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Vivitar 105mm, f2.8 used as macro lens
![ziggy53](https://us.v-cdn.net/6029383/uploads/customavatars/36/navatar_2936.jpg)
Meet my latest lens, the Vivitar 105mm, f2.8, M42 mount.
![71544466-D.jpg](http://ziggy53.smugmug.com/photos/71544466-D.jpg)
I'm not actually sure why I bought this lens.
It doesn't really replace anything I have. It's an old manual focus lens, that I have to use via an adapter, so it's not too convenient to use. It was pretty cheap at $41 USD; yeah that's it, it was cheap.
Besides, I just had to find out what the heck it is, because it's another of "those" lenses that just aren't documented anywhere. It's an "underdog" lens.
OK, so I got the thing, now what to do with it?
First, it was dirty. Not too bad, mostly simple dust.
Next, I tried it on the Canon dRebel XT. It was pretty much as expected, nothing spectacular, but a nice, prime lens of medium tele focal length.
What I really did need was a macro lens in the 100-200mm range, so I tried it that way. Close focus is not close at all, and early tests with an extension tube set were dismal, it just didn't work. But then I thought, "y'know, I've got that Minolta close-focus auxilliary lens that works pretty well on the Minolta A2, and it's got the same threads as the front of this lens, do you think maybe ...?"
So here's a test with the close-focus lens attached:
![71544415-D.jpg](http://ziggy53.smugmug.com/photos/71544415-D.jpg)
and here it is with a short (22mm) extension tube as well:
![71544416-D.jpg](http://ziggy53.smugmug.com/photos/71544416-D.jpg)
Not too shabby! These are resized for the Web, but not cropped in any way.
Here is the lens assemblage,
![71544425-D.jpg](http://ziggy53.smugmug.com/photos/71544425-D.jpg)
and here is an exploded view, with the lens alone up top, and then left to right, the EF-M42 adapter, the extension tube and then the Minolta close-focus lens which went up front.
![71544422-D.jpg](http://ziggy53.smugmug.com/photos/71544422-D.jpg)
Finally, the lighting used, which was 2-Sunpak 611 flashes, set on manual, 1/128th power, with paper diffusors taped to the front of each flash, and then a paper tube surrounding the subject to further reduce the output from the flashes and give a "light tent" effect.
![71544461-D.jpg](http://ziggy53.smugmug.com/photos/71544461-D.jpg)
![71544459-D.jpg](http://ziggy53.smugmug.com/photos/71544459-D.jpg)
What do you think?
ziggy53
![71544466-D.jpg](http://ziggy53.smugmug.com/photos/71544466-D.jpg)
I'm not actually sure why I bought this lens.
It doesn't really replace anything I have. It's an old manual focus lens, that I have to use via an adapter, so it's not too convenient to use. It was pretty cheap at $41 USD; yeah that's it, it was cheap.
Besides, I just had to find out what the heck it is, because it's another of "those" lenses that just aren't documented anywhere. It's an "underdog" lens.
OK, so I got the thing, now what to do with it?
First, it was dirty. Not too bad, mostly simple dust.
Next, I tried it on the Canon dRebel XT. It was pretty much as expected, nothing spectacular, but a nice, prime lens of medium tele focal length.
What I really did need was a macro lens in the 100-200mm range, so I tried it that way. Close focus is not close at all, and early tests with an extension tube set were dismal, it just didn't work. But then I thought, "y'know, I've got that Minolta close-focus auxilliary lens that works pretty well on the Minolta A2, and it's got the same threads as the front of this lens, do you think maybe ...?"
So here's a test with the close-focus lens attached:
![71544415-D.jpg](http://ziggy53.smugmug.com/photos/71544415-D.jpg)
and here it is with a short (22mm) extension tube as well:
![71544416-D.jpg](http://ziggy53.smugmug.com/photos/71544416-D.jpg)
Not too shabby! These are resized for the Web, but not cropped in any way.
Here is the lens assemblage,
![71544425-D.jpg](http://ziggy53.smugmug.com/photos/71544425-D.jpg)
and here is an exploded view, with the lens alone up top, and then left to right, the EF-M42 adapter, the extension tube and then the Minolta close-focus lens which went up front.
![71544422-D.jpg](http://ziggy53.smugmug.com/photos/71544422-D.jpg)
Finally, the lighting used, which was 2-Sunpak 611 flashes, set on manual, 1/128th power, with paper diffusors taped to the front of each flash, and then a paper tube surrounding the subject to further reduce the output from the flashes and give a "light tent" effect.
![71544461-D.jpg](http://ziggy53.smugmug.com/photos/71544461-D.jpg)
![71544459-D.jpg](http://ziggy53.smugmug.com/photos/71544459-D.jpg)
What do you think?
ziggy53
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Thanks Awais. Always nice to hear from you. I hope things are going well.
ziggy53
Moderator of the Cameras and Accessories forums
ziggy53
Moderator of the Cameras and Accessories forums
Looks like a cool setup
Fred
http://www.facebook.com/Riverbendphotos
Thanks Fred. I have some shots planned to test it some more. It looks like it'll be good enough to work until I get a "good" macro lens.
ziggy53
Moderator of the Cameras and Accessories forums
moderator of: The Flea Market [ guidelines ]
Erik,
"If never you try, then never you will know."
Yep, that's a ziggy original.
Moderator of the Cameras and Accessories forums
Excellent Ziggy. I am so impressed with everything. What you have achieved with that dime is fantastic and the way you did it. Keep it going.
Bob
Nice setup. And I love the tone and detail of that dime. Some of those older Vivitar lenses were excellent and manufactured by stellar houses in Japan during the mid-70s. I have a fabled 70-210mm push/pull zoom macro Vivitar made by Komine. Pretty heavy, but they'll dig it up in 10,000 years.
Being a Pentax shooter, I have a small stable of M42 lenses I dip into. I like their color renditions and can shoot in full AV mode on my *DS. My favorite is a 40-year old Mamiya/Sekor 60mm, f2.8 1:1 macro, a preset no less. Incredible bokeh and color. I purchased it from an interesting gentleman who runs a quirky camera repair shop. It took me a few months to learn to exploit the frontal preset aperture capability and now I just love it. My faithful Tamron 90mm SP macro is being neglected. Oh well.
I'll post some fun shots with the Mamiya pretty soon.
M
Love the diffusers
Brian V.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/lordv/
http://www.lordv.smugmug.com/
The images I see...
I kept the lens. It's an inexpensive and high-quality solution. I still have Pentax screw-mount film cameras that can use the lens natively. I am not sure that I would recommend the cost of repairs to remove mildew.
I just recently got the Canon 77mm, 500D and it mounts on the Canon EF 70-200mm, f2.8L USM. I have yet to really test the combination but early snapshots look pretty good. I'll also get the required ring to use the 500D with the EF 70-200mm, f4L IS USM.
Moderator of the Cameras and Accessories forums