I'm not in a position to offer much reply on comparison between these lenses. I bought a 105mm 2.5 Series One some years ago and at the time noticed that its publihed test performance seemed generally superior to the much older 90mm 2.5 Series One. That's to be expected with a design some 10+ years newer, a more complex optical design and internal "zoom" type mechanics which alter the element/group spacings as the lens is focussed to maximize optical performance over the entire focus range, unlike the 90mm 2.5.
My 105mm Vivitar has performance sufficient for me to make 16x20 inch prints from most of a full 35mm frame which compare favorably against similar prints made from medium format negatives. Modern Photo did a test comparison of this lens against the 105mm 2.8 Micro Nikkor - performance virtually the same overall. My one big knock the 105mm Series One - weight. It's big; It's heavy. You can get tired of hefting it around. I do not know how it compares in this to the other lenses you are considering. One final consideration - the 105mm Series One doesn't come along that often, so one in nice condition might be a little hard to find in your choice of lens mount. The Tamron has a very good reputation, but I suspect that with a little inquiry, you already know more about it than I do. The maunual version of this lens does, or at least did, use the Tamron interchargeable mount system, so if you can find a good deal on th lens in any mount, fitting it to your camera is not a problem. I do or have used three different Tamrom lenses with this interchangeable mount. It works fine. Once you fit the mount adapter to the lens, you wouldn't notice that it is interchangeable. Randy Stewart ----- Original Message ----- From: "adphoto" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> To: "pdml" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Sent: Friday, January 24, 2003 9:36 PM Subject: vivitar 90mm 2.5 vs 105mm 2.5 vs105mm2.8 kiron vs tamron 90mm > Of the 4 which is the better macro? > is the 105mm 2.5 S1 vivitar the same as the 105mm 2.8 kiron? > Is the series 1 vivitar 90mm as good as its cult status ? > > > >
