Third-Party Legendary Lenses- Post your Favorites

Sonnar Brian

Sonnar Brian

Product of the Fifties
Staff member
Local time
6:14 PM
Joined
Jan 12, 2004
Messages
19,780
View My Gallery
I've been adding to my 1970s Vivitar Series 1 collection in the last two months. The Nikon Z5 will take just about any lens mount, and is easy to use with manual focus lenses. I was able to find a Vivitar 200/3 in Konica mount and a 90~180/4.5 Flatfield zoom in Canon FD mount for ~$100 each. Much less than buying in Nikon F-Mount. Add to that a Vivitar 28/1.9 in Ai mount for $120, Ebay Seller "special Offer" and the "Magnificent Seven" is complete.

70~210/3.5, 600/8 Solid-Cat, 90~180 Flatfield Zoom, 28/1.9, 200/3, 135/2.3, 35~85/2.8 Variable Focusing. The latter- must refocus after changing focal length.
Cult Classics. The 28/1.9, 200/3, and 135/2.3 all have floating optics for close range correction.

The 70~210/3.5 was so good that some claimed Nikon made some of the optics in it. Now $20 gets you one. The Solid Cat- made in the US by Perkin-Elmer, heavy and dense, one of the best mirror lenses ever made. The 35~85/2.8 is for the Masochist. Refocus after changing the focal length. One of the most complex cam systems ever in a lens. $45 gets you one. One of those lenses in my collection that every time I find it, I try to lose it better. BUT- had to have one. It is bizarre.

The 90~180/4.5 did not sell well when new, was discontinued and soon became a cult-classic selling for more than it was new. This one- Canon mount, $85+$15 shipping, I'm happy. It took Nikon years to bring out the 70~180/4~5.6 Micro-Nikkor-Zoom. I need to shoot the two side-by-side. The Nikkor cost more. By a Lot.
The 135/2.3- bought years ago from Dante Stella. The 200/3, just picked it up.
RIMG0058.jpgRIMG0059.jpgRIMG0060.jpgRIMG0062.jpgRIMG0064.jpgRIMG0065.jpgRIMG0066.jpgRIMG0067.jpg

So- Mirrorless means "Dead Mounts" have come back to life in the digital world. Third Party lenses like Vivitar and Soligor are abundant, meaning some are flying below the RADAR screen.
 
Some with the Vivitar 90~180 Flatfield zoom, all at 180mm. On the Nikon Z5.

The Bee did now stay still for long. So many Flowers, So Little time.

All hand-held. Lens coded as a 180mm F4.5 in manual setup.
DSC_5277.jpgDSC_5282.jpgDSC_5285.jpgDSC_5291.jpgDSC_5292.jpg
Finally pulls his head out for a shot, but he moved...
 
Pioneer said:
That 90-180 Series One is a great lens. I have one in K-mount and I love it.
Click to expand...
I've wanted one for a long time- just waiting for one at a good price. I've had the Nikkor 70~180 since it first came out. I'll put it on the Df and the Vivitar on the Z5 for a comparison.
 
I took the Vivitar 135/2.3 to the Skating Rink today, on the Nikon Z5. My hit rate with focus peaking is much higher than using the same lens on the Nikon Df.

135 is the longest focal length I've used for the Skating Rink. This one worked nicely.
DSC_5299.jpgDSC_5448.jpgDSC_5452.jpg
 
Oh, boy, third party lenses. The wonderful Skyllaney Bertele Sonnar with edible color:


​

Then there is the Cooke Amotal:


​

Then there is this old CZJ 5cm f/1.5:


​

And a recent arrival, a CV 35mm f/1./7 that plays nice with night lights:

flic.kr

M2419847

The harbor, M240, CV 35mm f/1.7 Ultron, f/5.6. I lied to the camera in a manual lens registration. It's not the Summicron. Shhhh. ;o) The lens does light nicely and the 240 does color better than one would expect by its reputation.
flic.kr flic.kr
And here, again, is my sweet '57 KMZ Jupiter 8:

flic.kr

Night scene in the Astoria Harbor, West Mooring Basin by Bornstein's Sea Food. M9 - '57 KMZ J8

Fishing boats awaiting unloading at Bornstein's. I just liked the color, light and composition. Note the quality of color and the three-dimensionality rendered by this lens, a Soviet lens made from German design of 1932. This camera - lens combo really works.
flic.kr flic.kr
 
Last edited:
boojum said:
Oh, boy, third party lenses. The wonderful Skyllaney Bertele Sonnar with edible color:


​

Then there is the Cooke Amotal:


​

Then there is this old CZJ 5cm f/1.5:


​

And a recent arrival, a CV 35mm f/1./7 that plays nice with night lights:

flic.kr

M2419847

The harbor, M240, CV 35mm f/1.7 Ultron, f/5.6. I lied to the camera in a manual lens registration. It's not the Summicron. Shhhh. ;o) The lens does light nicely and the 240 does color better than one would expect by its reputation.
flic.kr flic.kr
And here, again, is my sweet '57 KMZ Jupiter 8:

flic.kr

Night scene in the Astoria Harbor, West Mooring Basin by Bornstein's Sea Food. M9 - '57 KMZ J8

Fishing boats awaiting unloading at Bornstein's. I just liked the color, light and composition. Note the quality of color and the three-dimensionality rendered by this lens, a Soviet lens made from German design of 1932. This camera - lens combo really works.
flic.kr flic.kr
Click to expand...

