8.8
8.5
8.7

Vivitar FD 28-90mm f/2.8-3.5 Series 1

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2020-06-15

altprocess

IQ
9.0
Build
8.5
8.8
Well-built, metal lens
a little bit heavy due to quality build

This is a really nice all purpose zoom lens. It is very well built, a bit of tank actually, compared to the Canon FDn 28-85 mm f4. This is a faster lens than the Canon and the optics are fantastic. Both B/W and color images turn out true with virtually no flare. I don't want to repeat with others have written, which is spot on. It's quirky, "heavy-ish" but a great performer. The filter size is 67mm.

2016-02-29

pkmx

IQ
8.5
Build
8.5
8.5
Fast, sharp, good zoom range, inexpensive
Heavy, vignetting at 28mm, varifocal, short focus throw

The IQ of this vivitar is phenomenal for zoom lenses of its age. It is packed with an impressive 28-90mm zoom range and a fast f/2.8~3.5 aperture, making it very useful for event coverage or general walkaround. More importantly, it has done so without sacrificing IQ: it is very sharp wide-open in the center, only starting to show some softness at the extreme edges. It is also relatively inexpensive: good copies can usually be found for around $60 or less.rnrnThe lens is however pretty heavy at 600g, so it is kinda unbalanced if you mount it on mirrorless cameras. It also suffers from very severe vignetting at the wide-end, making it quite unsuitable for landscape photography, though stopping down helps that somewhat. The vivitar is also not a true zoom: it is vari-focal design, meaning that you need to re-focus every time you change the focal length. Another minor annoyance is that the focus throw is very short (only about 90 degrees), so nailing focus can be a bit difficult.rnrnAs an added bonus, this lens can also focus down to 3.3x magnification ratio at 28mm. Being at wide-angle, the working distance is very short though. This lens is also said to suffer from oily aperture blades easily, though mine does not have such a problem.rnrnOverall, this lens is an excellent performer, if you can accept its quirkiness and weight.

2015-04-17

Guest

IQ
9.0
Build
8.0
8.7
Ottima ottica
costruzione

ho questa ottica da qualche mese e la uso per video. Qualità immagine ottima, bel boke, sono molto soddisfatto nella qualità di quest'ottica in grado di rivaleggiare col mio Canon FD 28mm f2.8 fisso. Ottima la funzione MACRO. Unica nota dolente la costruzione, che è solida ma l'ottica in mio possesso ha qualche difficoltà nella ghiera. Scomoda la regolazione dello zoom "a pompa" avrei preferito per i video una ghiera come quella del mio Canon FD 35-105mm f3.5

2009-07-23

Guest

IQ
8.5
Build
9.0
8.7
In 30 years of shooting, the best wide angle zoom I've ever used
The wide end shows some light falloff wide open and some barrel distortion

This is a beautifully made optic. I'm a prime lens fan but I use this zoom. The optical quality is fantastic and only begins to show some weakness at the wide end when used wide open. The Varifocal design helps it achieve such good image quality. Great flare control for a zoom. For most focal length settings and most apertures, the IQ is difficult to tell from a prime lens. It's THAT good.