Pentax ist DS lens suggestions

[maverick96]

Hello all! I'm kinda still a newbie at the photography thing so I wanted to get some advice on a couple lens I was looking to purchase. I have a Pentax *ist DS and would like to get a zoom lens. Here are two I was looking at:

Tokina 70-210mm f/4-5.6 SZ-X 210 "N" Telephoto Zoom Manual Focus Lens for Pentax K
Vivitar 70-210mm Manual Zoom Lens for Pentax Model number: 214096

Again, I'm a newbie so I wanted to know if either one of these would fit my ist DS or which one would be better to purchase. Any other suggestions would be great. I'm on a shoe-string budget though!

Thanks!

[mtngal]

You'd need more information about the Vivitar to figure out what it is. It might be an outstanding lens but maybe not. You might find this web page interesting: http://www.robertstech.com/vivitar.htm . See also if you can get the serial number for it - it could tell you who actually made the lens.

[bigdawg]

The Vivitar may be a very good one. What is the serial number?
I have two 70-210 serial one lenses that are quite good.

A Group 1 made by Kiron and a Group 2 made by Tokina. Still hoping for a Group three made by Komine.

The URL suggested by Harriet is a very good one to find the maker of a Vivitar lens. The serial numbers work for all Vivitar lenses from the 70's and early 80's. Not just for Series one lens.

Dawg

[maverick96]

The serial number is 44062790

Here is all the other info I have on it:

• Macro focusing as close as 1 - 4x[/*]
• Superior optical performance with 12 elements in 8 groups[/*]
• Fast f/4.0 - f/22 aperture range[/*]
• One-touch focus and zoom control[/*]
• Multicoated for reduced flare and increased light transmission[/*]
• ASIN: B00006I5Z9[/*]
• model number: 214096[/*]

[bigdawg]

maverick96 wrote:

The serial number is 44062790

Here is all the other info I have on it:

• Macro focusing as close as 1 - 4x

  [/*]

• Superior optical performance with 12 elements in 8 groups

  [/*]

• Fast f/4.0 - f/22 aperture range

  [/*]

• One-touch focus and zoom control

  [/*]

• Multicoated for reduced flare and increased light transmission

  [/*]

• ASIN: B00006I5Z9

  [/*]

• model number: 214096

  [/*]

That would be a fairly rare Perkin Elmer lens made in the US. Perkin Elmer also made optics for NASA back in the 60's and up to today. A very well respected lens maker.The f/4 is not a real fast lens but it isn't the slowest either. Should be a good one if in good condition. The main drawbacks to these is some Chromatic aberration when shooting towards the sun or on edges of light colored objects when brightly illuminated. Not real bad but there is some when under these conditions. Don't personally own a Perkin lens and have never heard a bad word on them. They are still in buissness. go here for a little look at them.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/PerkinElmer
http://www.luminous-landscape.com/re...olid_cat.shtml

Dawg

[maverick96]

Thank you so much for your opinion! So it looks like I won't have any issues fitting this on the *ist DS correct? I mainly would like to use it for landscape shots and closeups I can't get with my 18-55mm. Not going for professional work , but still want clear shots. Sounds like it could work!

[bigdawg]

maverick96 wrote:

Thank you so much for your opinion! So it looks like I won't have any issues fitting this on the *ist DS correct? I mainly would like to use it for landscape shots and closeups I can't get with my 18-55mm. Not going for professional work , but still want clear shots. Sounds like it could work!

Just remember it needs to be a Pentax mount.


Dawg

[mtngal]

Are you sure the picture goes with the lens description? I'm no expert, but the lens pictured has an "AF" on the side and looks a whole lot like a Phoenix macro lens I used to have. So I question if it goes with your first posted description of a "Vivitar manual zoom lens". Also, the only f4 70-210 lens I saw wasn't a Series One.

In any case, it will probably fit on the DS without problems. A few of the older Vivitar lenses had a longer flange which has to be filed down to mount on a dSLR.

As far as the Tokina - the only thing I could find on it is that it's one of the smallest and lightest tele lenses. Other than that, I could find people selling them but not much information about the lens itself. It would fit on the DS also.

There's really only a couple of things to look out for when you are looking at old lenses - the Pentax/Ricoh mounts which have a pin that you need to remove before mounting (otherwise it will get stuck on your camera!) and the longer flange.

[maverick96]

Looking at the websites suggested, I agree the lens from the ad is different but wasn't sure if this was a newer style. I did find something about the pin and longer flange on some of these older lenses.

As far as the Tokina, I found about the same info as you. I think I might go with the vivitar and see how well it works.

I'll keep you guys updated. Thanks again for the info!

[bigdawg]

mtngal wrote:

Are you sure the picture goes with the lens description? I'm no expert, but the lens pictured has an "AF" on the side and looks a whole lot like a Phoenix macro lens I used to have. So I question if it goes with your first posted description of a "Vivitar manual zoom lens". Also, the only f4 70-210 lens I saw wasn't a Series One.

In any case, it will probably fit on the DS without problems. A few of the older Vivitar lenses had a longer flange which has to be filed down to mount on a dSLR.

As far as the Tokina - the only thing I could find on it is that it's one of the smallest and lightest tele lenses. Other than that, I could find people selling them but not much information about the lens itself. It would fit on the DS also.

There's really only a couple of things to look out for when you are looking at old lenses - the Pentax/Ricoh mounts which have a pin that you need to remove before mounting (otherwise it will get stuck on your camera!) and the longer flange.

Harriet I don't think anyone has said it is a series one. I mentioned the series one's I own but I do not believe he has said it is a series one. The serial numbers on the Robert'stech web sight apply to all Vivitar lens during this period. As for the AF it does look like a Phoenix lens. The AF Cosina made Vivitars also have this on the side of the lens. Of the three brands listed here the Perkins Elmer Vivitar would be the sharper of the three.

Dawg