Lens Test – Vivitar 28mm f/2 Auto Wide-Angle Lens for Canon FD Mount

Chris and Carol

It’s a relatively rare lens (now) from the late 1970s to early 1980s. Kino Precision likely made the lens under the Kiron brand for Vivitar (started as Ponder & Best in the US). The serial number, SN 22810099, indicates the manufacturer (first two numbers), the year made (8=1978), the week (10=March 6-12), and the consecutive number for that week (099).

The lens is mounted via a K&F Concept FD-FX adapter. It is an older lens with the classic chrome breech lock ring used on Canon cameras starting in the early 1970s.
When I test classic film camera lenses, I almost always use my Fujifilm X-T2 as my platform. The effective focal length with a 1.5x crop sensor mirrorless camera is about 42mm (1.5 x 28).

It’s a heavy lens—288 grams (10.2 oz.) for its size—with lots of glass and brass. I couldn’t find the lens details, so I don’t know how many elements and groups it has. My guess is it has coated optics, as the later lenses have ‘MC’ on the front filter ring. It accepts 55mm filters.

My copy is infested with fungus and shows some haze deep inside. Here are some samples. It’s a shame, really, as the lens has the potential to be a good one. The fast f/2 aperture was not standard or common in a 28mm lens.

Under a bright LED, the internal haze and cloudiness are apparent. The image lacks sharpness.
Again, the fungus, haze, and general cloudiness take their toll.
Outside in dim sunlight, the color balance, as is the clarity, is off a bit.
The lack of detail is especially noticeable along the edges where the fungus filaments are the most evident.

Is it horrible? No, not really. Under the right conditions, it could make for some interesting mood shots. Can it be corrected? Yes, the internal elements and groups would need a deep cleaning.

Thanks for stopping by, Chris

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Comments are always welcomed, as I’ve learned quite a bit from reader feedback. As always, thanks for stopping by, and while you’re at it, feel free to visit my camera shop at http://www.ccstudio2380.com (CC Design Studios hosted by Etsy). – Chris Whelan

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