Talk:Vivitar

Vivitar Lens Families

This is a working area for assembling vivitar lenses into their respective families. The groupings here are based on guesses and theories. Once I've found sufficient evidence for a family group, I move them from here to the main Vivitar page.

• P&B example
• P&B Vivitar example
  • P&B Vivitar 35mm Wide Angle, SN:65416, two rear aperture rings, alternating flats on focus ring
    • 135mm f/3.5 (Tele Vivitar) SN:70719

• Vivitar Professional example

• Vivitar
  • Vivitar T mount lenses: most appear to have been made by Tokyo Koki (aka Tokina). These are identifiable by the bevel at the rear of the focus ring: example Tokina-made T mount. The other T mount vendor made more cylindrical focus rings without a bevel. The manufacturer is still unconfirmed but one suspect is Tamron. Tamron is known to have made T mounts for Soligor and is the originator of the T mount itself: example of unknown Vivitar t mount. Compare this view of the example unknown Vivitar t mount, with the Lentar 135mm. They're essentially identical. As noted in the second reference, the focusing ring on this lens turns in the opposite direction for Tokina-made lenses. Tamron is known to have made 135mm f/2.8 and 180mm f/3.5 t mounts, corresponding to the mystery Vivitars (the 180mm is an unusual focal length, most manufacturers preferred 200mm).
  • Vivitar Compatible T System family - T-Mount, 18 blade iris, two front aperture rings, older models had flats in focus ring, newer models had longitudinal ridges only (The shift also occurred in some Chrome Nose family lenses.) - according to this photo, the 200mm is part of a Vivitar family called the Vivitar Compatible T System.
    • 35mm f/2.8
    • 35mm f/3.5 w/flats (sn 131914)
    • 35mm f/3.5 12 blade rear element extends on focus sn:220797 (mine), 221297 (ebay), 572021 (ebay), 571249 (ebay, +photo of "compatible t system" box)
    • 85mm f/1.885mm f/1.8 also (Tele Vivitar) sn: 67019 (ebay), 70276 (ebay), 70397 (ebay)
    • 135mm f/2.8 Tele Vivitar 15 blade sn:199355 (mine) (SN:70942?)
    • 135mm f/2.8 Tele Vivitar 15 blade sn:73087 (mine)
    • 135mm f/3.5 w/flats (sn 64293, 653xx)
    • 135mm f/3.5 Tele Vivitar 15 blade sn:74983 (mine), 7215x (ebay) 70606 (ebay), 70746 (ebay), 70290 (ebay), 101092 (ebay) rear barrel extends on focus
    • 180mm f/3.5 (Telephoto) (sn: 198043 ebay)
    • 200mm f/3.5 Tele Vivitar
    • 300mm f/5.6 (Tele Vivitar) sn:69260 rear barrel extends on focus (photo of box confirms "compatible t system" name), 70267 (ebay)
    • 300mm f/5.6, Tele Vivitar w/flats exampleexample
    • 400mm f/5.6 (Tele Vivitar) sn: 6665609 (shopgoodwill.com), 74546 (ebay), 76822 (ebay)
    • 500mm f/6.3 Tele Vivitar
    • Vivitar 600m f/8 sn: 379000329, 37900986 (tele-tokina look-alike)
    • Vivitar Telephoto 800mm f/8 sn: 10845 (ebay), 379000070
    • Vivitar Telephoto 800mm f/8 (alternate design)
  • Pyramid preset T-Mount family (date? info?) example example
    • Vivitar Wide-Angle 28mm f/2.5 sn#ss51368 (ebay), 2295007
    • Vivitar 28mm f/2.8 sn#63903, 59023 (ebay)
    • Vivitar 85-205mm f/3.8 (chrome nose + knurled silver mid band - looks like a chrome nose)
    • Vivitar 85-205mm f/3.8 (silver band + extending black hood - looks like a bright band)
  • 2 window preset family (ca 1975?) example
    • 250mm f/4.5 example, sn# 69605 (eBay)
