Sample Images with Vivitar 90mm MC f/2.5 1:1 Macro Lens

Sample Images

I took a walk at the park yesterday evening to give this lens a go and get some fresh autumn air, that is before the chill sets in. As stated earlier, flare is big issue with this lens. So especially shooting around sunset, I suppose I was just setting myself up for challenges. In any case, I tried to use it to my advantage. The critters however, were certainly out in force, particularly the praying mantises. These are all post processed save for the crops. I included 2 100% crops to show sharpness of the lens. One is of a wheat stalk and the other is of one of those fuzzy weeds.



Links

Someone posted some info in a dPreview forum.

Just googling this lens, as you have most likely done if you are looking for more info on this provides a lot of information about this lens however some confusion occurs since Vivitar, later released a newer, different formula in their Series 1 line, the 90mm f/2.5 macro lens. Although it only goes to 1:2 magnification on its own, an accompanying adapter for 1:1 was manufactured and sometimes sold with the lens. It was that version, also known as the "bokina" that has been hailed as one of the best macro lenses to date. Vivitar's 105mm f/2.5 (also Kiron, Dine) is also very notable.

More to come on this post...time to sleep!

A Shot in the Dark

I am getting into astrophotography. But just a bit! I have always been fascinated with the moon. My dad makes a good point. It's tough to really want to get into astronomy, as far as telescopes and viewing go, when something as incredible as Hubble exists. You can't beat imagery that not only represents decades of engineering, but also surpasses atmospheric distortion. However, my father still cannot help but want more out of his telescope. I'm in it for the moon photos! This is one of my first shots using my D700, and a 4-inch Orion refracting telescope.

Tokina 28-70mm f/2.8 AT-X Pro - A Performer

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Tokina continues to impress. Among the third party lens manufacturers, I feel Tokina provides some of the best rival lenses on the market. In some cases, their optics even exceed the performance of the big manufacturers. Not only is the optical performance merit-worthy, but their industrial design is particularly appealing. Their "armalite" finish, also known as crinkle-finish, is among my favorite textures in the world. Tokina just seems to do many things right! The Tokina 28-70mm f/2.8 AT-X Pro is no exception.

I was first introduced to this lens while working at a mall portrait studio. My supervisor used it as his primary lens on a Fuji S3. I remember immediately being drawn to the physical "presence" of the piece, if you will. It was solid, hefty, and felt like a real tool. I even liked how the front element recessed so deeply as the lens zoomed. I already wanted it, and my knowledge of the lens was purely aesthetic.


At the time, I was shooting the Nikon AF-S 28-70mm f/2.8. Yeah, I know, that lens is no lightweight itself. After shooting bargain glass for a few years and feeling disappointed, I had decided to go out and pick up a couple of the best lenses available. I grabbed the 17-35mm and 28-70mm AF-S Nikkors. People always told me "you get what you pay for" so I payed.

My supervisor was no stranger to the tech side of things. One day while we were slow we decided to do a quick lens test. His Tokina vs. my "top-of-the-line" AF-S Nikon. If you have this lens or trolled the web for info on it, you'll find quite a few examples of this exact same comparison (thus I feel no real need to post ANOTHER). Needless to say, the Tokina did well...TOO well in fact. I was a little taken aback and even feeling suckered a bit. Here I had spent some time being thrifty with lenses, attempting to make due with what I had. Now, after finally biting the bullet and picking up the best I could get, I find I could have spent a third that cost and gotten similar quality. Later, I even did some lens testing and discovered the AF-S not to my liking in sharpness, at least not for $1000 lens. I sold the lens.

Specifications

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Focal length: 28-70mm
Max. aperture: f/2.8
Min. aperture: f/22
Elements/Groups: 16/15
Minimum focusing distance: 2.3' (0.7 m)
Filter size: 77mm
Aperture blades: 8
Dimensions: 4.25" x 3.30" (108mm x 84mm)
Weight: 1.6 lbs. (720 g)
Hood: Dedicated, BH-773

Price (As of October 2010)

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These lenses run between $200-300 used, nearly one third the price of the Nikon AF-S equivalent and provide an excellent alternative.

