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Re: [OM] Vivitar Series 1 Macro 105/2.5

Subject: Re: [OM] Vivitar Series 1 Macro 105/2.5
From: Gary Schloss <schloss@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
Date: Thu, 28 Jan 1999 23:37:23 -0800
Greg McGrath wrote:

>Herbert Keppler devoted his July 1996 SLR column in Pop Photo to a comparison
>of the Vivitar Series 1 105/2.5 Macro and the much less expensive Vivitar
>100/3.5 Macro. He reported that the 100/3.5 actually outperformed the 105/2.5
>at 1:1 and 1:2, center and corner. The 100/3.5 goes to 1:2 unaided and uses a
>special matched achromatic close-up lens to reach 1:1. The close-up lens
>reduces effective focal length to 75 mm at 1:1, but working distance is only 8
>mm less than with the 105/2.5 due to the longer helical extension of the
>105/2.5 (140 mm vs. 132 mm working distance).
>
>Physical stats: the 105/2.5 is 100 mm long, weighs 650 g, and uses 52 mm
>filters; the 100/3.5 is 65.5 mm long, weighs 270 g, and uses 49 mm filters,
>the OM standard. Seems like the 100/3.5 fits the Olympus "smaller and lighter"
>philosophy! I have never handled either of these lenses.

Greg is right about the above review, and I read and saved it myself.
However, there are a few points worth remembering:

A. The 100/3.5 is flimsy/plasticky (you get what you pay for!), and so
   its great optical characteristics may quickly deteriorate with normal
   use.  The Series 1 lens is built to outlast the next ice age.

B. The 100/3.5 only focuses to 1:2.  The Series 1 goes uninterrupted from
   infinity to life size.

C. The extra stop on the Series 1 lens (f2.5 vs f3.5) makes it a much
   more useful portrait lens, and thus IMHO a more versatile purchase.

D. H. Keppler once also wrote a rather positive article about Korean-
   made zooms (I can provide a ref.!).  The world of photography was
   underwhelmed, and has remained highly skeptical... :-)

Cheers,


/Gary Schloss.
Studio City, CA
schloss@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx



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