That Skyllaney Bertele is lovely. I keep watching the website…

Just wondering if your CV 35/1.7 is the LTM or M mount variant?

Mike
 
When I was a teenager we sold a lot of Series One lenses at the store I worked at. Vivitar was building a great rep with quality flash units that were hugely popular as well as some truly unique and innovative glass.

Wonderful photographs @p.giannakis 🙂

That 35ES is a great little performer, and it’s finished in black paint too.
 
Sonnar Brian said:
I've been adding to my 1970s Vivitar Series 1 collection in the last two months. The Nikon Z5 will take just about any lens mount, and is easy to use with manual focus lenses. I was able to find a Vivitar 200/3 in Konica mount and a 90~180/4.5 Flatfield zoom in Canon FD mount for ~$100 each. Much less than buying in Nikon F-Mount. Add to that a Vivitar 28/1.9 in Ai mount for $120, Ebay Seller "special Offer" and the "Magnificent Seven" is complete.

70~210/3.5, 600/8 Solid-Cat, 90~180 Flatfield Zoom, 28/1.9, 200/3, 135/2.3, 35~85/2.8 Variable Focusing. The latter- must refocus after changing focal length.
Cult Classics. The 28/1.9, 200/3, and 135/2.3 all have floating optics for close range correction.

The 70~210/3.5 was so good that some claimed Nikon made some of the optics in it. Now $20 gets you one. The Solid Cat- made in the US by Perkin-Elmer, heavy and dense, one of the best mirror lenses ever made. The 35~85/2.8 is for the Masochist. Refocus after changing the focal length. One of the most complex cam systems ever in a lens. $45 gets you one. One of those lenses in my collection that every time I find it, I try to lose it better. BUT- had to have one. It is bizarre.

The 90~180/4.5 did not sell well when new, was discontinued and soon became a cult-classic selling for more than it was new. This one- Canon mount, $85+$15 shipping, I'm happy. It took Nikon years to bring out the 70~180/4~5.6 Micro-Nikkor-Zoom. I need to shoot the two side-by-side. The Nikkor cost more. By a Lot.
The 135/2.3- bought years ago from Dante Stella. The 200/3, just picked it up.
View attachment 4838240View attachment 4838241View attachment 4838242View attachment 4838243View attachment 4838244View attachment 4838245View attachment 4838246View attachment 4838247

So- Mirrorless means "Dead Mounts" have come back to life in the digital world. Third Party lenses like Vivitar and Soligor are abundant, meaning some are flying below the RADAR screen.
Click to expand...
So little love for the 35-85! I have it in several mounts and it's such a versatile and sharp lens. I know, it's heavy, but that didn't seem to be much of a concern when they designed the Series 1 lenses.

I think you still need the 24-48/3.8 don't you? 🙂
 
It remains to be seen if the Light Lens Lab 8element 35mm, and others like Cosina Voigltander (heliars & color skopars) eventually become known as "legendary third party lenses". Vivitar and Tamron et al were simply 3rd party lenses, often cheaper than Nikon, Canon, Pentax. Some photographers embraced them, others preferred to stick with the camera makers line.

IMG_5022.JPG
 
"Third party lenses" ... Not entirely sure what that means, honestly. Leica lenses on Leica bodies, Nikkor lenses on Nikon bodies ... those are definitely first party. Cosina (branded Voigtländer) lenses on various bodies ... definitely not first party, but "one manufacturer removed" nets ... second party? Or third party? Other makers (MS Optical, Soligor, Sigma, Vivitar, Komura, etc etc) ... second party or third party? It's confusing. Or is "third party" simply "non-original manufacturer lenses on 'whatever' body" ...?

Somewhere in my mess, I have a Konica 40mm f/2.8, an MS Optics Aporia 24mm f/2, a Spiratone Vario-Dupliscope, an M-Rokkor 90mm, and a few Cosina Voigtländers (10mm, 21mm, 28mm, 50mm, and maybe one or two others) ... All good lenses with unique imaging signatures. Some I haven't used for a longish time.

I should pull them out and play a bit with them... 😀

G
 
Recently I sold off all of my OM gear. Apparently I had a fair number of bodies and lenses. But I absolutely could not let go of just one of my OM lenses.....the 90/2.0 micro (macro?). I will probably never part with that lens even though I use it so infrequently. Just a stunning lens; both performance and to behold.
 
Godfrey said:
"Third party lenses" ... Not entirely sure what that means, honestly.

G
Click to expand...
It means that Vivitar contracted out to different companies to have their lenses manufactured.

The Zeiss C-Sonnar 50/1.5 and other Zeiss branded lenses manufactured by Cosina are third party lenses.
 
KoNickon said:
So little love for the 35-85! I have it in several mounts and it's such a versatile and sharp lens. I know, it's heavy, but that didn't seem to be much of a concern when they designed the Series 1 lenses.

I think you still need the 24-48/3.8 don't you? 🙂
Click to expand...
Can't believe I forgot the VS-1 90/2.5 macro. That is a really fine lens. It has a 1:1 adaptor but I don't use that. Still, one of the very best of the Series 1 lenses.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top Bottom