Vivitar Series 1 70-210mm lens: Found at an auction Vivitar Series 1 70-210 mm 1:3.5 lens in a carrying case, The lens is flat out mint. Pay $12.00 for it (that is with auction cut...

Quinn 4

Found at an auction Vivitar Series 1 70-210 mm 1:3.5 lens in a carrying case, The lens is flat out mint. Pay $12.00 for it (that is with auction cut, sale tax.) Got the lens home found out that the lens will only fit a Konica camera, which I do not have. How much a problem to have the back of the camera change to fit a Canon AE-1 body or a Nikon F body. If it can't be done, I just get a Konica's camera.

Screamin Scott Loc: Marshfield Wi, Baltimore Md, now Dallas Ga

Quinn 4 wrote:

Found at an auction Vivitar Series 1 70-210 mm 1:3.5 lens in a carrying case, The lens is flat out mint. Pay $12.00 for it (that is with auction cut, sale tax.) Got the lens home found out that the lens will only fit a Konica camera, which I do not have. How much a problem to have the back of the camera change to fit a Canon AE-1 body or a Nikon F body. If it can't be done, I just get a Konica's camera.

Not worth having the mount changed. They were nice lenses back in the day but not as much now. The best way to use it now is to get a mirrorless camera and an adapter. Konica never had an AF mount thus the only Konica camera that it would fit would be an older film camera. I have the same lens in a Nikon Pre-Ai mount. It sits collecting dust. I see where you referenced using it on older Canon & Nikon film bodies. Still not worth it. Look for a functional Konica T-3 ( I have one) as that was one of the better Konicas. Pretty sure the serial number starts with 22. That signifies it was made by Kino Precision for the Vivitar company (Vivitar was just a marketer). Kino was a well respected 3rd party brand who's demise came after autofocus came to market. Today Vivitar is owned by Samyang, IIRC, and is not of the same quality it used to be in the 70's and 80's.

http://camera-wiki.org/wiki/Vivitar_serial_numbers

Drewline Loc: Castle Rock, Colorado

The rear mounts of those lenses were quite different for each brand camera as I remember. At this late stage of the game it would be impossible to to find parts let alone pay someone to perform major surgury on the lens. It should work well on any of the later Konica bodies.

Joe Blow

It sounds like a bargain. Unfortunately, unless you get extremely lucky and find an adapter or appropriate body, it will be a display unit.

AnselsBest1 Loc: WLA, CA

I have this lens and a Konica T-3. Which I still use to this day. It was the first Shutter Priority camera. It might be worth your while to find a T-3 in good condition fairly cheap.
Of course there is the cost of film and processing. Have fun.
Ron

mas24 Loc: Southern CA

Quinn 4 wrote:

Found at an auction Vivitar Series 1 70-210 mm 1:3.5 lens in a carrying case, The lens is flat out mint. Pay $12.00 for it (that is with auction cut, sale tax.) Got the lens home found out that the lens will only fit a Konica camera, which I do not have. How much a problem to have the back of the camera change to fit a Canon AE-1 body or a Nikon F body. If it can't be done, I just get a Konica's camera.

Put the lens up for sale on Craigslist, for someone who owns a Konica camera. And be glad to get your $12 back for it. I wouldn't even buy a Konica camera, just for that lens. Vivitar is OK. A Brand that offered affordable lenses, yesteryears ago. Not very sharp. Just OK.

Quinn 4

Thank you all for the information, so much for that idea. Ron, that all I use is film cameras

N4646W

Quinn 4 wrote:

Thank you all for the information, so much for that idea. Ron, that all I use is film cameras

Before you spend any additional funds, go on line and look up the SN#. Some of the first Series 1 lenses were quite remarkable. When they first were introduced, there was quite a bit of an uproar as some said they were better than the Nikon 70-210. I got lucky and got one of the first series. Not all the components were manufactured by the same company, put out on bid, and some of the units were very poor as far as image quality. If memory serves me, there were problems with the lens elements being adhered properly, and glass not up to specs. By the time it was sorted out, the damage was done.

The macro function was a plus.

Ron

blackest Loc: Ireland

Screamin Scott wrote:

Not worth having the mount changed. They were nice... (show quote)

hmmm well B&H do an adapter with 1.4x and with confirmation chip for $60 for canon eos. More fun to look for a camera.

wingclui44 Loc: CT USA

N4646W wrote:

Before you spend any additional funds, go on line ... (show quote)

I got this Vivitar years ago from Adorama less than $100, it's the series-1 f3.5 Nikon F mount, with series # staring at 22. it was already converted to AI, so I am using it on my old D200 and Df with "A" & "M" mode. I mostly use it for flower photography because it's 1:2x close up ability, and produces very good sharp image.

MT Shooter Loc: Montana

Quinn 4 wrote:

Found at an auction Vivitar Series 1 70-210 mm 1:3.5 lens in a carrying case, The lens is flat out mint. Pay $12.00 for it (that is with auction cut, sale tax.) Got the lens home found out that the lens will only fit a Konica camera, which I do not have. How much a problem to have the back of the camera change to fit a Canon AE-1 body or a Nikon F body. If it can't be done, I just get a Konica's camera.

If you REALLY must shoot it, get a camera to fit it. Your best option. (It may have a Minolta MD mount so try it on old Minolta manual focus film cameras as well.)

bkyser Loc: Fly over country in Indiana

for $12, you can take it apart and use the lenses to burn ants....or...um.... do fun magnifying glass experiments.
Some days, I'm perpetually 6 years old.

BebuLamar

You can just buy another in the right mount for about the same price. Such a lens isn't worth much on the market.

Screamin Scott Loc: Marshfield Wi, Baltimore Md, now Dallas Ga

MT Shooter wrote:

(It may have a Minolta MD mount so try it on old Minolta manual focus film cameras as well.)

I seriously doubt that it has a Minolta mount as this lens was made in the 70's, long before Konika was bought out by Minolta. It is, of course, possible but unlikely. They merged in 2003. Konica stopped making SLRs in 1987...

MT Shooter Loc: Montana

Screamin Scott wrote:

I seriously doubt that it has a Minolta mount as this lens was made in the 70's, long before Konika was bought out by Minolta. It is, of course, possible but unlikely. They merged in 2003. Konica stopped making SLRs in 1987...

May be, but I have two Konica FT-1 SLRs here that take the Minolta mount lenses. Both have been modified to accept the MD mount rather than the AR mount lenses, but I believe this was a common conversion as I have had others as well. Never have seen a Minolta body converted to AR lens mount though. And I do not know much of the history of these conversions other than both the bodies I currently have came from the Seattle area.