Re: What's Kiron?

[Paul . Stregevsky]

Here are the specs on the Kiron 24/2,taken from a review of the lens from Amateur Photography, September 3, 1983: Width: 2.6 in. (65 mm) Length: 1.8 in. (47 mm) Weight: 288 g (10.1 oz.) Filter size: 55 mm (same as the Kiron 28/2.0, which I own) Lens formula: 8 elements, 8 groups, multicoated Prices for the K-mount version are difficult to find. The only one I've seen was 180 Cdn, (then $118), for a unit in 8.5 condition, from camera-traders.com, in October 2000, Seawood.com sold one in an unnamed mount for $175 in July 2000.In 1986, a Bi-Rite ad sold the Kiron 24/2 for $126 while the Vivitar 24/2 sold for $76. The third-party-lens site that Daphne suggested included a discussion of Kiron that had high praise for this lens. It claims that the 24/2 had internal floating elements for improved close focusing. But this claim was contradicted on the Olympus discussion site. Here are some other comments: Gary Schloss, Olympus archive, Sept. 1997: "Other good alternatives [to Zuiko wide-angle lenses] are the Vivitar/Kiron 28/f2 and 24/f2. Both are very compact (about the same size, weight, and specs (!) as their Zuiko counterparts, both take 55mm filters, and produce excellent sharpness, contrast, and distortion control. Kiron versions have a shiny finish." Joseph Albert, also on the Olympus discussion site: "I have used the 28/2 Vivitar and found the flare control to be less than outstanding. The Kiron 24/2 is a different design from the Vivitar 24/2 and is not easy to find. It (the Kiron lens) is highly recommended by Roger Hicks and Frances Schulz in their “Lens Book,” and so I think a lot of folks don’t part with the one they have." To summarize the findings of Amateur Photography, in its roundup of 24s, the Kiron placed third of, I think, eight, behind Makinon and Sunagor. The Kiron's overall performance, average; central definition, good; edge definition, average; image contrast, good; optical balance, average. Worst at f/2 at edge. It took until f/8 before the lens delivered sharp definition. Best overall and edge definition is at f/16. Best central definition is at f/11. The overall score of average was kept to this because the best definition for aperture was stopped down to f/16." If any one thinks I've quoted too much, please let me know so that I don't repeat my mistake. I bought this review and many others from a British site that sells legitimate back copies of these reviews, and I wouldn't want to diminish their sales. Daphne wrote: Date: Wed, 07 Mar 2001 16:13:11 +0200 From: Daphne <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Subject: Re: What's a Kiron? 58mm filter hey? should be the size of a good old Pentax SMC-K prime then..something like the 20mm f-4, or the 18mm perhaps? well, I'll just wait for your comments upon receiving it then :-) Daphne Paul Franklin Stregevsky, Technical Writer NEC America, Inc. Mail Stop VA-4610 14040 Park Center Rd. Herndon, VA 20171-3227 [EMAIL PROTECTED] W: (703) 834-4648 - This message is from the Pentax-Discuss Mail List. To unsubscribe, go to http://www.pdml.net and follow the directions. Don't forget to visit the Pentax Users' Gallery at http://pug.komkon.org .