<[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: >I am interested in comparison of the following manual focus zoom lenses. >I am considering purchasing a zoom in the range 70-200mm, around f/4 >is okay. How do you rate the following lenses with respect to distortion, >flare, sharpness, luggability (is just too heavy to lug around), any >other measure you think appropriate? Main use would be landscape, and >lawn bowls. Would you recommend any other similar type of lens over these ones. > >70-210 F/4 Pentax SMC A MACRO (58) >vs >70-210 F/3.5 VIVITAR SER 1 MACRO (62) >or >70-210 F/2.8-4 VIVITAR SER 1 MACRO (62)
Well, I've owned the first one and the third one, but not at the same time so I can't even compare between those two, really. I think the Vivitar is better than the Pentax in terms of resolution, but the Pentax is better in terms of overall image quality (I'm not one of those who considers sharpness to be the be-all-and-end-all of image quality). But the Pentax is much larger and heavier and doesn't focus as close. My preference is for the third one, the Vivitar 70-210/2.8-4.0: I bought one with a stuck diaphragm and fixed it with the intention of reselling it at a handsome profit margin, but it proved to be so good I couldn't let it go. It's sharp as hell. Really amazing resolution, really. I've been stunned by the detail I can pick out in high-res scans. (Resolution may not be the only thing I consider when judging lenses, but it's nice to have!) The 1:2.5 macro capability is very useful for an all-round traveling lens. I generally prefer constant-aperture lenses, but being able to shoot at f/2.8 at 70mm makes it a decent portrait lens. My film-based travel kit consists of an MX, an M-28/3.5, 43mm Limited and Vivitar 70-210. -- Mark Roberts Photography and writing www.robertstech.com