  • Chrome Nose family (ca 1968-70?) example
    • Complete and referenced, see main page
    • Alternate version of 35mm chrome nose, different colored marking. sn 100095 (likely prototype)
  • Bright Band family (ca 1970?) example
    • Complete and referenced, see main page
  • Dark Band (Ridged Ring)? Same as chrome nose/bright band, but with no silver at all
    • moved to main page
    • Vivitar 35mm f/1.9, sn:28400974
    • Vivitar Auto Telephoto 135mm f/2.8, sn:2804881
    • Vivitar Auto 135mm f/3.5, sn:4111998
  • Dual Silver Ring fixed-mount family (ca 1969-1970?) looks almost identical to the T-4 family (black metal focus ring with bevelled silver top and bottom edge). Konica, M42, other mounts.
    • 35mm f/2.8 Auto Wide-Angle sn:3705204 (ebay)
  • Auto T-4 family (ca 1969) 1969 Camera 35 ad for family
    • Complete and referenced, see main page
  • Tokina fixed-mount family with longitudinal metal ridged focus rings
    • 35mm f/2.8 example
  • Tokina fixed-mount family with rubber focus rings (possibly the same family as above with ring change?)
    • 35mm f/2.8 example
  • Komine fixed-mount family with longitudinal metal ridged focus rings
    • 35mm f/1.9 sn 28303453 (eBay) 28305968 (vox)
    • 135mm f/2.8, sn 28313110 (eBay)
    • 200mm f/2.8, sn 28217442 (eBay)
  • Komine fixed mount family with rubber focus rings (possibly same family as above with ring change?)
    • 35mm f/1.9 sn 28416761 (flickr
    • 135mm f/2.8 sn 28527114 (eBay)
  • TX Lens 1st Gen family (ca 1976) (lens listing from PopSci May 1976 vivitar ad, page 43)
    • Complete and referenced, see main page
  • TX Lens 2nd Gen Family (ca 1980) (see wolf book)
    • Complete and referenced, see main page
  • Pre-Wolf Fixed Mount Family (ca 1976) (hypothesized) - since the wolf fixed correspond to the 2nd gen tx (particularly the f2.5 to f2.8 update), so it's very likely the fixed mounts evolved in the same way. So a pre-wolf family likely exists containing similar focal lengths with different minimum aperture values.
  • Wolf Fixed Mount Family (ca 1980) named for documentation in wolf book
    • Complete and referenced, see main page
  • SMS family (all seem to have diagonal diamond pattern on rubber focus ring)
    • Vivitar SMS 28mm f/2.8 Close Focus Wide Angle, 49mm filter, sn 26405205, 28401098
    • Vivitar SMS 28-85mm f/3.5-4.5 MC Macro Focusing Zoom, 62mm filter, sn 77403474
    • Vivitar SMS 70-210mm f/4.5 MC Macro Focusing Zoom, 52mm filter, sn 77317510, 77316676, (c/fd stock:0821586)
    • Vivitar SMS 75-210mm f/4.5 MC Macro Focusing Zoom, 52mm filter, sn 77602760 (m/md stock: 0821575)
    • Vivitar SMS 75-300mm f/4.5-5.6 MC Macro Focusing Zoom No.77502874 58mm, Nikon mount
    • Vivitar SMS 80-200mm f/4.5 MC Macro Focusing Zoom, 55mm filter, sn 77203775, 77200615
  • 5xxxx preset family (date? info? example?) (pyramid family?)
  • 6xxxx preset family (date? info? example?) (pyramid family?)
• Vivitar Series 1 (ca 1978+) example

Other Lens Types

RL Edition example (common wisdom online suggests RL lenses were identical to non-RL but came with an extended 7 year warranty. So any given lens might come in both a "normal" or RL edition but RL is not a separate family of lenses. In reality, blue RL stamps are probably limited to one particular family of Lenses (probably the Wolf family but need verification). Known RL edition lenses:

