Vivitar Series 1 70~210 redux

[firemist]

I decided to shoot some more, this time using my A7R and a tripod. First, at 210mm focus on the skylight at center frame. Second, at 70mm f8 focused on the car license plate. Second, at 210mm f8 again focus on the car.

ILCE-7R    ----       f/1.0    1/250s    ISO 100

ILCE-7R    ----       f/1.0    1/250s    ISO 100

ILCE-7R    ----       f/1.0    1/200s    ISO 100

 

[AlwaysOnAuto]

Last shot is best of all of them IMO.
Can you try f11 at 70mm, then f5.6 also?
Seems one or the other will be the sweet spot at that focal length/distance.

 

[WNG]

I'd say the lens is doing remarkably well. Given the age of this lens. The results look similar to my Kiron 70-210 f/4 ZoomLock, which is its fraternal twin.

 

[firemist]

Last shot is best of all of them IMO.
Can you try f11 at 70mm, then f5.6 also?
Seems one or the other will be the sweet spot at that focal length/distance.

Sure, tomorrow.

 

[AlwaysOnAuto]

I own this one in Nikon mount:

NEX-7       0mm    f/1.0    1/50s    ISO 1600

I think when I played with mine it did better at f5.6. Not sure why, could be wrong as it's been a while since I did that.
Is yours a macro focusing one too, Peter?

 

[WNG]

^ Was it on your NEX-7? The sweet spot is 5.6 to 8 for Sony APS-C.

 

[firemist]

Mine also is macro focus

ILCE-7R    ----       f/1.0    1/1500s    ISO 100

 

[AlwaysOnAuto]

You're probably right Will, it would have been on my Nex-7 as I haven't had this lens out for quite a long time. I don't think I'd be hanging it off a tripod attached to the -7 either. Too much weight cantilevered on the mounting. The Nikon-E mount adapter isn't short.
I think the A7ii body could handle it OK though. I'll have to check it out.

 

[firemist]

OK as requested I shot the Vivitar at 70mm at f5.6, f8 and f11. Just for comparison I also shot my 70-300G OSS at same apertures at 70mm. In the attached, the last 6 images are shots today, at 70mm. First 3 are the Sony lens, final 3 are the Vivitar. All images were processed identically in DXO-11 and LR. In all cases I focussed on the handrail at the top landing of the slide. A7R, 2 sec shutter delay and on a tripod of course.

Lens Tests - refiningman

The old lens has much more yellow cast and overall much duller. Maybe the cement in the lens elements has discolored over time. Frankly I don't see that f5.6 is any better than f8 or 11 at infinity focus.

 

[AlwaysOnAuto]

Thanks Peter!
You can definitely see the color cast of the older lens.
I'd have to agree with you on the infinity focus analysis.
I don't have a newer long lens so will have to be happy with what I have.

 

[firemist]

Might be just my lens that has the color cast. In LR, the Vivitar lens showed WB at 6350K with a +14 Magenta tint. When I just chose Daylight (5500K) as the WB the image looks a lot better.