Aesthetics/Ergonomics

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As previously stated, Tokina uses what they call an "Armalite" finish, or crinkle-finish on the exterior of the lens to give it a rugged feel. I love it! The front lens element recesses inside the barrel of the lens as it is zoomed from 28mm to 70mm. Also the manual focus can be engaged via a clutch mechanism. The zoom ring must be turned to a certain point, however, to employ the clutch. Newer Tokina lenses can swiftly move from auto to manual focus no matter what the position of the zoom ring.


Model Variation

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It seems there are a few variations of this lens floating around. All told there are 5 or 6 versions of this 28-70mm:

Tokina 28-70mm f/2.8 - I have seen this "first version" listed on a couple sites but I personally have no idea which model is being referred to here.

Tokina AT-X 28-70mm f/2.8 - This version has the Yellow ring and a smooth satin black exterior. You'll recognize this version as unlike later models, it has a much smaller focus ring, about 1"-1 1/2".

Tokina AT-X Pro 28-70mm f/2.6-2.8 - (There may have been some labeled f/2.8 only. Some speculation states this denotes a Japanese sold version but it open to debate) - The image below is of this first version which can easily be identified as being the first to use the clutch feature. Also it has a satin finish and a thread-based hood (MH-773). Later models accepted a bayonet hood. This lens was somewhat of a beater I picked up for a great price in hopes of just shooting it against my Pro II model. This model is reportedly sharper and a little better optically. Unfortunately the lens I received was broken and although MF was still possible, I can't say I would trust the results. I quickly returned it.



Tokina AT-X Pro 28-70mm f/2.6-2.8 Pro II - (Also a f/2.8 labeled version. I own this one. Possibly originally marketed in Japan). This model stands out as it possess the beautiful armalite finish, that crinkle metal. All the reviews I have seen rate this lens very well, just below the original AT-X Pro 28-70mm. Accepts BH-773 bayonet hood.

Tokina AT-X Pro 28-70mm f/2.8 SV (Super Value) - ...If the lens is actually labeled "Super Value" one has to wonder. Needless to say this version was not the best of these lenses. Uses BH-776 bayonet hood.

Tokina AT-X Pro 28-80mm f/2.8 - Not sure if this lens came before the above version but it is a different focal length so I am listing it last. This version was also relatively less of a performer as far as I have read but have never used it.

I have been attempting to get in touch with someone from Tokina since I cannot seem to find any more than speculation on a few of these model variation questions. The model pictured here, is labeled f/2.8 and is the AT-X Pro. Interestingly enough, I have never seen another model like it. Every other version that looks identical to this, is labeled as an f/2.6-2.8 and sometimes with the designation "AT-X Pro II". From what I have found this lens design is actually from Angenieux, a famous french optical company. There is an AT-X f/2.8 model (no "Pro" designation), however this is the older, lighter-built version and does not have the armalite finish. Also, a newer 28-70mm f/2.8 AT-X Pro "SV" model exists but this version is claimed to possess a different optical formula (and from most reviews performs less favorably than the previous models). The SV model, while similar in build and size to the pictured model lacks the armalite coating. After these models, Tokina even sold a 28-80mm lens but from what I have heard, this len isn't optically as good as any of the 28-70's were.

Links

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Here is a great link recently posted on another blog regarding the Tokina 28-70mm lens variation! And this is the blog from whence that link came! A well done review!

Nelson Tan has a lens test geared more towards the Nikon AF-S 28-70mm but uses the Tokina as a comparison lens. Also results in a good show from the Tokina. His blog is here.

Photozone has an evaluation here with some good technical data including distortion as well as MTF curves.

It shouldn't be too hard to find a lot of examples of imagery from this lens as it is a well-known performer. I just wanted to add my two cents and I will indeed post some shots I have taken as well.

Enjoying the Afternoon: Some Tests with CHDK

Enjoying the Last Remnants of Summer from David Kovaluk on Vimeo.

So this afternoon was incredible outside. Having nothing pressing to do today, I decided to go out and give this CHDK intervalometer a go. It took some toying around and understanding how to get the setup to work without using the rear display (because that thing tears through batteries) but I think I got something to start with! I shot everything on the Canon G9 (shot through one of those auxiliary fisheyes!), using the CHDK intervalometer as medium jpegs. I then imported them to the computer via Nikon Transfer software (Its what happens to be on this computer). Then put all the jpegs into iMovie, set each frame time to a tenth of a second and saved...voila!

