions.</p>

<p>It's sturdy and feels very wel lbuilt, the focusing ring is smooth and metal, it feels a lot better constructed than my kit lens that came with my Sony a200. It has a nice touch which is they put the small Alpha logo on the lens itself so you know what mount it is for and makes it feel almost like a first-party lens. It comes with a lens cap that clips on to the flower petal hood so it will not fall off and conpletely protects the front element and hood petals. I was expecting the slide-on type of lens cap like some fisheyes come with so this was a definite surprise. The few pictures I have taken so far are good, they are a little grainy but that is more likely because of the high ISO and long exposures I've been using to get good exposure indoors. There is a little chromatic aberration at the corners but it's not anything that can't be fixed with Photoshop. I haven't noticed any lens flair yet but I haven't taken any photos in direct sunlight (after all the sun isn't really out right now). The focus seems good across the entire image but I haven't gotten the focusing perfect yet so it's really not sharp anywhere. The fisheye effect is pronounced but not in every image, it really depends on how close objects are to the lens, closer things are more distorted. The image is not a full circle on an APS-C sensor, but I don't think any fisheye lens produces a full circle on an APS-C camera. The only thing that concerns me right now is that the plastic insert that held the lens in the box says "8mm" and the lens is marketed as a 7mm lens. If it's made by the same manufacturer as the 8mm ower and Samyang lenses it's possible this really is a 7mm lens but since the packaging fits they didn't relabel it. I'm hoping that's the case, as opposed to it being falsely advertised but I don't know if it makes much of a difference.</p>

<p>That's all I have for now but I will keep playing with it and come back with more findings later. If there is anything specific you want to know post it here and I will try to answer you.</p>

[yuriy_dyrenko]

<p>Mike,<br>

Would you mind posting some pictures? I am very interested in this lens as well but I haven't seen any pictures with it. Thanks.</p>

[squeri]

<p>Very tempting. It does look like an 8mm, though. Bower and samyang models are labeled as such. Here's a good review.<br>

<a href="http://www.lenstip.com/index.html?test=obiektywu&test_ob=160">http://www.lenstip.com/index.html?test=obiektywu&test_ob=160</a></p>

[mike_jenkins4]

<p>Here are a few photos I took around my house with the Vivitar 7mm f/3.5 Fisheye on a Sony Alpha a200. Click any image to see a larger version.<br /> <a href="http://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/iWHz6DddaDJbiIjjb5Th4A?feat=directlink"><img src="http://lh4.ggpht.com/_JMPnZNWEjxQ/SlvgubRD4qI/AAAAAAAAGcg/WkAUp5TVTu8/s144/DSC06140.jpg" alt="" width="144" height="96" /></a><a href="http://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/FrGwn9RvjfoWTs97Sj2eLg?feat=directlink"><img src="http://lh4.ggpht.com/_JMPnZNWEjxQ/Slvgugv63XI/AAAAAAAAGck/jEi-hMDxmcM/s144/DSC06145.jpg" alt="" width="144" height="96" /></a><a href="http://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/fLAC_KKRgB2nK-Lb09gLbQ?feat=directlink"><img src="http://lh4.ggpht.com/_JMPnZNWEjxQ/SlvgutmOSuI/AAAAAAAAGco/nG7W_i88hzg/s144/DSC06150.jpg" alt="" /></a><a href="http://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/YlMUIlDJqnof2qC6aHv4kw?feat=directlink"><img src="http://lh4.ggpht.com/_JMPnZNWEjxQ/Slvgunl2CfI/AAAAAAAAGcs/8aEcsg3K0Ao/s144/DSC06151.jpg" alt="" /></a><a href="http://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/txorBuNFx9rXyiDB1l_b4w?feat=directlink"><img src="http://lh4.ggpht.com/_JMPnZNWEjxQ/Slvgu9DpdsI/AAAAAAAAGcw/PIWfcv7cYKU/s144/DSC06152.jpg" alt="" /></a><a href="http://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/GllbKTSz0FYNqx-CWKi7CQ?feat=directlink"><img src="http://lh4.ggpht.com/_JMPnZNWEjxQ/Slvg1feDPVI/AAAAAAAAGc0/bZz8-3I891Q/s144/DSC06156.jpg" alt="" /></a><a href="http://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/9kZJbNEuQQVV4QB4MlPklQ?feat=directlink"><img src="http://lh5.ggpht.com/_JMPnZNWEjxQ/Slvg1QvM8TI/AAAAAAAAGc4/UIVsVS4SIzs/s144/DSC06177.jpg" alt="" /></a></p>

