On Test: Vivitar 28mm 1:2.0 Close Focus Wide Angle [K01]

Of the ten documented K-mount Vivitar 28mm lenses (yes, the full list will be posted here eventually!) there are only two which open up all the way to f/2. That's a stop faster than f/2.8, which can certainly make a difference in low light situations. But only if the performance is up to snuff. I've done a series of test shots to see if the K01 cuts the mustard. Read on for the third in the continuing series Looking For The Perfect Normal.

On Test: Vivitar 28mm 1:2.8 Auto Wide-Angle [T01]

This is the second lens test in the continuing series Looking For The Perfect Normal. On the tripod today is the Vivitar 28mm 1:2.8 Auto Wide-Angle (designated T01 in my numbering scheme). This is distinctive in having the interchangeable TX mount, devised by Soligor and Vivitar in 1976 as a successor to their T-4 mount system. My copy came with the TX-to-K-mount adapter that is required to use such lenses on Pentax bodies. Read Using A Manual Lens On A Pentax Digital SLR for usage instructions.

On Test: Vivitar Series 1 Auto Wide Angle 28mm f/1.9 [M01]

In the first article in this series, Looking For The Perfect Normal, I outlined the goals of the search and described the five lenses I'll be examining. Here's the first of these, the Vivitar Series 1 Auto Wide Angle 28mm f/1.9 (designated M01 in my numbering scheme). This is the only lens in the test to bear the famed "Series 1" label. This lens is from the seventies and has the M42 screw mount, so you'll want to read Using A Manual Lens On A Pentax Digital SLR.

Using A Manual Lens On A Pentax Digital SLR

This is part of my series on Vivitar 28mm lenses. Before I get into the reviews proper, I thought I'd tell you how to set up your Pentax DSLR for older lenses. One of the great things about these cameras is the ability to fit any glass from the beginning of Pentax history to date. But prior to the age of auto-everything, taking photos involved a few steps you might not be familiar with. The article will cover how to fit an M42 lens, the camera settings you need to make, and how to actually take a photo.

New escalation 501 Tracks Released!

As escalation 501 I am working on some radical "remixes" of material from Canadian post-punk duo Quietus 2. I found a tape of theirs in a box with several other miscellaneous titles (including some field recordings I might use someday). I think perhaps I was given this to play on air, back when I was a DJ in London, Ontario. Somehow the cassette has gone missing again, but not before I was able to sample extracts from the odd synth tunes and tape noises.