I'm going to skip all the technical jargon this evening and let things be as they are. I posted this videos on vimeo. Enjoy!

Sunrise Test using Canon G9 with CHDK Intervalometer from David Kovaluk on Vimeo.

Spiratone 18mm Vs. Nikon AF-S 17-35mm Comparison

**I have performed a more recent and thorough comparison including the Tokina 17mm f/3.5 AT-X Pro.**

So I finally got around to it! Today was beautiful so I decided to go out in the back yard and put in some time with science.

To set things up: I wanted to just see a side-by-side of this Spiratone lens with something much nicer...you know, just to see! Quite frankly, no big surprise here, a lens that was originally just about $200 vs. a lens that still sells for $1000 despite having been designed more than 10 years ago. Which did ya think was going to come out optically superior? Yerp...

Nevertheless, this little spiratone has one major advantage in my mind, over the 17-35mm. Size. Something about having a 17mm's worth field of view that doesn't weigh down the neck, nor turn the heads of curious passerby's is very exciting. I suppose I could crack and drop a couple hundred more for something like Tokina's AF 17mm AT-X Pro or go more extreme (which is only a matter of time right now...) and pick up a Tamron or Sigma made 14mm rectilinear.

On top of all that, for some instances, I really like the vignetting and tone this lens interprets. And, I like the solid metal feel, rather than new plastic garbage. Ok, so perhaps I simple like the way it looks, no big surpise there!

Let's get to it! The first image is just to show the overall images as a whole at each aperture side by side. Images were shot on a Nikon D700 @ ISO 200. I had to shoot them as .jpg so there is some manipulation (just whatever takes place in-camera) but it is equal across the whole set, so methodically speaking, no big deal.

First off, it seems the Spiratone has a slightly wider field of view as well as a bit different distortion than the Nikon. This can be seen in the bottom left where the field of view pulled in the railing of my deck just a bit whereas the Nikon did not. Go ahead and click on the images to get a better look.


Next, I took a three crops from each lens' image at each aperture.

Also here is a hastily-made sample of the light fall-off of the Spiratone.
As I stated earlier, the optical design of the Spiratone appears to give it a wider field of view than the Nikon 17-35mm so in the comparison there is a tad bit of the deck railing entering the frame on the 18mm unlike the other lens. All told including my experience with the Spiratone in other conditions it seems it: produces considerably softer images both at the center wide open as well as near the corners throughout the aperture range, has a lot less contrast, is prone to flare as well as ghosting when aimed very near or at a bright light source, demonstrates an increased amount of chromatic abberation around the edges of the frame, shows light fall-off severely at f/3.5 and subtly from there until about f/8, and definitely has some distortion issues. Wait, isn't that just about EVERY optical aberration? Yep. So why bother with this lens?

Again, I didn't expect this test to shock anyone. I wasn't attempting to reveal a sleeper lens (although if I did, that'd be pretty cool). Just curiosity. That being said, this lens isn't useless.

Obviously the Nikon AF-S dominates the Spiratone technically speaking, that much should be, given the vast price difference. But from this, you can see how much different. Is it enough to make that difference? Does the Spiratone perhaps meet your personal needs just fine? Are you shooting for something that necessitates corner to corner sharpness and little other aberrations? Or are you just walking around capturing, creating moments and can lend yourself to a more varied optical interpretation? If nothing else, the Spiratone provides a valuable introduction to shooting wide angle (especially on an FX sensor) for a relatively low price. I took a photo a couple posts back, the two chairs on the deck, with the Spiratone and I truly love the way it turned out!


There is no right or wrong with these lenses (unless you have specified requirements within a particular assignment). I say, if you see one of these little gems around in good condition (for $100 or less prob), and you have never shot a wide angle before pick it up! They tend to run about $100 depending on mount and condition so if it turns out its not for you, you will most likely be able to get what you paid for it back. They're especially fun on full-frame cameras!

New tricks for the Old Dog! A Look At CHDK

As a part of the technological world, photo equipment is hardly exempt from the "flavor-of-the-week", A.D.D. trend, responsible for the incalculable craigslist and eBay listings of the newest gear citing "upgrading" as the reason of sale. I am not coming out against this, however. On the contrary, I am certainly part of it. As a self proclaimed techy. it seems impossible not to be. Finance is literally the only limiting factor, and for some, even this is no object. Our knowledge of how things work, and how to make things better is growing exponentially. Inevitably, our technilogical capabilities explode just as rapidly, not to mention the whole commerce side of things!

