Hidden gems of independent lenses.

John Bragg · Mar 9, 2016

What would you consider the best bargains in lenses by independent makers ? I am curious as I have a great liking for Komine lenses by Vivitar and have just bought another 135mm f2.8 in OM mount. I have one like it in Nikon Ai mount and it is crazy sharp and has a lovely signature. Great bargain lens at a fantastically cheap price.

anfenglin · Mar 9, 2016

Pentacon 50mm 1.8 in M42. Not really an independent maker but at least not one of the abvious big ones ;-)

Ap507b · Mar 9, 2016

Paid £20 for a close to mint Vivitar Series 1 70-210 F3.5 in an OM mount. It's a 2nd edition Tokina built lens. Seems worthy of all the hype.

Also have a Sigma 24mm F2.8 in Nikon mount that gets good reviews that you can find cheaply.

onre · Mar 9, 2016

http://blog.bkspicture.com/review_Super_Carenar_300mm_f5.5_M42.html

This. I have one and absolutely love it. These things go for 20 euros.

blockend · Mar 9, 2016

Kiron and Tamron SP. Neither will sell for much less than a branded prime today.

AgX · Mar 9, 2016

Recently I bought an 28mm wide-angle lens in FD Mount. Nothing special, except that it yields much more extention than its collegues.

Fixcinater · Mar 9, 2016

Bokina aka Tokina 90mm f/2.5 1:2 macro
Vivitar Series 1/Lester Dine/Kiron 105mm f/2.5 1:1 macro
Tamron 300mm f/2.8 SP although it's hard to hide this one even with it's near camo green color
Vivitar 28mm f/2.5 (67mm filter thread version)
Sigma XQ 135/1.8
Vivitar 2x macro focusing TC

Patrick Robert James · Mar 9, 2016

I have a Cambron 20mm 2.8 lens for Contax that is a touch soft wide open, but stopped down a little it is super sharp, just as sharp as the Zeiss lenses I have owned. I probably couldn't get $10 for it if I sold it. This was shot with it-

(there was a url link here which no longer exists)

EdColorado · Mar 9, 2016

The Tamron 80-200mm f2.8 SP. I've had mine for many years and it never disappoints. Tack sharp, fast, and built like a tank.

Alan Gales · Mar 9, 2016

EdColorado said:
The Tamron 80-200mm f2.8 SP. I've had mine for many years and it never disappoints. Tack sharp, fast, and built like a tank.

+1

narsuitus · Mar 9, 2016

John Bragg said:
What would you consider the best bargains in lenses by independent makers ? I am curious as I have a great liking for Komine lenses by Vivitar and have just bought another 135mm f2.8 in OM mount. I have one like it in Nikon Ai mount and it is crazy sharp and has a lovely signature. Great bargain lens at a fantastically cheap price.

I think Rokinon lenses and Kiron made Vivitar lenses are great bargains made by independent lens makers. However, my personal favorites are the Carl Zeiss lenses even though they are not inexpensive.

135mm f/2 Lenses by Narsuitus, on Flickr

jimjm · Mar 9, 2016

For large-format, I've found a few great deals on Caltar-branded lenses. These are usually re-badged Schneider or Rodenstock lenses and are otherwise identical, except they can be had for much lower prices.

I found a Caltar-S II 240/5.6 a few years ago for dirt cheap, in perfect condition. It's a re-badged Symmar-S and covers 8x10. It's a big lens for 4x5, but it's awesome for portrait work.

cooltouch · Mar 10, 2016

Another great Komine-made Vivitar is their Series 1 28-90mm f/2.8-3.5. I've used that lens for many years, first in Canon FD and later in Nikon F. It is a fantastic lens and can usually be found for very affordable prices. Ed mentioned the Tamron 80-200/2.8 LD -- I will second his praise. I haven't had mine for as long as he has, but I also consider it to be a superb lens. Actually, in general, I've found Tamron lenses to be a great value, especially the SP line. I have a rather extensive Tamron collection, in focal lengths ranging from 17mm to 500mm. Some models can get kind of pricey, but they're worth it. As for Tokina, they're another aftermarket brand worth considering. The Tokina 17mm is a superb ultra wide. The 90mm macro is legendary. Their AT-X line of zoom lenses is also quite good. The stand-outs are the 80-200/2.8 SD, 100-300/4 SD, and 150-500/5.6 SD.

Theo Sulphate · Mar 10, 2016

Another vote for the Tokina AT-X.

With one exception, I always use the camera manufacturer's lenses. That exception being the Tokina AT-X 35-200/3.5-4.5 SD for my Canon AE-1P. It was the only lens I used on that camera for 25 years.

benjiboy · Mar 10, 2016

Tamron SP 17mm f3.5 lens is the best recti-linear ultra wide angle lens I have ever used.

