Vivitar 28mm f/2 Auto (Kino, Kiron). If you’re looking to purchase this lens Adorama might have something and Ebay definitely will. It helps me if you purchase it through one of these links here in this review. When you purchase through these links it financially enables me to devote time to develop this site further. Thanks for the help! -Todd
Barrel
Metal.
Weight
9.2 oz (261g)
Focus Ring
Rubber on Metal.
Close Focus
1 foot (0.3 meters).
Filter Threads
55mm, Metal.
Aperture Ring
Metal.
Diaphragm
6 blades stopping down to f/16.
Mount
Mine came in Nikon Ai Metal Mount.
Made in
Japan
Corner at f/2
Closest Focus at f/4
Sharpness
f/2.0: Sharp with decent contrast but heavy chromatic aberration.
f/2.8: Very sharp with great contrast but still signs of chromatic aberration.
f/3.5: Super sharp with great contrast and very little chromatic aberration and nice color.
f/4: Super sharp with a hint of chromatic aberration.
f/8: Just gets sharper with no signs of diffusion until f/10.
Vignetting
Quite a bit of vignette but disappears quickly stopping down and basically gone by f/4.5.
Bokeh
Very busy and distracting but stopping down a little clears it up a bit.
Flare and Ghosting
Very evident flare wide open but clears up nicely when stopped down thereby producing long light beams. Ghosting is not too bad and produces interesting blobs when shot wide open. Stopping down shows very distinct angles from the aperture blades.
Distortion
Slightly lower amount of Barrel Distortion for a 28mm.
Recommendations
On AF Camera
Optics: ★ ★ ★ ★
Mechanics: ★ ★ ★
Ergonomics: ★ ★ ★ ★
Usefulness: ★ ★ ★ ★
Availability: ★ ★
Overall: ★ ★ ★ ★
On MF Camera
Ergonomics: ★ ★ ★ ★ ★
Overall: ★ ★ ★ ★
Out of 5
This Kino (Kiron) made Vivitar 28mm f/2.8 lens is a super sharp lens when stopped down. It is built very well and easy to use. When it works…
The lens focus ring sticks out nicely with a good rubber grip and is smooth and easy to use. Everything works well ergonomically however be careful when you look for one. They have a chronic problem of having oil seep from the focus ring onto the aperture blades which will gum up the aperture and keep it held wide open. Many lenses are simple to open and clean but this lens is horrible to disassemble. Trust me I have done a few now.
However if you find one repaired or is still clean this lens is well worth the money.
Optically the lens is very sharp just stopping down a hint. I usually feather the aperture to shoot around f/2.5 which dramatically clears up the heavy chromatic aberration and can begin producing some very sharp images with great contrast. Stopping down to f/2.8 is very good.
The lens has expected amount of vignette but clear up quickly stopping down.
Bokeh is not very good and pretty distracting wide open but stopping down fixes it a little.
Ghosting and flare are not too bad and can produce some interesting looks if you’re into that.
Overall this lens is great and still fetches for a decent price but check the serial numbers to make sure you are getting a Kino version. The first two numbers of the serial number will be 22xxx. Also check to make sure there is no oil on the aperture blades.
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My hopes are to take the time to continue developing this website with more test photo based reviews. If you are ever interested in purchasing this lens or other photography equipment please do so through these links here in this review. I always check Adorama and Ebay for good deals. This helps support my family and allows me to take more time for the site. The best part is this site is free for you and I link good deals I find!
Sometimes these links will actually give you better deals then typical retail prices! I personally buy from the links I have listed whether looking for new gear or fun old stuff. I can personally attest to their good & safe service from years of experience. Thanks again to you, our readers, for supporting us! -Todd