[Tim_Lookingbill]

<p>I will never understand the appeal of a fisheye lens.</p>

<p>Not saying Mike's images aren't well rendered. They show excellent image quality but I get a queazy feeling and a slight headache behind my eyes viewing an image with unnatural angles as these and others shot with the same kind of lens. But hey, to each his own.</p>

<p>Heck I didn't even know Vivitar still made lenses. I have an old 1984 Vivitar-A 28-135 f/3.5 macro MF that delivers color I like more than my modern digital lenses such as my K100D kit. </p>

<p>Glad I came across this thread.</p>

[shambrick007]

<p>"... if you give the lens a shave ... it might work on fullframe as well." - <a href="http://www.360pano.de/en/tokina-sigma-nikon.html">http://www.360pano.de/en/tokina-sigma-nikon.html</a> </p>

[jnicholson]

<p>I just received this lens. My expectations aren't high. I got it for fun and to see if I can apply a fisheye to any of my daily photography. </p>

<p>Two comments so far: (1) The audacity of the red ring just cracks me up. I guess I can feel better about my purchase. (2) Mounted on the camera or held around the aperture ring, a gentle push on the edge of the top or bottom petal reveals a disturbing wobble. It's definately noticable when you're looking through the viewfinder and working the lens.</p>

<p>Finally, here are two nothing special image. The first image was taken with the lens on a 40D. The second was taken on a 5D. Just FYI.</p>

<p>(Just in case, here's the URL to the picture <a href="../photo/9850221">http://www.photo.net/photo/9850221</a>. I haven't inserted a picture into a comment for a while. So far I can't get the insert image button in the message control to work.)</p><div></div>

[george_schafer]

<p>Not too shabby! I've been itching to get a good wide angle lens for my Rebel. I'll definitely keep this one in mind.</p>

[darinheinz]

<p>Thanks Dennis for the thread, and thanks also to Mike for the in-depth info and Jamie for the uploaded sample.<br>

I have one question: how much of a difficulty is the removal of the lens shade for near-FF work? In other words, is it truly integral to the lens (requiring the potentially disastrously risky aforementioned "shave" technique), or can it be detached using a jeweler's screwdriver and steady hand?<br>

I can see the image circle on the lower portion of the diptych, and really would prefer that effect over the not-quite-rectangular stock form. Especially since much of my work is 6x7, I would be able to do the cropping myself to sort of match my other work...<br>

Thanks in advance for the response!<br>

Yours,<br>

Darin</p>

[rdm]

<p>Hey Darin, go back and look at the link Sheldon Hambrick provided. Yes the hood is integral and that link is for a service that shaves it for about 50 euro. I suppose you can try it yourself, but if i were to attempt it i would try and disassemble the lens to remove the part with the hood and cut it off then reassemble it. In all honestly tho , if i were to get this lens i would go for that service because they also give you a new lens cap, as the old one wont fit anymore after the shave..<br>

I wish they offered this in MD mount , or at least the M42 screw mount so it can be used on most any camera with adapter. Im guessing that the aperture might nit be mechanical tho .</p>

[peter_pigott]

<p>I have read a review by a pro and he recommends it. It is for APS sensor DSLR's only. It is a diagonal fish-eye. Itis manual focus, and is best at F 11. Really with a fish-eye focusing is no problem. According to the reviewer, just set the lens at "infinity". You'll have to figure out the exposure (shutter speed, aperture, ISO) according to your LCD. It works only in Manual mode. In any other mode the camera will not release the shutter(the camera will think there is no lens attached, because there are no electrical contacts to communicate with the body.) CA, Coma are well controlled. Distortion as expected and desired in any fish-eye, focusing will extend the lens one mm at most, it has a built in hood, but no filters can be affixed. I was impressed by what the pro said about the sharpness. It cost around $300 + a tad.<br>

I have been using a Pentax 10-17 zoom fisheye(the same as the Tokina 10-17 for Nikon and Canon, but for some reason the Pentax is much less expensive at about $550 in Canada. I have a Nikon D5100. If I could try this lens on my nikon and was pleased, I could sell off my Pentax equipment.</p>