These facts are no big secret, of course. I merely reiterate them because today I discovered just such an advancement. And what's even better, I don't have to go out and BUY IT! Put simply, it is new tricks for an old dog, my Canon G9.

CHDK

Whats that you say!? According to CHDK wiki it stands for Canon Hack Development Kit. Really quickly, just for fun I'd like to make a quick sidenote!

Reddit.com (which I was directed to some time ago by a friend, Sarah Rusnak. THANKS!) is a forum that hosts daily pics, gifs, and links. It is informative, entertaining, and digg.com's arch nemesis. Anyway, today a link was posted on some MIT students who recently successfully executed their goal of sending a camera to subspace on a budget of $150. Better yet, they did so with no programming, soldering, or much of that stuff the average person is unfamiliar with. Thus, anyone can do it (and its legal!). The images are magnificent! In reading up on this, I reasserted my desire for a camera with an intervalometer. So I began googling for cameras equiped with such a function and low and behold I find CHDK. (You should definitely take a look at the MIT project "Icarus")

So back to CHDK. CHDK is another beautiful product of the "Hive mind". While the Canon G10 has been out for "some time", the G11 is now nipping at its heels. Despite this, programmers and hobbyists have been disregarding the customer support lines and suggestion boxes of the Canon corporation and in stead, diligently resolving their wants with a little old fashion DIY. CHDK provides new features to a variety of camera models. Better yet, it is free! After probably 30 minutes of research, I now have a camera with an adjustable intervalometer, not to mention, many more feature I never thought of! The possibilities are incredibly exciting.

You can find out more on CHDK and whether there has been any hacks written for your camera here, http://chdk.wikia.com/wiki/CHDK.

In order to do all this, I will say, you have to be tech savvy. This independent Filmmaker, Steve Ellington provides an excellent step-by-step* on how to do this on a mac. The previous link to the wiki gives a good Windows explanation. It is good to note, ALL MODIFICATIONS ARE BOOTED FROM THE SD CARD AND WILL NOT ALTER YOUR CAMERA'S FIRMWARE IF PERFORMED CORRECTLY.

*One more thing to note, in the beginning, Ellington talks about "Creating a blank text file called ver.req". But it cannot have any extra extention such as .txt or .doc. Well, the programs Word and Text Edit both always want to add an extra suffix. The way I did this was to create the file "ver.req" saved as a .txt (ver.req.txt), then right click on the file and click "get info". From there, under the drop menu "name and extention" I deleted the ".txt" and clicked any other drop menu. A dialogue then will pop-up asking if you wish to change the file's extention, click "use .req"!

I will continue to work on this as well as hopefully post some results from the new capabilites! The Hive Mind can do some pretty amazing things and I look forward to the future as well as hope to become a little more adept at this whole programming bit.

Another Amazing Individual You Never Heard Of

“There will always be some form of recording of light images. What shape it will take in the future has yet to be determined.” - Fred Spira, 2001

In searching for more information on a Spiratone lens, I discovered some general facts on the Mr. Spira as well as the Spiratone company in this obituary from the New York Times. Sounds like he was an incredible man. I enjoy finding new reasons to appreciate things even more. I initially found myself gravitating toward Spiratone brand items simply because of their robust build and retro nature. They have a sort of intrigue about them. It turns out, Mr. Spira has been noted as one of the pioneers in camera equipment distribution. Specifically, he is hailed as the Henry Ford of photography equipment. It was he who first began importing Japanese photo products into the states and making photography more accessible to the everyman. It is also claimed, it was he who made a more affordable fisheye lens available for the public. Even more impressive, he began this endeavor after fleeing his birthplace of Vienna (his father was Jewish), during World War II.

I especially found this quote on Spiratone products easy to relate to:

"Amateur and professional photographers awaited each gadget catalog as if they were children waiting for a Christmas toy catalog." (Dennis Hevesi, NY Times)

Take a look at the article and enjoy it. It certainly encourages me to continue in the world of photography and be myself. I am very appreciative of someone like Mr. Spira and for his attitude and desire to make things better for everyone as demonstrated through his contributions to the photographic art.