Alan Gales · Mar 12, 2016

At one time all zoom lenses sucked. The major manufacturers saw no market for them until the Vivitar Series 1 turned the industry on it's ear. Later the Tamron SP's and Tokina ATX's came out. One said to be as sharp as the other. Then you had Kiron who was said to be not quite as sharp but the best bargain out there. I don't know. I did own a Tamron SP and people couldn't tell if my photos were made with it or my Zeiss primes. I knew the Zeiss primes were sharper but the Tamron was a great performer.

I had a buddy who wanted a longish zoom for his Pentax ME Super Program camera. He wanted the Pentax zoom but couldn't afford it. I told him to buy a Kiron which he did. He claimed that the Kiron zoom was sharper than his 50mm prime Pentax lens. I'm just repeating what he said. I was happy he liked the lens.

OzJohn · Mar 13, 2016

I don't know that there are too many real hidden gems among non-genuine lenses and there are a few dogs in the ranks of name brand ones too - but you mostly get what you pay for. I've always worked on the principle that if I really needed a lens and either couldn't afford or did not want to spend the money on the branded one I was better off buying a lesser brand so that I could at least take the photos that I really wanted it for in the first place. I'd much rather take photos than agonise over equipment. OzJohn

Jeff L · Mar 13, 2016

I like my Tamron SP 70-210 f3.5 and SP 17mm.

BMbikerider · Mar 13, 2016

I recently bought a Vivitar 28/90 F2.8-3.5 Series1 lens with a Minolta MD mount. It is in boxed mint condition that the previous owner had last used 35 years ago. It is bitingly sharp at all zoom lengths. It will be going in for a service as the lubricant in the focusing has dried up and that makes it very hard work to use, but will be money very well spent. It sits on my XE1 very nicely and covers all the most used focal lengths. It is much better than the lens that followed it which was the 28-105 series 1.
I will also go along with the recommendations by some, of the Tamron 80/210 and 70/210 Sp lenses.

Alan Gales · Mar 13, 2016

There were always two disadvantages of aftermarket lenses. First, if you bought new, the resale value was not near as good as the camera manufacturer's lenses. Second, aftermarket lenses had a different feel than camera manufacturers lenses. What I mean by this is if you owned 4 Nikkors and a Tamron then the Tamron felt like a Tamron and not a Nikkor so it felt different than your other 4 lenses. This bothered some and was a moot point to others.

miha · Mar 13, 2016

Sigma AF Super Wide II 24mm was tested as best in class. My example was super sharp with great colour rendition - slides were so beautiful. Build quality was so so: super loud AF screw-driven mechanism (Nikon variant) and after a couple of years of amateur use apperture broke apart.

cooltouch · Mar 13, 2016

Jeff, and BMBikerider, I can second your opinions and your results. I'm very fond of my Tamron SP 17mm and the 70-210/3.5, while I own a copy, I haven't used it as much as I have other tele zooms. But adaptall-2.org certainly gives it high marks.

Another Tamron SP to add to the list of good ones you can often pick up for cheap is the 60-300mm f/3.8-5.4. Call it a 4-5.6. I used the Vivitar S1 28-90 and the Tamron SP 60-300 as my two main walking around lenses for years and I have hundreds of good photos to prove their capabilities.

TV film crew, shot at Venice Beach, CA. Canon F-1, Vivitar S1 28-90, Kodachrome 64

Green iguana going for a stroll. Canon F-1, Tamron Sp 60-300, Kodachrome 64. This image was sold to Bearport Publishing for their book, Green Iguanas.

ic-racer · Mar 13, 2016

Camera manufacturer lenses are pretty cheap these days. I probably have over 50 lenses and only one non-manufuactuer lens. It came on a body. It is a older Sigma 70-28 3.5-4.5 AF Zoom that turned out to be a fantastic performer.

nsurit · Mar 15, 2016

I'm particularly fond of the Tamron SP Adaptall mount lenses in my kit. Although I use them with my Olympus OM cameras, with the proper adapter, they could be used with most other 35mm SLR camera bodies. The ones which current reside in my stable are the 17mm, 24-48mm, 90mm, 180mm, 300mm & 400mm. Several of these replaced Olympus lenses in the same focal lengths.

GRHazelton · Mar 15, 2016

I have an old Tamron Adaptamatic - at least I think that's the series - 200mm f3.5 in 42mm mount. The lens has a rotating tripod mount, is all metal, heavy and beautifully finished. Built in lens shade, a nice touch. It is also really sharp and contrasty. I used it for years with a Praktica LTL (BTW, the Pentacon 50mm f1.8 which came with that camera is excellent! And the LTL still works.) and I wish I could score an adapter for my K mount gear. Probably doesn't exist.

NB Looking at this site Dead Link Removed I know there was no adapter for K mount gear. A pity.

Hidden gems of independent lenses.

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