This vintage lens is a beauty that I picked up at a thrift store for $10. It's a Vivitar 75-205mm MC f3.8 Macro Focusing Zoom (SN22000588). The first two digits of the serial number 22, mean that the lens was manufactured by KINO PRECISION in Japan. The exact date of manufacture is not exactly known, but probably late 70's early 80's. The zoom is a push-pull and maintains a constant F3.8 across the focal length settings.
Due to the fact that the lens is a manual lens, it's really not the lens to use for action sports since a fast auto focus lens would be the correct choice. What I ended up doing is either setting the lens focus to infinity and using the maximum zoom focal length to capture action of the match standing a distance away. Or, focusing for a specific 'zone' in the field and only capturing the action in that zone.
The photos were captured using the Samsung NX1 at 3:2 aspect ratio which allows the full sensor area to capture the image at 28MP. The images shown here are straight JPEG's from the camera with no processing or effects added. Additionally, no profiles, filters or effects were enabled in-camera. The only manipulation of the photo in post was cropping.
Note: Most photographs were taken at F4-F11 and between 1/500s - 1/800s shutter speed a ISO100.
The F-Stops had to be high enough to capture a greater depth of field in focus, but higher than F11 resulted in an underexposed image. I could have upped the EV or ISO, but i chose to stay in this 'exposure range'.
Also, a 205mm focal length has the 35mm equivalent of 307.5mm on the NX1's crop sensor.
The photographs below were selected that best captured the action and where discussed, reveal the character of the lens.
The first photograph below is a tight shot of the player with the ball approaching the "Try Line" [In rugby, the “goal line” is officially called the try line.]
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Below: Following a scrum, the blue team has the ball. What I like about this photo is that the eye has to scan the line of players, then you notice the woman on the left has the ball.
NOTE: Notice how by the use of cropping, most of these 'zoom' photos appear to be wide angle photos.
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The next photograph captures the ball seemingly floating in mid-air. Since the photo is a static representation of the play, the image invites the viewer to speculate on who will play this ball.
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Rugby is a contact sport where the player's faces brace for impact.
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Below is my favorite photograph of the day. A crisp clean action shot.
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The photograph below I call 'The Circle" because the player in the middle is circled for the most part by the opposing team. Regarding the lens here. I really like the look of the background,
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Nice action with the crowd along the sidelines.
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Blue team action nicely composed.
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Rough and tumble of the sport in the photograph below..
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Player on left acutely aware she's next to contact the runner. Good facial expression.
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Nice action.
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Notice in the below photograph, that all three players are floating in the air. No feet are contacting the ground.
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For the composition of this photograph, I wanted to capture both the kicker of the 'Conversion' in the broader perspective of the crowd, field and vicinity.
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Lens conclusion: I was really impressed with the sharpness and character of this Vivitar lens. The photos look authentic to real life and the backgrounds are softer, yet maintain sufficient detail while creating a separation between the foreground and background.
The sun was very bright the day of shooting, yet the lens along with the camera sensor (dynamic range) did a very good job of keeping an exposure balance between highlights and shadows.
The lens is all metal with a rubberized focus ring grip.
Online lens description:
The Vivitar Macro Focusing 75-205 mm f/3.8 is a vintage manual-focus telephoto zoom produced in the late 1970s to early 1980s, often attributed to Kino Precision (Kiron). It was available in multiple mounts including Pentax K, M42, Nikon F, and others, and came in both two-ring and one-touch push-pull versions. Despite its modest branding, it’s widely regarded as a hidden gem among vintage zooms.
It features a 15-element - 10-group optical design, multi-coating, and a 6-blade automatic diaphragm. The lens maintains a constant f/3.8 aperture throughout the zoom range, stops down to f/22, and includes a macro mode at 75 mm that allows focusing down to 37.5 cm, delivering 0.26× magnification. It uses either a 58 mm or 62 mm filter thread depending on the version, weighs around 830 g, and measures approximately 67 × 152 mm. It includes a built-in sliding hood, macro shift ring, and engraved distance and magnification scales.
User reviews are glowing. It’s praised for its sharpness even wide open, smooth bokeh, and solid metal construction. The macro mode is especially appreciated for its close-focus versatility, though it’s not true 1:1. Handling is smooth and well-damped, though the lens is heavy and can suffer from zoom creep when pointed downward. Flare resistance is limited, so a hood is recommended.
In short, the Vivitar 75-205mm F3.8 Macro Focusing is a surprisingly capable vintage zoom—offering constant aperture, macro versatility, and cinematic rendering in a rugged, all-metal package. A cult favorite for those who enjoy character-rich optics on a budget
ABOUT THE LENS MANUFACTURER:
Kino Precision Optical Company founded in 1959 by Tatsuo Kataoka in Japan, better known to photographers as the maker of Kiron lenses, was a highly respected Japanese optical manufacturer active from 1959 through the late 1980s. During the 1970s, Kino Precision became one of the most important behind‑the‑scenes lens makers in Japan. Their reputation for excellent mechanical construction and optical innovation Vivitar Series 1 lenses they designed and built are still considered some of the best third‑party optics ever made.
Collectors and photographers still seek out Kino/Kiron lenses for their build quality, sharpness, and distinctive rendering.