• Vivitar RL Edition 28mm f/2.8 Close Focus MC, 49mm filter, sn:28401469 (RL stamp in white)
• Vivitar RL Edition 28-80mm f/3.5-4.5 Macro Zoom MC, 62mm filter, sn:77401732 (RL stamp in white)
• Vivitar RL Edition 35-200mm f/2.-4.5 MC Macro Focusing Zoom, 62mm filter, sn 77504145, 77501131 (RL in blue)
• Vivitar RL Edition 80-200mm f/4.0 Macro Focusing Zoom MC, 55mm filter, sn:77505570, 77403469 (RL in blue)

SMS Lenses One claim is that SMS stands for Special Marketing System and SMS series lenses are just extended warranty lenses like the RL labelled lenses. But so far, the evidence suggest the SMS lenses were at least cosmetically different from any known Vivitar family (though the primary difference is just an alternate pattern on the focusing ring rubber - these may be variants of the Wolf family, like the RL lenses). Another claim is that SMS stands for "Simultaneous Multiple Surfaces", an optical technique that can simplify lens designs involving air gaps. This claim fits with what is know about Betensky's computer work on the Series 1 lenses which included development and patents on air gap techniques. See http://www.pentaxforums.com/forums/pentax-slr-lens-discussion/34654-vivitar-28mm-fa31mm-replacement-20.html However, it appears the optical term SMS was not coined until 2004 and not by Betensky. Also Vivitar used the SMS designation on products such as flash units as well as lenses, where air gap lens design was unlikely to be used.

DL Lenses Not sure what these are but so far only one model has been identified

• Vivitar DL 75-205mm f/3.8-4.8 MC Macro Focusing Zoom No.77415114 52mm, Pentax K mount
• Vivitar DL 75-205mm f/3.8-4.8 MC Macro Focusing Zoom No.77400410 52mm, unknown mount, possible Minolta
• Vivitar DL 75-205mm f/3.8-4.8 MC Macro Focusing Zoom No.77403305 52mm, unknown mount, possible Canon FD
• Vivitar DL 75-205mm f/3.8-4.8 MC Macro Focusing Zoom No.774049?? 52mm, unknown mount

Class II Demo or irregular Vivitar products were sometimes old with yellow stickers attached that read "Vivitar Class II -- Products which have been previously used for demonstration, or sold to an end user, or which contain minor appearance irregularities".

Misc Vivitar Notes

Vivitar trademark filing

• Serial number: 72228273
• Registration number: 0808478
• Primary Vivitar Trademark
• A declined Vivitar Trademark application

Known facility locations for Vivitar

• Ponder & Best, 814 N. Cole Ave. Hollywood (Los Angeles), Ca US
  • Address when they filed the Vivitar trademark, Sep 21, 1965
• Vivitar Corp. import/export facility post-earthquake: 20480 East Business Parkway, City of Industry, Ca 91789 US

Vivitar held trademark on the TX mount system name (filed in 1975): [1]

This periodically mentions Vivitar feasibility study of a 110 camera: Adweek: Western advertising news, Volume 39, Issues 40-51, Page 180

Popular Science:

• Review of Vivitar 85-205mm f/3.8 close focusing zoom
• Brief reviews of Several Series 1 lenses
• Story of Series 1 development with release dates for a couple of lenses
• Review of Series 1 200mm auto focus
• review of Series 1 450mm cat with plastic element
• mention of series 1 600mm cat and series 1 35-85mm
• 1973 70-210mm f/3.5 zoom
• 120-600mm f/5.6 zoom
• Vivitar Profession 135mm f/1.5!

Other stuff

• Vivitar Cosmorex SE - this was added to the vivitar page but I've found no evidence that Cosmorex was a badge or trademark used by Ponder and Best or Vivitar. The trademark is owned by another company. Might be worth further research if anyone wants to take a look at it. Cosmorex or the parent company may need it's own page