Vivitar FD 70-210mm f/3.5 Series 1 mkII

JimK

I have owned several versions of the Vivitar "Series 1" 70-210 zoom lenses over the years. Both the design, and the manufacturer that built the Series 1 70-210 mm zoom for Vivitar changed a number of times over the years the lens was offered. I think this "Mk II", second generation of the lens is the overall best of the bunch. It has a constant aperture from short to long, premium multicoated lens elements that keep images contrasty and saturated, and it has no quirky flare or distortion issues.

It's glass is very sharp across it's entire range of zoom reach and aperture, and it is silky smooth to operate. It's a real performer, even compared to current premium OEM lenses in it's 70-210 medium fast aperture zoom category. It is also built to last. Despite the senior status of my lens in real working years, and the seriously heavy use it has seen, it still feels as sinfully smooth in it's operation today as any lens I have ever owned.

It's sound design, high build quality, sweet overall optical peformance, and outstanding mechanical durability add up in a way that sets it apart from both earlier and more recent versions of the Series 1 family of lenses as I see it.

It is one of the few aftermarket zooms that has worked so well for me over time that I choose it over it's Canon counterpart more often than not, even though I also own the Canon version of this lens. It really is a high quality lens by any measure, and I feel that it is the best overall design of the entire family of 70-210 Series 1 lenses offered over the years. I think Tokina actually built this version for Vivitar, and I believe all the other designs were built by other lens makers.

It can be confusing to figure out which version of the lens you should be looking for, so here is a link to a pic that shows my current "Mk II" lens design mounted on a Canon T90.

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